Hobart junior center fielder Celedonio Pimentel is more than a little superstitious.
Pimentel follows the same routine before every game, and that extends beyond the field.
“I’m a really superstitious guy,” he said. “I like to do the same thing over and over again. I pray before every game off the same card my sister gave me three years ago. Going to center field, I step on first base, I step on second, then I count to seven in the outfield and jump.
“But I also have to park in the same spot I normally do.”
There may be a method to Pimentel’s madness. After turning heads in his varsity debut last season, he’s batting .412 with a 1.053 OPS for the Brickies (3-2), and he already has three stolen bases.
Speed remains the 5-foot-10 Pimentel’s calling card, but his improved approach at the plate in the leadoff spot — after working on driving the ball to all fields during the offseason — has been noticeable.
On top of that, Pimentel embodies Hobart coach Bobby Wineland’s “it flies, it dies” motto, tracking down any ball that enters his territory in the outfield.
All in all, Wineland thinks Pimentel is central to what the Brickies hope to accomplish this season.
“He has to set the tone right away,” Wineland said. “When he has a great at-bat, gets on base, steals a base, it happens before anyone else even comes up to the plate. The guys already see him working. If we can feed off what he’s doing early in the game, it’ll carry over.
“His energy is contagious. That next guy wants to do what Donio just did.”
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Hobart junior catcher Alexander Mays points to Pimentel’s intangibles — his positivity and his habit of lifting others when they need it most.
“When everybody else is trying to do their own thing, he’ll help you out before he helps himself,” Mays said.
Pimentel said that’s how he approaches life in general.
“I just want them to know they have a teammate who’s there for them and who’s not going to let them down,” he said. “Even in school, if someone is struggling, I’ll try to help. I try to be outgoing and help other people before I help myself. I just feel it’s better that way.”
Pimentel’s generosity may be matched by the sizable chip on his shoulder — one that he embraces.
“I want to make it far in this sport,” he said. “I work hard. I work extra hours. I like putting the game not before God, but high up there, so I can meet the expectations I want to reach.”
Pimentel has great expectations indeed.
“I want to go to the big leagues,” he said. “I want to be the one people are shocked about when they see me and see my speed. Them not knowing who I am helps me build confidence.”
Pimentel said he has had that dream since he was 3 years old as he watched an older cousin and his older brother Elliot play.
“If he stays working like he is, he can go pretty far,” Wineland said. “But my biggest concern is getting the guys prepared for the real world. If it isn’t baseball, I want him to keep that hardworking mentality and carry it into whatever he does. Whether that’s getting a job after school or playing baseball at the collegiate level and beyond, his hard work can take him a long way.
“There aren’t many kids who would run through a brick wall for you. But I think if I asked him to, he would definitely run through that brick wall. He’s a hard worker, a blue-collar guy.”
Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.
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