Daniel Ojeda '18 Recruiting Profile

I have always thought my body coordination and focus were unusually lacking, which frustrated me to no end. At first, I did not give it much thought, but as I got older and found myself losing focus in class, even though my grades always remained ok, it was time to find out why. At the age of 15, I was finally diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).  Once my parents and I realized this, we knew certain changes in my life were in order… proper sleep and rest, therapy, and a balanced diet.  Fortunately, my ADD condition is not so severe as to warrant medication.  I am a firm believer that your grades, ACT and GPA scores do not define your best, as certain circumstances can hinder and interfere with your best performance in school.   Some would say these are all excuses, but in my case ADD has played a major role. 

In a nutshell, I will always be the guy who will have to continuously work that much harder to achieve my dreams and that’s ok.  I am so passionate about baseball and my future that I usually find myself meditating on that perfect swing and recalling plays I could have probably done different.  Mr. Louis Collier (previous MLB Pittsburgh Pirates player) informed me that I have what it takes to go all the way, but that I have to sharpen my playing fundamentals.  Well, you can say I did not have any summer vacations as I spent all my free time doing just that by attending various baseball camps and practicing at the parks almost everyday, as well as conditioning in the health club 5 days a week.

When I have spare time from my studies and sports, which is only on Sundays, I find myself watching You Tube videos on...can you guess?  Yes, baseball videos!  Family and friends have often criticized me because I do not participate in video games, dating or “hanging out”.  Is this weird?  Probably, but this is me.  Staying true to how God made me is cliché, but I honestly cannot imagine trying to be like anyone else.  For fun, I like to enjoy a movie in the theatres with my family, as well as relaxing at home with a delicious pizza and television.  My mom has told me I remind her of the movie Fever Pitch where the main character, played by Jimmy Fallon, is dating a girl, played by Drew Barrymore.  Unfortunately, their relationship goes awry because he has an obsession with baseball and the Boston Red Sox.  Mom has also told me I will literally be a boring companion for my future girlfriend or wife because I live and breath baseball.  She may be right, so I figure I will cross that road someday if I have to, or maybe she will be just as obsessed as me…I can only hope.

Well, college is around the corner for me and I cannot believe how fast my high school years have gone by. I am nervous and excited to know where I will end up going to college and, hopefully, playing college baseball.  I am hoping to pursue psychology as my major and will be exploring specialty areas of psychology in my senior year of high school.  Commencing the next chapter of my life is thrilling, as I will be the second in my family to go to college.  My passions run deep so, therefore, I cannot wait to know which direction I am headed, but remaining positive no matter what.