From a little kid with big dreams to pitching a no-hitter game, it seems as if junior baseball player Mateo Gil has been destined to play baseball. Not only is he a part of the Timber Creek Falcons baseball team, but he is also a part of a family legacy, with his dad Benji Gil having professionally played for both the Texas Rangers and Anaheim Angels previously.
With a 2-0 win against Central High School, Timber Creek’s varsity player, Mateo Gil came out of the Central game on April 18 having pitched a no-hitter.
Coming back from their devastating loss the week before the game, the Timber Creek-Central game served as a turning point for the players. With almost every team in the district evenly matched this year, the team as a whole faces more challenges than in previous seasons, pushing them to work harder than ever to guarantee a spot in the playoffs.
“This year we have less experience…every game we’ve lost this year has been by one run, so we really have to fight to get to playoffs this year. It’s [going to] come down to the last game; to come out [with a win against Central] is like motivation for the team…it just fueled the fire,” said Gil.
The current junior has already chosen to commit to play for Texas Christian University, and uses his dreams of his future at TCU as motivation to prove that he deserves the opportunities he has been given.
“Being committed does push me and motivate me more [because] I want to prove to everyone that I deserved it and it wasn’t just given to me,” said Gil.
Starting to play at seven years old, Gil was immediately captivated by the sport, influenced by his father former Texas Rangers and Anaheim Angels player Benji Gil.
“Having a dad that played in the MLB helps a lot because he has experience most people don’t have and he can teach me things that others don’t have a clue about,” said Gil. “I pretty much fell in love with [the game] instantly [and have loved it ever since].”
This was a collaborative effort from Talon reporters Caroline Epperson and Samantha Sandusky.