HOMETOWN HEROES: Five Questions with Baylor's Nick Loftin

Hometown Heroes

NICK LOFTIN

School: Baylor

High School: Ray

Sports: Baseball

Class: Sophomore

Ht/Wt: 6-1/180

Favorite baseball team: Couldn't choose

Favorite overall team: Dallas Cowboys

Favorite athlete: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants

Favorite sport to watch: Baseball

Personal: Born on Sept. 25, 1998 ... Son of Jeff and Kathy Loftin ... Majoring in health and Kinesiology and leisure studies

2019: Loftin hit .564 as the Bears went 4-1 last week, earning Big 12 Player of the Week honors. Loftin, who was hitting in the leadoff position, has started 22 games this season, with 24 runs, 33 hits and 15 RBI to go with a .355 average, which is second on the team.

More:Time to vote! Here are the nominees for Caller-Times High School Athlete of the Week

More:High school soccer playoff scores plus baseball and softball schedules

More:Sign up to have news emailed to you daily

When did you start playing baseball?

At 4 years old. The story my mom always told me is being younger than 4, I'd throw balls around with my dad and she put me in a league one day and ever since then it's been history.

Why Baylor?

Originally I was committed to play for TAMUCC, but then I decommitted and told myself I'd put it in God's hands. Baylor was the first school to make an offer, and I made a trip and talked to the coaches and I knew this was the place to be. A big part of coming to Baylor was being able to grow as a spiritual individual and play for God because he gave me this gift of playing baseball.

How did you decide to major in Kinesiology?

Originally I was environmental science major, but juggling that with baseball was hard, so I switched. I wanted to go into wildlife management dealing with wildlife either fisheries, something like that. Growing up I hunted and fished a lot, so I care about the environment and animals.

What do you do when you aren't playing or practicing?

Usually I like to hunt and fish when I get a lot of time off. When I get minimal time I usually watch TV or Netflix. I've been really into crime scene shows like Law & Order stuff like that has been intriguing to me lately.

Do you see yourself playing major league baseball in the future?

That's always been a dream of mine and I've been striving to do that since I'm a kid so like I said, I'm a spiritual person and I put it in Gods hands. If that's something he wants me to do then I'll be more than happy to, but for now I'm working for it, but it's in His hands.

Have any advice for younger athletes?

Strive to be the best you can possibly be — not only as a baseball player, but as a person in general. Always work hard on the field and off the field, meaning academics. You've got to be the best in the classroom. Dream big there's nothing too far to reach if you work hard.

TEN TO WATCH

BASEBALL

Texas A&M Kingsville junior Alex Gonzalez (Robstown): Responded to a home run from Cameron with a solo shot of his own for his first home run of the season. Gonzalez has started 23 games with 16 runs, 15 hits and 3 RBI, with a batting average of .231.

Our Lady of the Lake sophomore Ryan Chapa (Tuloso-Midway): Started 21 games this season with 15 hits, 10 runs and 11 RBI, with a batting average of .242 and a slugging percentage of .331.

University of Texas redshirt junior Donny Diaz (Kingsville): Pitched a scoreless ninth inning to finish off a 13-1 win against TCU.

Texas A&M sophomore Dustin Saenz (King): Saenz is 6-2 for Texas A&M, allowing 23 hits, seven runs and is posting a 2.84 ERA.

SOFTBALL

University of Houston-Victoria senior Michelle Revels (Flour Bluff): Scored an eighth-inning run, adding three putouts in a 5-3 win over LSUA March 30. UHV is 12-0 in conference play.

Texas A&M Kingsville sophomore Loren Kelly (Rockport): Scored three runs to help TAMUK win a series against No. 9 West Texas A&M as the Javelinas moved into first place in the Lone Star Conference.

Southwestern University senior infielder Celeste Silvas (King): In 26 games, Silvas has 23 runs, 37 hits and 11 RBI, with a batting average of .411 and a slugging percentage of .444.

TENNIS 

Texas A&M University-Kingsville freshman Loren Tristan (Veterans Memorial): With sophomore Laura Montalvo, claimed a 6-0 win against Western New Mexico.

Western Michigan freshman Femke Tjon-A-Joe (Flour Bluff): Won her fourth consecutive doubles match 6-4 against University of Buffalo.

TRACK AND FIELD

Texas A&M University-Kingsville junior Madeleine Maltais (Tuloso-Midway): Added her first provisional mark in javelin with a 41.66m (136-8) throw to finish sixth in the USTFCCCA Ratings Index event.