Baseball:
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
We need all the good news we can get these days.
And this is not only great news, it also makes his family, friends, coaches, former teammates and this writer thrilled for 2018 Pasadena High School graduate, Adrian DePasquale.
DePasquale played catcher for three years at PHS and for PCC in 2019, but unlike many athletes, he’s always prioritized his academics above everything else.
He graduated PHS with a 3.7 grade-point average, and in a month or so, the soon-to-be 20-year old will have earned his Associates degree in History.
And will accomplish that feat with a 3.8 GPA.
It’s because of his hard work, especially over the last six years, that made Friday night possible.
DePasquale was told to check the UCLA portal about 5 p.m. to see if he had been accepted to attend the same school his father had.
Looking back on it, he kind of took a chance, because his family and girlfriend were standing behind him when Adrian signed on, but thankfully for all, it was good news.
It read something like: “congratulations, your accomplishments were noted and you were picked out of a pool of 26,000 applicants,” to which Adrian screamed and gave everyone a hug.
He intends to major again in History and then he’d like to attend Law School somewhere after earning his BA in Westwood.
DePasquale said he learned and benefited from his time at both PHS and PCC.
In fact, it was some of his PHS buddies that he went to visit at UCLA that first made him fall in love with the school.
At PCC, he was close with many of his baseball teammates and coaches, and his favorite course was Dr. West’s History 7A class, which dealt with American history up to 1876.
Adrian said that Dr. West goes out of his way to make history interesting and important to his students.
He also took an interest in philosophy.
This kid isn’t just a good athlete, he’s a really good and intelligent young man.
His parents, Ana and David, who Adrian described as “very strict,” deserve a lot of credit for what a bright and respectful person DePasquale has become.
As frustrated as he said he could get with his parents for being so regimented, it was also that same structure that he credits with putting him in a position to attend an institution as respected as UCLA.
“I want to thank my parents for being so strict and involved in my life. Sometimes I got upset with them for being so strict, but they are always there for me and helping me build character. They taught me that nothing in life is given. I’ve always known I had to earn my way in anything I did and I had my parents example to follow.”
On a side note, in his senior year, he led the Bulldogs in batting average (.400), RBI’s (17) and was tied with his buddy and fellow 2018 PHS grad, Alvie Castro, with a team-best five doubles.
Pasadena assistant baseball and basketball coach Chris Rucker described Adrian this way: “He was one of the most competitive kids I’ve had the chance to coach. He was a hard worker since day one. Off the field, he is one of the most respectful kids I’ve been around. He is always happy and smiling.”
At PCC, he hit .455, and you’ll see directly below just how revered DePasquale was to Lancers’ coach Pat McGee and the program.
Quotable:
PCC baseball coach Pat McGee: “Adrian is an outstanding young man. We learned early in the recruiting process that he was a bright mind from a great family. It was truly a privilege to have him and his family in the program. He always expressed himself as a passionate and driven individual, who was dedicated to his future dreams and goals.
He made it clear to me early in our relationship that his goal was to be a Bruin and transfer to UCLA after his time with us. There was never a doubt from the coaching staff or his teammates that he would make this happen. I am beyond grateful that a person of Adrian’s character and talents chose this program and afforded my staff the opportunity to be a party to his journey. I look forward to great things from Adrian and will continue to cheer him on from Pasadena.”
ADP Career Baseball Stats:
2019 at PCC: .455, five hits, three runs, three RBIs, two doubles
2018 at PHS: .400, 26 hits, 10 runs, 17 RBIs, five doubles, .467 on-base percentage and .944 OPS
2017 at PHS: .358, 29 hits, 12 runs, 10 RBIs, seven doubles, .409 OBP, .853 OPS
2016 at PHS: .300, nine hits, four runs, six RBIs
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