Posted: April 17, 2017
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HIU student athlete, , has been playing baseball for seventeen years. During the course of his career he has had surgical repairs on his neck, an ankle, and a knee. However, his perseverance and love for the game keep drawing him back to the field.
Seventeen years of baseball have broken Baranek’s body. But not his spirit.
“Not once in my life have I ever considered stopping,” he said.
As HIU’s starting center fielder, Baranek leads the Royals in most major offensive categories, including batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI). As of this writing, his 14 stolen bases led all Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) power hitters.
Now with less than a month remaining in the 2017 season, the 22-year-old junior now eyes a professional baseball career. In only its second year in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), HIU has a shot at capturing the GSAC regular season championship.
Barenek’s remarkable journey is featured in depth on the OC Register website; to read the article in its entirety.
