By Kelly Cannon | [email protected]

Sandy - While this is the last season for the seniors on Jordan High School’s baseball team, it is not the end of their baseball career for three players. Seniors Alex Baeza, Tate Hathaway and Drew Lisk have all committed to playing baseball at various colleges. 

Seventeen-year-old Baeza from South Jordan plays first base and pitcher at Jordan High. He has signed with the University of Hawaii. Baeza has been playing baseball since he was three years old with his dad. 

“My dad is a baseball fanatic,” Baeza said. 

Baeza started playing t-ball but quickly moved up the competitive ladder. 

He said he loves to pitch but his dad explained if he was serious about pitching, he’d have to play a position that was less stress on his arm, leading him to play first base as well.

“Plus, I don’t have the speed for the outfield,” Baeza said.

Baeza was made offers from several different colleges but he ultimately settled on Hawaii.

“Living in Hawaii sounded nice,” Baeza said. “Everything stood out. It’s a big competition and players go on to play for teams that I grew up watching.”

While Baeza doesn’t know yet what he will be majoring in, he is excited to start college.

“I’m excited to get out there and grow on my own and figure out life,” he said.

Eighteen-year-old Hathaway plays second base for Jordan High and has signed on to play at Salt Lake Community College. He said he will be the utility guy for the team so he will play whatever position is needed. 

Like Baeza, Hathaway began playing baseball because his dad loved baseball. 

“I started when I was young, hitting off a tee in the basement with my dad,” Hathaway said. 

Hathaway has an older brother who currently plays for Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Hathaway said he’s always loved playing baseball. 

“I love playing. I love the game and I love meeting new people,” Hathaway said. “I love to compete.”

Hathaway said he chose to go to SLCC because he’s known the coach for a long time and the program has helped a lot of players move on to bigger programs after their two years there. He plans on majoring in business and to be a sales manager like his parents.

Hathaway attributes his success to the coaching at Jordan High. He transferred from Corner Canyon in order to work with the coaches at Jordan High. 

“The coaching is better. They compete at a higher level,” Hathaway said. “I came here to go to college and that came true.”

Eighteen-year-old Lisk has committed to being a preferred walk-on at the University of Utah for both football and baseball. He said he’s been playing baseball forever after being introduced to it by his dad and it’s been his favorite sport since.

“It’s low key but it can be an intense sport,” Lisk said. “You have to have a special respect to enjoy the game. Not many people can do it.”

Lisk applied to play at the University of Utah because of its Pac-12 affiliation. 

“It’s also a really good school. That played a factor,” he said. 

Lisk said he is excited to move on to the next part of his life. 

“High school has been fun, but I’m excited to get out there to the real world and see what it’s all about,” Lisk said.