hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Arizona baseball fan plays for his hometown dream team
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Arizona baseball fan plays for his hometown dream team
Michael Hoard remembers sitting in the stands at Sancet Stadium as a child, cheering on the Arizona Wildcats baseball team.
Tucson - The Tucson native continued to follow the college squad through his high school years, when he played baseball for Salpointe Catholic. Now Hoard himself is taking the field as a member of the team that has been so close to his heart for so many years. The Arizona freshman makes his expected debut as a Wildcat in the first home game of the season, scheduled for Feb. 14. “It’s a dream come true playing for Arizona,” Hoard said. “I’ve followed U of A sports forever, so I really wanted to go to college here and be on the team.” Hoard had been recruited by some other colleges, but the first baseman had made up his mind early. Three weeks into his sophomore year at Salpointe, he committed to Arizona. Hoard officially signed with the Wildcats on Nov. 14, 2012, during his senior year of high school. “I’ve been bleeding red and blue from the beginning,” he said. “It was always Arizona for me.” Hoard’s parents attended Pima Community College, and his local roots are important to him. “One of the main reasons that I chose Arizona is because I wanted to stay around family and friends,” Hoard said. “To have the opportunity to play in front of them is a great feeling.” This season, the freshman is expected to hit in the middle of the lineup. Last year, Hoard batted .420 with 49 RBIs and 8 homeruns for the Salpointe Lancers. The natural right-hander bats from the left side of the plate, because ever since Hoard began hitting, he placed his hands in the opposite position: left hand on the top and right hand on the bottom. “When I was really little, I learned to be a left-handed hitter, because I already hit like a lefty,” Hoard, who throws with his right hand, said. “So I’ve been batting that way ever since, and it’s worked out.” The area of his game that the first-year Wildcat wants to work on the most is fielding ability. “I really want to be better on defense,” Hoard said. “The speed of the game is faster and the intensity is higher at this (college) level. So it makes the field feel much faster, and I have to adjust to that. It’s going to take a lot of repetition, and I definitely want to put in the work to become better in the field.” Those who would like to meet Hoard and the rest of the Arizona baseball team can do so this Saturday, Feb. 1 at Meet the Team day, which includes an intrasquad scrimmage and a post-game autograph session with the players. Gates open at 11 a.m. MST at Hi-Corbett Field, and the game is scheduled to start at noon.
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Arizona baseball fan plays for his hometown dream team