Zachariah Sandoval '16 Recruiting Profile

My name is Zachariah Sandoval.  I attend West Hills High School in Santee, CA and will be graduating in 2016.  I am a 6' 1" tall 175 pound right-handed pitcher that can play any infield/outfield position.

Ten years old might seem too young to have learned my most important life lesson, but that's when it happened.  At the end of my ten year old year in baseball many of my friends made our little league all-star team.  Before the announcements were made, I didn't even realize it was that important to me.  But when I didn't make the team I was crushed.  I asked my dad why I wasn't chosen when so many of my friends were.  He asked me what kind of season I had.  I responded, "It was OK".  Then he asked me the question that changed my entire outlook on life...he asked me what I planned to do about it.  That's when I decided to set a goal for myself and work as hard as I could.  My dad and I went out almost every day after that to work on improving my skills.  By the time my eleven year old season was over I was confident that I had done everything in my power to earn a spot on the all-star team.  All I had to do was wait for the announcement.  It worked!!  I made the team that year and every year following until I started high school.  

Once in high school I was named one of the team captains both my freshman & sophomore years.  My coaches recognized that although I'm not a loud guy, I lead by example & I work hard at everything I do.  Baseball is my passion, and playing at the collegiate level and beyond would be my ultimate dream come true.  

I have worked hard in school and worked through sports related injuries.  When I missed part of my sophomore JV season due to a back injury, it compelled me to work even harder at the gym.  I've done everything I can this year to gain muscle, grow stronger and strengthen my core to try to avoid any further injuries.  This has lead me to think about getting a degree in the sports medicine / kinesiology / exercise science field.  This way no matter what the future brings, I can stay involved with athletics.  I can help other athletes rehab & prevent sports injuries to help them achieve their life goals while staying close to the sport that I love.