A school now with a reputation for pumping out standout stars in the sports world (Josh Bell, Jordan Spieth, etc.), Jesuit has already exhibited the next step in its dominant athletic dynasty. That next step can be seen in its baseball team and, more specifically, in junior center fielder Darius Hill.
Hill leads the 5A DFW rankings in RBIs, and comes in close second on batting average. But his play doesn’t stop at the batter’s box; he utilizes his speed to take extra bases as well as rob home runs, a true offensive and defensive threat.
Colleges have already taken notice, and in November, Hill committed to play at West Virginia. When asked about his decision, Hill said that the school “is just an outstanding fit for me baseball-wise.” While also stating that he is “very excited” to play for the Mountaineers, Hill mentions that the school has programs for a few majors he’s interested in.
Adding to his list of honors, including the title of Sophomore of the Year during the 2013-2014 season, the Dallas Morning News recently (the week of April 14th) named him player of the week: “It was a great feeling…a testament to the 3 team wins we had that week against Berkner, WT White, and Azle,” said Hill.
Noticeably humble, Hill likes to shift the focus towards the rest of the team, a group that definitely deserves some recognition. After clinching the first seed in the regular season with stellar performances in all areas, Jesuit finished with a 24-8 overall record.
Hill says his biggest inspiration has been the “overall success our program has had recently.” He hopes to continue this momentum further through the playoffs and add to the already high levels of success that this team has achieved so far.
Emphasizing hard work as an invaluable tool for both school and baseball success, Hill also credits the “guidance of my coaches, teammates, and family.”
The Ranger baseball team now looks to future playoff rounds, with the short term goal of winning week by week, and they have set their eyes on the long term hopes of a state championship. Not to get ahead of himself, Hill mentions the worthiness of Rockwall as an opponent: “Rockwall is a very good team…we will need to be at our best in order to win this series.”
He hopes to assist in leading the Varsity to a playoff championship, citing his need to work on “being a better team leader.” Hill mentions the necessity of “providing our pitchers with more run support. They have thrown great games…but sometimes they are closer than they need to be because of a lack of run support.” Already making headway towards their ultimate goal, the team defeated Plano East two games to one with scores of 5-4, 2-0, and 2-3.
Expect great things from Hill moving forward, an incredible center fielder who is certain to improve and do great things.
