Seaside Baseball: The Underdogs

Patricia Cavero

March 7, 2024 

 

Baseball is an All-American sport in which anyone, no matter their size, sex, or principles, can still participate and enjoy the game. However, at Seaside High, you will hardly hear students and faculty members talk about our baseball team since our location focuses more on football and soccer. To change that, I am writing this story to highlight our school’s baseball team’s successes and struggles. 

 

I interviewed the baseball team’s captain, Jayden Valero, a 12th-grade student, senior class president, and athlete. Valero is a pitcher, shortstop, and second base for the team and has been playing baseball since he was four years old. His dad, Eddie Valero, Head Coach for the Seaside baseball team, was the person who introduced him to the sport. As a captain, Valero feels good since his coaches and teammates can trust him. “I enjoy leading my team, helping the players around me grow, and learning the game,” he said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An interesting fact about the baseball team was that during 2021 there was a huge possibility that Seaside High wouldn’t be able to create a baseball team due to lack of players and no coaches. Eddie Valero decided to step in. I asked Valero if he saw himself coaching three years ago, and he responded, “I knew I was always going to coach at a high school level but not be the head coach right from the start.” He played baseball since he was eight years old and wanted to teach others the knowledge he had gained over the years about the sport. It can be difficult to both manage and coach teenage boys alongside new incoming players. “Coaching and teaching new players to the game at this level is very challenging. You have to slow the game down to ensure they understand and demonstrate the skills they were just taught,” Valero expressed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I asked Ethan Vasquez, an 11th-grade student and athlete, if they were going to win the league this upcoming season, he responded, “We have better players this year. My coaches are very passionate about the team, and overall most of them want to win league this year.” They were inexperienced and had several new players on their roster during the previous season. The expectations for this season are very high, every one of them is very eager to win this year's league. What keeps the players fired up and excited for the season to come is the energy that they share. 

 

When I spectated their recent game against Marina, they lost about 1-0 at Marina High but then when they played them at Seaside High, they had an incredible comeback of 6-0. The boys took every advantage they could to steal bases and they did it effortlessly which set them in a scoring position. They improved on their defensive plays and stopped everything that came their way. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The determination and perseverance within this team are unmatched. Each player’s positive energies radiate in each other, helping every one of them to play at their best. Their efforts to improve themselves, every game, will guarantee that they can win this season’s league.