GetRDoneStangs
06-17-2009, 12:43 PM
Great article on Kendal Carrillo, him and his brother Mychal are as good as they come. Great athletes and even better outstanding young men.
We need more athletes like the Carillio brothers.... they don't come around near enough!!! I know I might sound like a Homer....but, anyone who knows these men will agree...you would be proud to call them one of your own!!
Sweetwater's Carrillo enjoying CWS experience
By Sam Waller (Contact)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
For Sweetwater High School graduate Kendal Carrillo, being a member of a team at the College World Series is a dream come true.
Carrillo, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, has been part of the bullpen that helped the Texas Longhorns to the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"I've just been truly blessed," Carrillo said in a telephone interview from Omaha, Neb. "God's blessed me so much with talent, family and ability. It's beyond my belief.
"But it is a dream come true being a part of this team, especially considering I wasn't even playing baseball last year (after transferring from Texas-Arlington). Coming out and having this opportunity to be on the team, and now we have a chance to go out and win the national championship."
The Longhorns beat Southern Mississippi 7-6 on Sunday in their CWS opener and rallied by fifth seed Arizona State, 10-6, on Tuesday at Rosenblatt Stadium.
"Being in this atmosphere and being around the fans and experiencing all that is awesome," Carrillo said. "We actually get to interact with the fans and be down there with them and sign autographs. It's been amazing just being a part of the team, soaking it all up and at the same time still having a chance to play baseball."
Carrillo is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in 10 appearances this season. His last outing was May 31 in the Longhorns' 14-10 victory over Army in the finals of the Austin Regional, in which Texas scored eight runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. That came a day after an epic 25-inning win over Boston College.
After dispatching TCU in the Super Regional to advance to Omaha, the Longhorns scored their final three runs Sunday on bases-loaded walks.
"It kind of brings us all together because you start trusting one another even more," said of the series of wild games. "You see that we can come back. You see that we can persevere through long games. You see that we can win games by getting walked in and being disciplined at the plate.
"It has been fun to win in every way possible. At the same time, it makes us all grow and become more comfortable and trust one another even more because we have gone through those things. We have won in ways that nobody else in the nation has done up to this point."
While not the first arm called upon out of the bullpen, Carrillo said he and his teammates know they have to be ready at any time, especially in postseason play.
"Our coaches do a good job of having us prepared, the whole bullpen, doing those things," he said. "Basically just staying in the moment, being out there watching the guy that's throwing before you, going pitch-by-pitch with him. Focusing on that gets you prepared so when you do get called on -- any of us -- we're just ready. Then it's just going out there and doing what we've done all season long, throwing to the (catcher's) mitt and trying to get outs."
Carrillo joins Brownwood's Shelby Miller, who was drafted in the first round last week by the St. Louis Cardinals, in achieving success in baseball despite coming from a high school better known for football. Even Carrillo's brother, Mychal, has made a name for himself in football as a record-setting receiver at Hardin-Simmons. Mychal Carrillo now plays for the Abilene Ruff Riders.
But Kendal Carrillo said his preference for the diamond began several years before he stepped on the gridiron for Sweetwater, where he also played basketball in addition to his all-district career in baseball.
"My coach in Little League, Kenny Maxwell, did a good job with us and keeping the games fun," Carrillo said. "I told him that the other day. I sent him a text message and said, 'I'm out here in Omaha. Thanks for always making the game fun.' Because that's what it's about. That's how you grow the sport. That's how kids get involved.
"It is a game that wears on you and it's a game of failure. If you go 3-for-10 and hit .300, you're a good hitter. It's just about keeping the game fun. I think they're doing a lot better job with it out there in West Texas and trying to balance that with football, even though it's pretty hard out there."
Sweetwater's Carrillo enjoying CWS experience (http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/jun/17/sweetwaters-carrillo-enjoying-cws-experience/)
We need more athletes like the Carillio brothers.... they don't come around near enough!!! I know I might sound like a Homer....but, anyone who knows these men will agree...you would be proud to call them one of your own!!
Sweetwater's Carrillo enjoying CWS experience
By Sam Waller (Contact)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
For Sweetwater High School graduate Kendal Carrillo, being a member of a team at the College World Series is a dream come true.
Carrillo, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, has been part of the bullpen that helped the Texas Longhorns to the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"I've just been truly blessed," Carrillo said in a telephone interview from Omaha, Neb. "God's blessed me so much with talent, family and ability. It's beyond my belief.
"But it is a dream come true being a part of this team, especially considering I wasn't even playing baseball last year (after transferring from Texas-Arlington). Coming out and having this opportunity to be on the team, and now we have a chance to go out and win the national championship."
The Longhorns beat Southern Mississippi 7-6 on Sunday in their CWS opener and rallied by fifth seed Arizona State, 10-6, on Tuesday at Rosenblatt Stadium.
"Being in this atmosphere and being around the fans and experiencing all that is awesome," Carrillo said. "We actually get to interact with the fans and be down there with them and sign autographs. It's been amazing just being a part of the team, soaking it all up and at the same time still having a chance to play baseball."
Carrillo is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA in 10 appearances this season. His last outing was May 31 in the Longhorns' 14-10 victory over Army in the finals of the Austin Regional, in which Texas scored eight runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. That came a day after an epic 25-inning win over Boston College.
After dispatching TCU in the Super Regional to advance to Omaha, the Longhorns scored their final three runs Sunday on bases-loaded walks.
"It kind of brings us all together because you start trusting one another even more," said of the series of wild games. "You see that we can come back. You see that we can persevere through long games. You see that we can win games by getting walked in and being disciplined at the plate.
"It has been fun to win in every way possible. At the same time, it makes us all grow and become more comfortable and trust one another even more because we have gone through those things. We have won in ways that nobody else in the nation has done up to this point."
While not the first arm called upon out of the bullpen, Carrillo said he and his teammates know they have to be ready at any time, especially in postseason play.
"Our coaches do a good job of having us prepared, the whole bullpen, doing those things," he said. "Basically just staying in the moment, being out there watching the guy that's throwing before you, going pitch-by-pitch with him. Focusing on that gets you prepared so when you do get called on -- any of us -- we're just ready. Then it's just going out there and doing what we've done all season long, throwing to the (catcher's) mitt and trying to get outs."
Carrillo joins Brownwood's Shelby Miller, who was drafted in the first round last week by the St. Louis Cardinals, in achieving success in baseball despite coming from a high school better known for football. Even Carrillo's brother, Mychal, has made a name for himself in football as a record-setting receiver at Hardin-Simmons. Mychal Carrillo now plays for the Abilene Ruff Riders.
But Kendal Carrillo said his preference for the diamond began several years before he stepped on the gridiron for Sweetwater, where he also played basketball in addition to his all-district career in baseball.
"My coach in Little League, Kenny Maxwell, did a good job with us and keeping the games fun," Carrillo said. "I told him that the other day. I sent him a text message and said, 'I'm out here in Omaha. Thanks for always making the game fun.' Because that's what it's about. That's how you grow the sport. That's how kids get involved.
"It is a game that wears on you and it's a game of failure. If you go 3-for-10 and hit .300, you're a good hitter. It's just about keeping the game fun. I think they're doing a lot better job with it out there in West Texas and trying to balance that with football, even though it's pretty hard out there."
Sweetwater's Carrillo enjoying CWS experience (http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/jun/17/sweetwaters-carrillo-enjoying-cws-experience/)