By Natalie Tran
At just the young age of 5, Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) junior Timothy Grack began his baseball career. Taking on from his father, who also played baseball, Grack decided he wanted to learn how to play the sport. Like father, like son, it wasn’t too long until Grack developed an aptitude for the sport as well.
“I’ve been playing [baseball] since I was 5,” Grack said. “It was always my favorite sport and my passion ever since I started.”
Grack started out playing in Fountain Valley’s Little League and as years passed, he quickly climbed the ranks.
As a junior this year, Grack is on FVHS’ boys varsity baseball team as a shortstop, third baseman and pitcher.
As of early January, Grack can finally say he is proud to commit to the University of San Diego (USD) baseball and plans to be part of the 2023 signing class.
“[I am] humbled and stoked to announce my verbal commitment to USD to continue my baseball and academic career,” Grack said in an Instagram post shared on Jan. 2. “I want to first thank God, my family, coaches, teammates, friends and everyone who has supported me along this journey.”
Receiving college recruitment offers as a junior in high school is no easy feat and is a very impressive accomplishment itself. For Grack, the journey to get there required a lot of time and commitment.
“I started receiving interest this year and I decided on San Diego because it’s a great school, and I have a great relationship with the coaching staff. The things that got me to where I am today is a supportive coaching staff, hard work, believing in myself and making the best of opportunities when they are given to me,” Grack said. “Also, [San Diego] wants me to hit and pitch–and that is what I want to do.”
When asked what Grack’s favorite part about baseball is, he answered that it was the game itself that made him instantly fall in love with the sport.
“My favorite thing about baseball is that the game isn’t over until the last out is recorded. It isn’t like other sports where the game is over once the time runs out,” Grack said. “In baseball the game isn’t over until the other team has gotten you out. This is cool because your team can decide when the game is over and your team doesn’t have to wait till the clock runs out.”
Having already made quite possibly one of the biggest decisions in his life, Grack can now focus on his goals this year on the FVHS baseball team.
“My hope this year is to win Sunset League and the California Interscholastic Federation,” Grack said. “My dream would also be to play baseball professionally.”
