At the time of the writing of this article, Bishop Gorman’s baseball team is just one day away from their opening game against the number one team in the state, the Basic Wolves. The Gaels are looking to make a statement after a disappointing and turbulent year that saw their head coach become the face of a scandal that made the team talk of the town. Hunter was a member of that team and as he heads into tomorrow as the starting catcher for Coach Stoner’s inaugural team, he steps onto the field as a different player than he did when he last took the field nearly 10 months ago—-not just as a baseball player, but as something more.
There’s no sugarcoating it: baseball is a game of failure. The game’s greatest players are able to fail seven times and still etch their name in the record books as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is no other sport that has as many highs and lows as the game of baseball, and the mental toll that comes when you are at your lowest is a feeling that seems to go on forever. Hunter was a part of arguably one of the lowest points that Bishop Gorman baseball has ever faced—-an 11-17 record, free falling completely out of any national ranking, and a sudden removal of a coach in the middle of an already dark season.
Hunter, a Rice commit, had little to do with the downs of last season. He hit .373 in 26 games and had an on-base percentage of .460. These stats, along with strong defense behind the dish and around the infield, led him to being named as a first-team selection for his conference at the end of the season. But despite all of this, he was still able to recognize the big picture—-he heads to Rice for his freshman year at the end of the summer, and is leaving behind the people he knows best to pursue a game he loves most. It’s a scary reality, but he has helped to offset these emotions with the help of a new love—-playing the guitar.
Hunter got into playing the guitar after really taking the time “to think about the future and all of the free time at school with my family and friends not being around.” He began playing this past December, and after numerous lessons over the past couple of months, he has started to play full songs for the first time. Just like with playing baseball, playing the guitar or any instrument for that matter can be challenging. “I definitely have improved over the past two months, and I have started to notice that there are a lot of times where you notice you feel good when you are playing and some steps back here and there,” said Hunter.
Hunter has started to really see the change in perspective when he has been gearing up for the season over the past couple of weeks, “playing the guitar has really helped take my mind away from the game of baseball,” Hunter added. He noted that being able to persevere throughout the season will really be a good measure as to how far his mental side has come, but he is “excited about the progress made.”
As the Gaels look to get back to their winning ways this season, it’s no guarantee that it comes right away. They have a lot of reason for optimism, however, as they are led by a group of seniors that boast enthusiasm and determination every single day. For Hunter, he knows that the desired results may not be there the second they run out to their positions and place their cleats on the fresh dirt infield at Basic High School tomorrow. “Change doesn’t happen overnight, and you just have to appreciate every moment whether it’s good or bad,” said Hunter.
