SIMMS, Texas - Zane DeBerry takes on many roles as a James Bowie baseball player.
DeBerry pitches and also plays shortstop, third base and catcher. On March 26, he threw a no-hitter in a 1-0 shutout victory over McLeod.
The Pirate standout, a junior, learned to play many positions through playing select baseball over the summer.
"One of the best things about baseball is the connection that I build with the team," DeBerry said. "We have fun together during practice and after games."
DeBerry's goal is to play college baseball. His goal for the season is to continuously play at such a high level that all other schools in the district know him as a solid pitcher.
"Pitching is more challenging than hitting," DeBerry said. "I have been hitting since t-ball, but I have only been pitching for 7 or 8 years now. Being able to hit spots at crucial moments and dealing with a lot of stress make pitching more difficult. All of my teammates in the field are counting on me to do a job."
DeBerry's catalog of pitches include the 4-seam fastball, cut fastball, slider and curveball. He prefers batting to pitching.
"Offense is always a lot more fun than fielding," DeBerry said. "I enjoy the loudness of our dugout when I am at the plate batting."
In the field, DeBerry enjoys playing third base. James Bowie has a team goal of winning the district. The Pirates are coached by Sean Baskin.
"Coach Baskin is young so he relates to all of the players," DeBerry said. "He is smart when it comes to baseball, and he has a way of brining the team together so it feels like a family and a team at the same time."
One of DeBerry's best attributes is handling baseball's stressful situations.
"I feel like I handle stress well because I have been put in the situation so many times that it became normal," he said. "My dream is to play Major League Baseball."
DeBerry plans on going into the army and then into law enforcement if playing in the majors does not pan out. He has a mentor im his father, Jason, who was a mechanic in the army.
"My dad was injured in service, and he bounced back, found a good job and provided for his family," DeBerry said.
Last week, DeBerry was named Class 2A pitcher of the week in the state of Texas.