CRESTVIEW— Nate Gerard wasn’t an overnight success on the high school baseball diamond.
Gerard, a senior catcher for Crestview High School, worked his way up, waiting three years before finally earning the starting job.
He has developed into a skilled defensive catcher who has come up with some timely hits for the Bulldogs.
“The first things you have talk about with Nate Gerard are his character and his work ethic,” Crestview baseball Coach Tim Gillis said. “He loves being a Crestview Bulldog. He’s a very team-oriented guy.
“He’s been a pleasure to coach. He’s a team leader and people look to him in all situations. He’s a class young man that’s going to be sorely missed by this program.”
Now, we catch up with Nate Gerard.
Q:How old were you when you started playing baseball?
A: I started playing when I was 4 years old.
Q:What's the best part of baseball?
A: Winning with your teammates.
Q:What's the worst part of baseball?
A: Losing.
Q:What are your expectations for the playoffs?
A:Win against teams we haven’t played yet.
Q:If you had to pick a different sport to play, what would it be?
A: Soccer, because that was the first I started playing.
Q:What is your favorite baseball experience?
A:Playing last year against Tate. It was my first high school game on the varsity.
Q:What are your hobbies outside baseball?
A: Ping pong, Ultimate Frisbee and swimming.
Q:What's your dream career?
A:I want to have health sciences as a major and be an athletic trainer.
Q:Do you want to play college baseball?
A:I’d love to go to Alabama State University and play baseball. I’ve been to three camps up there and I just fell in love with the team, the players and the coaches.
Q:What is your favorite movie?
A:“The A Team.”
Q:Who is your favorite singer?
A:Mariah Carey.
Q:If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?
A:Goofy, because I grew up watching that TV show when I was a kid and I loved it.
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @cnb_sports, or call 682-6524.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Catching up with Nate Gerard