One, two, three, strikes, you’re out. Senior Joshua Engle has had an interest in playing baseball since he was four years old. His inspiration when it comes to baseball is his dad and his brother. 

“I first started playing baseball when I was about four [years old]. I got into it because my brother and my dad had played for a while. [They] played when I was growing up, so seeing them [play] made me want to play it too,” Engle said.

Baseball has been a key piece in growing Engle and his fathers’ relationship over the years.

“My dad [probably sparked my interest in baseball]. Being there and being able to play with him was nice,” Engle said. 

Strategizing is one of Engle’s favorite parts of baseball because it requires a lot of focus and brain power. 

“[My] favorite part about baseball is being able to try to think of the best way to win and being able to strategize to make my opponents not do as well as I,” Engle said. 

One of Engles biggest challenges when it comes to playing baseball is occasionally not having enough motivation to play like he normally does. 

“One challenge you face with baseball is that you get into a slump every once in a while where you just stop hitting well and you go zero for ten.Getting out of that slump and getting out of your head is a very hard thing to do sometimes,” Engle said.  

Engle plays for both the school and a travel team. This season, he will be the starting catcher for the HHS team. 

“I [play for] both [the school team and another team] over the summer. I likely will be the starting catcher for [the] varsity team,” Engle said.

Although Engle enjoys playing baseball, he’s not too sure if he wants to pursue playing baseball after high school and into college. 

“I thought about [pursuing baseball after high school], I’m not really sure at this point. I would like to play in college, but it’s not necessarily a given,” Engle said. 

Through playing baseball over the years, Engle has grown to be able to push through times that may not be the easiest. 

“[Playing baseball has] helped me create a mental discipline since you have to be very precise when you’re doing baseball. Being able to not mentally break and push through things is definitely helpful,” Engle said. 

One specific thing he’s learned is that it’s always better to do something with a team rather than by yourself. 

“As a baseball player, I’ve grown through learning that you can’t do everything by yourself, and you need to help your team do better so you can help yourself do better,” Engle said.