By NICHOLAS BRAMANTE
For some, baseball is a sport. For others, it is a lifestyle.
One of the people who experience this passion is Senior Kevin Ortiz. Inspired by his parents who played baseball and softball, Ortiz has been on the Malden High School baseball team for quite some time, being on the JVs since he was a freshman. After “falling into it,” Ortiz has loved every second of playing baseball for Malden High. His experience as a whole for baseball has been a positive one, and with his good record, he even has a few achievements he can be quite proud of, including two no-hitters.
Outside of baseball, Ortiz has also had quite the positive experience. With, “a lot of teacher support and a lot of friends,” Ortiz has always been able to look towards school with an optimistic attitude. One of the teachers that has made an impact in Ortiz’s life, is Ms. Giberson. According to Ortiz, “she’s always asking how my day was, she’s a great teacher.” Along with friends and family, Ortiz has been able to survive his four years at Malden High, and has been able to thrive in them even.
However, out of the four years, Ortiz recalls sophomore year as his favorite. After recovering from a knee surgery, he was able to come back strong for his team and pitch a no-hitter against Everett. This was the “highlight of [his] year” and he looks back on it with a great sense of achievement. Along with this achievement, Ortiz’s family and friends were also a part of what made that year so particularly special.
As far as plans go for college, Ortiz plans to attend UMass Boston College through the Transitions program, and hopes to be able to play on the team there as well, as his passion for baseball won’t be satisfied with just high school. Even after hitting a “first pitch curveball bomb [in] left center,” Ortiz still yearns for yet more baseball.
The only real regret Ortiz claims to have from his experience at Malden High was not working hard enough to start off in Varsity right off the bat in freshman year, although he still takes pride that “[he’s] here now.” His one piece of advice for upcoming Varsity and JV baseball players alike, would be to “play the game hard, and learn to keep your mouth shut at certain times.”
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