Baseball is a game of ups and downs. However, the 2018 season has consisted of all ups for the Warriors’ junior shortstop Brett Roberts. Through 17 games, Roberts has hit for a .438 batting average, an on base percentage of .550, and 10 extra-base hits, including 4 home runs.

Although this has not been the best season for the Warriors, Roberts has definitely been a very bright spot. This is a result of the immense amount of time he in the weight room and on the field over the course of the offseason in order to improve his game. Whether it’s his impressive weight room bench press feats, his constant fielding of ground balls at practice, or his regimen of push ups he religiously does before bed, Roberts has been very dedicated. He’s done so, he said, to ensure his accomplishment of all of his early-season goals. Goals for the season included his ambitious desire to hit no less than five home runs, which would dramatically beat his zero-homerun mark. “Everyday, I tried to make sure I did something that would help me get better and prepared for the season,” Roberts said.

In addition to Roberts time preparing himself physically, he had also prioritized having a good mental approach. Unlike many players, he doesn’t really believe in most of the superstitions involved with baseball, as he likes to stay focused throughout the course of the game. “Besides not stepping on the foul line, I don’t have any superstitions,” he said. “I just like to go out and play the game without having to worry about that kind of stuff.”

Roberts has accumulated some impressive stats and nearly achieved some of his goals a little over midway through the season, like hitting four out of the five home runs he desired. In addition to this, Roberts has also been able to keep up with and succeed in school. Being a student-athlete is no walk in the park, but Roberts has found some methods and tips for doing so that having helped him. “I try to work on and finish my school assignments a week advance so that I don’t have to worry about having to finish it after a baseball game or practice,” he said.

For Roberts, it is just as important to be as good of a team player as an individual one. Baseball is a team game, and unlike sports like basketball or soccer, just one player usually won’t be able to win a game. Because of this, Roberts tries to have his teammates’ backs, like junior Wiley Hartley. “Whether I am having my best game or my worst, I know Brett will be there to support me,” Hartley said.

Roberts has certainly shown his value to the Warrior’s lineup this season. Not only is he an overall talented baseball player overall, but he is also a great student-athlete and teammate. With 11 game remaining in the season for the Warriors, it will be interesting to see how else Roberts will add on to his stellar junior campaign.