Along with the rest of the Central Coast Section, the Carlmont baseball program, led by star player John Paul Avila, a senior, takes on the new season.
Without a doubt, Avila is one of the team’s key players. He is considered one of the team leaders and has a great relationship with everyone in the program. At the same time, Avila battles to recover from a devastating injury that occurred back in Oct. 2019.
“I had elbow surgery to fix a partially torn UCL,” Avila said. “I have always had arm issues, starting back when I was 12 when I separated the growth plates in my shoulder twice in the same year.”
Six long months of physical therapy and a brace on his arm opened Avila’s eyes. He realized how quickly something like baseball, something which was a part of his life since he was little, could be taken away. That’s one reason Avila wants to make the most out of his senior season.
With baseball tryouts coming on March 15 and the first game of the season on March 29, Avila makes sure everyone stays in shape and ready to go. He has been seen in the batting cage with fellow teammates and his brother practicing and making sure everyone is up to speed.
“Everything that I’ve heard from other people from other schools really is that he’s our hardest worker,” said Ryan Hamilton, the team’s new coach.
Hamilton has coached at Aragon and Sequoia, and his first impressions of the Carlmont baseball team are positive. He has noticed that players like Avila give everything they have into the sport. According to Hamilton, 90% of the game is mental, and he has seen Carlmont bring that 90%.Â
“[Avila] will be our biggest power threat in the lineup,” said Brady Greene, a junior. “I think the team would be different without him.”
Greene has played baseball for eight years of his life. He is one of the more experienced players on the field and feels that Avila is one of the team’s leaders. However, with no players on the field yet, the preseason has proved difficult for everyone, including leaders like Avila.
“You know, a lot of people and a lot of our coaches are frustrated […] about not being on the field,” Hamilton said. “I know other players are too.”
Even with the pandemic, the Carlmont baseball team is making sure they are ready for the next season. Coaches and players are taking extra precautions to ensure they and everyone around them are safe and ready to go when the season begins.
“We have so many impact players that change the game,” Avila said. “I’m just so grateful I get to share the field with these guys.”
