Washburn Thoughts on Baseball 2023

Baseball season is on the way and tryouts are starting. Jonathan Florres-Hammel is a sophomore trying out for a spot on the Washburn Rural baseball team. Jonathan started  playing baseball when he was only five years old.

The reason he started to play baseball was because his mother was really good at softball and wanted to help him get better. Salvador Perez is his favorite MLB player. Jonathan says that he plays baseball for his dad. His dad inspires him everyday to try his hardest and do great. He plays 1st base, 3rd base, and catcher.

Jonathan is hoping to go to LSU or OU for baseball. His favorite thing about baseball is the bonds you create. Trust is also very important to him when it comes to being a teammate. Like most people, his least favorite thing is conditioning. Jonathan used to be a P/O, also known as a pitcher only, and he hopes to be a pitcher again. He usually has a 2-3 hour process before a game that includes, eating a light snack, doing some stretching, band work, going to the batting cages for a little bit, getting some grounders, and the game starts.

Another athlete trying out for the baseball team is Austin Cook. Austin Cook is also a sophomore. Austin started playing baseball at three years old. He started playing because his dad’s side of his family mostly played baseball.

Someone who inspired him to start playing and continue playing was his dad. Austin’s favorite MLB player is Aaron Judge. He plays center field and 3rd base. Austin has not decided what college he wants to go to but he definitely wants to play baseball in college.

His favorite thing about playing baseball is the competition and the adrenaline rush he gets before every game. His least favorite thing is when he sees that his teammates don’t care about the sport. If he could change his position to anything he wouldn’t. When preparing for a game he likes to listen to music and get into the mindset for it.