Andre Del Bosque

Andre Del Bosque came into the game with a laundry list of injuries � a hurt elbow, damaged and torn shoulder ligaments, some ailments dating back to high school and others ending in surgery.

It wasn�t long before the idea of stepping down from baseball crossed the 22-year-old�s mind, but the love of the game overcame his doubts.

�I really want to get to the professional level because I love baseball,� said Del Bosque, a University of Houston-Victoria biology senior and Jaguar pitcher. �I�ve had thoughts about quitting, but I�ve come all this way.�

Despite his setbacks, the Victoria resident says he is on the right track to �living the dream.� But if the big leagues aren�t in the cards, Del Bosque has a back-up plan and one he can still accomplish through UHV � a career as a physician�s assistant.

�I want to be a role model, especially for kids,� Del Bosque said.

Already, he gives pitching lessons to children ages 5 to 14 and has been involved with The Heat, a select youth baseball program funded by Heat Fitness in Victoria, as well as one-on-one training with players at Riverside Stadium.

�I know some of them look up to me, and I want to give them an example of being a good student athlete, making the right choices and not doing things to jeopardize that,� he said.

Like his course work, life on the field takes patience and composure, and it�s starting to pay off.

Before joining UHV, he played at Temple College. This past year, a handful of scouts watched his games. During the summer, Del Bosque played on a team in Canada�s Western Major Baseball League and caught the attention of a few more professional teams. Now, it�s just a matter of staying healthy, he said.

Del Bosque already has made five pitching appearances for UHV this season. He is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA. He has struck out 16 batters and only walked two.

He plans to finish his degree at UHV and still has another year of baseball eligibility.

�I love it here, especially playing in front of my hometown,� Del Bosque said.