By Ken Hansard
The Ulysses Tigers missed the postseason last year in baseball, and catcher Alex Hostetler, coming off of an impressive season, both behind the dish and offensively, was eager to make off-season adjustments to help improve both his game and his team’s overall record. However, after suffering an injury in football that required surgical repair, Hostetler’s training regimen had to wait until the start of the new year.
As a sophomore, Hostetler was named GWAC Honorable Mention, and SIK (Sports in Kansas) Honorable Mention. He was recognized mostly because of some pretty lofty offensive numbers, like a .530 batting average, a .621 on base percentage, a .667 slugging percentage, and a 1.288 OPS.
Now, as a junior, Alex is ready to step into more of a leadership role and help to push his team into the playoff picture. “My role on the team is to lead and encourage. I love to hustle, and I love that energy in the dugout. Some of the best moments I have had in baseball are when the team is in the dugout chirping and cheering our teammates on.”
While Alex’s recovery from surgery slowed him physically, he was able to identify ways in which he could mature in the mental aspect of the game, “I’ve worked on relaxing and not worrying about everything because I know God has a plan and knows all the little details.”
Hostetler knows that improvement won’t happen overnight, but he is confident that the Tigers can make significant strides, “One of the challenges I think the team will face this season is being consistent and finding pitching, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity we have this season to go into the postseason and go far, and to show what abilities I have and have gained over the offseason.”
Hostetler is also a standout in the classroom, where he boasts a 3.93 GPA and is a member of the prestigious National Honors Society. He is active in several areas of Ulysses High’s school culture. He is a member of STUCO, SADD, and UHS Junior Leadership. He has also played football and wrestled for the Tigers in the past.
After high school, Alex plans to continue his baseball career at the collegiate level while studying to earn a mechanical engineering degree. He would love to someday play baseball professionally, and he eventually wants to get married and have a family.
