Isaac Serrano (12) has been playing baseball since he was four years old. Doing everything from tee-ball to travel ball, Serrano is an experienced player. He is a senior pitcher on the Ayala Varsity baseball team, and has been with them all four years of his high school career. Serrano has been on Varsity for three of the four seasons, and has continued to have a bigger impact as the years have gone by.
“He works really hard, and he has a winning mindset,” said sophomore Tristan Santarromana.
As a pitcher, the entire game is dependent on you. The ball cannot be put into play until the pitcher throws it. So it is extremely important that the person pitching has extreme attention to detail and a strong work ethic. One slip up and something like an extra base hit may happen, or worse, a home run. But in Serrano’s case, he is an extremely hard worker, and his pitches are high-speed and generate whiffs and bad contact.
“My fastball, it gets up to 87 miles per hour, and my slider is about 75 miles per hour,” said Serrano.
This deceptive combo of speed and spin has allowed Serrano to produce many “productive outs” and strikeouts, while maintaining a low ERA (earned run average). Batters see the 87 miles per hour fastball blow by them, and mentally prepare for it, and then a ten miles per hour slower, curving slider leaves them at a standstill, or creates embarrassing whiffs. Serrano’s pitching arsenal is not just limited to two pitches, though; he also has a changeup that sits in the high 70s, and he is always working with his pitching coaches and trainers for potential pitches to add to his arsenal or improve upon his current pitches.
“I’m trying to stay healthy this year and really just getting stronger, focusing on baseball and school, and just staying to a diet that I can maintain,” said Serrano.
As a senior, Serrano is hopeful to “leave it all out on the field” this season and play as much as possible, and as good as possible. Having had some unfortunate injuries throughout his high school career, which have taken some playing time from him and, in some cases, slightly set him back, he has not let it affect him. Instead, Serrano has continued to work hard and prepare for his next opportunities. He plans to not only leave a positive impact on the Bulldogs but also prepare for the next level, playing baseball in college.
“This time around, [I am] trying to stay healthy by doing everything with purpose and not being lazy. I’ve had coaches tell me: do everything as hard as you can. The way I see everything is just to get better every day. One percent at least,” said Serrano.
Learning how to improve and stay healthy is vital to Serrano, but having a positive impact on the underclassmen is even more important.
“He’s a great guy. He’s actually right next to me [in the locker room]. He’s a great influence, and he drives me home every day,” said Ben Schwarz, a sophomore on the baseball team.
Ahead of the upcoming season, on an extremely competitive Ayala roster, Serrano looks to help put his team and contribute to winning with his impressive pitching and helpful mentorship.
