He watches as the batter steps onto the plate. The pitch is thrown and the batter swings. The ball flies through the air and over the field. His eyes spot the ball in the air through the harsh sunlight and his focus locks onto the ball. He breaks into a sprint to catch it, then leaps into the air fully extending his arm. The ball falls smoothly into his glove and the crowd erupts with cheers.

Senior baseball captain Dillon Flores signed to his first school of choice Navarro College to play baseball on Friday, June 28. He practices every day in preparation for college level baseball and aspires to become a high school coach.

“They have a great baseball program, they basically go to the World Series every year,” Flores said. “They have really good coaches, really good recruiting programs and I like the campus. It’s a grind. I love the game so much, [and I also] practice every day. Baseball is everything to me.”

Ever since he was young, Flores has had an innate talent for baseball. He impressed both coaches and other players with his skill at camps. With the experienced gained through years of practice, Flores was able to become a strong leader for his teammates. 

“At baseball camp, my first impression of him was, ‘This kid can hit baseballs,’” senior Douglas Gorsuch said. “Dillon always encourages us and he always makes sure we are on task. He makes sure the team is headed toward the right goal.”

Flores has multiple responsibilities as captain of the baseball team such as keeping the team in high spirits, dealing with the coaches and improving his own skills. Flores has hopes of becoming a professional baseball player. Coaches and teammates agree he has the skill to become a pro.

“I think he’s got a shot, I definitely know he’s a D1 college type baseball player,” baseball coach Stephen Campbell said. “I think he’s really going to be good, I think he could be a big 12 catcher. He’s a leader. He has to be in charge, he has to work with the pitcher well and he has to work with the coaches.”

With the support from his father he has been able to make baseball his comfort zone. Although Flores will be away from his family and friends in college, baseball helps him get through his tough times. Flores is excited to be playing baseball for the college of his dreams next year.

“Baseball has helped me so much,” Flores said. “I’ve been through a lot of tough times [and] every time I play baseball, it gets my mind off of things. I just have so many people throughout my life I’ve met through baseball that help me out.”