By KATIE KIM

Proudly clothed in jersey No. 1, sophomore Lorenzo Escobar and the rest of the Birmingham Community Charter High School junior varsity baseball team continue to endure the busy season with an overall season of  9-10.

Playing left-field, Escobar’s dedication and enthusiasm is what keeps him focused and determined, especially after a tough game.

“Lorenzo is a strong player that you can count on to get behind the ball,” second baseman Floyd Brown said.  “He’s also a great hitter.”

From an early age, Escobar always showed a huge interest and passion for baseball. His love for the sport only grew stronger after hitting his first homerun at age 12.

As he watched his favorite player Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Dee Gordon, Escobar was impressed with the  speed and agility that Gordon showed on the field. Gordan became a great inspiration for Escobar. Although one of Escobar’s goals for the future is to go into sports medicine, baseball is only a backup career.

In one of their most recent games, the Patriots had a 5-2 loss against Cleveland High School. But fortunately, after a rocky month in April, the Patriots did start May off with a redeeming win against their strong rival, Taft Charter High School.

“What’s my motivation? I guess you can say I love to win,” Escobar said.

By JUSTIN HOUSTON

In his first year of junior varsity baseball, 15-year-old Floyd Brown is determined to excel on the field.

 Brown is a freshman at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. He currently plays baseball for the Birmingham Community Charter High School Patriots (BCCHS). Every day he goes to practice at BCCHS to make sure he can improve his game.

“He is a team player and is easy to play with on a team,” teammate Brandon Maldonado said.

Brown plays as second baseman, which is a vital position in baseball. Brown’s dream as a baseball player is to compete in college and to get into Major League Baseball. He looks up to David Ortiz who plays for the Boston Red Sox and strives to be a great player like Ortiz.

So far, the Patriots’ season record of 7-8 shows that the team still has a lot of work to do to make sure they end with a positive record.

“I think we’re doing alright, but to win we need to get our act together and change our routines,” Brown said.

By ADI NAGARY

Roman Tomashoff is no beginner when it comes to baseball. Since he was 3 years old, he has had great passion for the sport.

Tomashoff is the pitcher for the junior varsity baseball team at Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS). The team has a 1-4 season in the league and 1-5 overall. Tomashoff hopes to go professional with baseball and join the Boston Red Sox after the two years he has left in high school.

Tomashoff has loved baseball ever since his father took him to a Dodger’s game when he was child.

“It was the best,” said Tomashoff, a junior.

Tomashoff says his current season is not at its best. But if his team manages to beat Granada Hills Charter High School in an upcoming game, it will put them at more wins than losses. As of now, his favorite memory during season is when he pitched a complete shutout against Taft Charter High School.

“It’s my favorite memory, even though it happened not so long ago,” Tomashoff said.

By AILEEN KANGAVARY  

Freshman Brandon Maldanado’s love for baseball and excellent teamwork is definitely getting him places.

Juggling the stress of beginning high school and being part of Birmingham Community Charter High School’s (BCCHS) baseball team  is no problem for him.

The Patriots baseball team is doing decent, having an overall season of 5-8.

“Brandon has come up in clutch situations and plays really well, he really helps our team out,” freshaman Ryan Fleisher said. “I always try to contribute to the team but I would be nothing without the support of Brandon.”

Maldanado joined a team called The Pirates a year after his dad inspired him to play baseball when he was 5 years old. Playing on the BCCHS baseball team is the next step in getting ready for his baseball career.

 Maldonado plays infield, outfield and pitches. Being a pitcher is his favorite position because he feels like a leader when he’s on the mound. However, Maldonado wants to improve his batting to help his team.

After school every day, he goes to BCCHS and practices with his team. Maldonado is looking forward to joining Summer Ball, a summer baseball program.

“Baseball helps me release stress and anger,” Maldonado said. “Baseball is 99 percent mental.”

By REBEKAH SPECTOR

Senior Raymundo Ruvalcaba chuckles when he talks about his inspiration to do his best.

“I just want to be better than everybody else,” Ruvalcaba said.

The varsity second baseman started his baseball career at the age of three.  His father signed him up to play in a park league and Ruvalcaba didn’t object.

“My dad just put me in and I started playing,” Ruvalcaba said.

For his fourth season, Ruvalcaba and his fellow Birmingham Community Charter High School Patriots have gone 15-13 overall, so far.

Ruvalcaba puts in a lot of effort in order to balance his school work and team commitment.  Unlike most teens, Ruvalcaba doesn’t play video games and only watches about 20 minutes of TV before going sleep.  Ruvalcaba looks forward to every game and practices just for the joy of playing with his teammates.

In the fall, Ruvalcaba will be attending California State University Northridge to study finance.  He is currently talking to the baseball coach to see if there is room for him to play on the team.

Baseball is an important aspect in his life, even when he loses.

“I like every part of the game.  If we lose, I care, but it’s okay. Everyone has to lose,” Ruvalcaba said.

By VALERIA SANCHEZ

Ryan Fleisher has been playing baseball for seven years.

As a freshman at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS), Fleisher plays right or left field on the Birmingham Community Charter High School junior varsity baseball team.

This season, the team had 3 wins and 5 loses.

“Ryan is a great sport. He has a very enthusiastic attitude, and always proud of his team, whether we win or lose,” says teammate Brandon Maldanado.

Fleisher’s long term goal is to continue baseball for the rest of his life and passes it on to his children. Although baseball gets in the way of his academics because practice ends late, he still manages to keep his grades up. He says he admires the rush through his body after catching the baseball or hitting a home run.

“When I was younger, I used to watch my dad play baseball. I was then influenced to play and I fell in love,” Fleisher said.