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PITCHING FOR FAMILIA: Erick Calderon’s Journey to Hastings
FRIEND GROUP — ON THE BASEBALL DIAMOND.
The Hastings senior pitcher enters his final season with three years of varsity experience and is woven deeply into the fabric of the Bears’ program.
Born in Cuba, having lived in Mexico, and then moving to the United States during elementary school, Calderon’s journey has been defined by resilience, adaptation, and belief.
“Erick is a delight to be around,” head coach Andres Torres said. “He’s like an assistant coach on the field and in the dugout. He’s a motivator, a cheerleader — just a great teammate.”
Calderon didn’t discover baseball until his freshman year of high school, a late start by most standards.
“I was in football, and it just wasn’t for me,” Calderon said. “I would stay after practice and watch the baseball team. I talked to my football coach, and he encouraged me to give baseball a try. That switch changed my life.”
Since then, Calderon has worked tirelessly to develop on the mound, making significant strides in both velocity and command.
“When I’m pitching, I mind — it’s just me and my catcher,” he sa s on the next pitch. I have a goldfish mentality. “I forget what happened a pitch ago and lock into what’s happening now. That’s my strength.”
Through every transition and challenge, one constant has remained — his mother, Elisa.
“She’s my everything,” Calderon said. “It’s just been me and her from the beginning. Adapting to American life hasn’t always been easy, but we work through it together. We lean on each other.”
He leans just as heavily on his teammates.
“My team is my family,” he said. “When I’m going through something, they’re there for me. I can tell them anything. Coach Torres is more than a coach — he’s a huge influence in my life. He might not even know how much.”
So when Calderon toes the rubber this season, he’s pitching for more than wins or statistics.
He’s throwing for his family, his teammates, and the journey that brought him here — for his familia.