There was never any doubt that Mikey Gonzalez had the physical ability to stand out on the baseball field, which is one reason he has been a mainstay on Zion-Benton’s varsity team since 2024.
But Gonzalez has learned that isn’t enough.
“If I had a time-travel button I could press where I could go back and fix everything, I would use it,” he said. “One thing, I was really hard on myself when I was younger. I would get mad, and it would screw the whole game up.
“The last two years, I’ve realized you can’t do that and you should play the game you’ve been playing since you were a little kid and enjoy it.”
Two off-the-field issues also impeded Gonzalez’s progress as a player. As a freshman, he was absent so often from his first-period physical education class that the teacher, who was also the coach of Zion-Benton’s freshman team, didn’t even know Gonzalez until he attended tryouts in late winter 2023.
Then in September 2023, Gonzalez’s cousin Andrew died in a car crash.
“I was really in my head after that and wasn’t taking anything seriously,” Gonzalez said.
Not getting good enough grades, Gonzalez was ineligible to start the 2024 season. That was a wake-up call for him, and he eventually was promoted to the varsity team.
“I look back at my sophomore year and wonder what I was doing,” he said. “That made me realize I had to change so I could become somebody.”
The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Gonzalez, who first appeared on the Zion-Benton coaching staff’s radar as a youth playing for the Maroons Baseball Club travel team, has become somebody who can carry a lineup in his senior season. Batting third, he’s hitting a team-high .388 with a team-high 15 RBIs for the Zee-Bees (3-17).
“He was one of the first kids from this group to join that team, and you could see that he had talent,” Zion-Benton coach Tim Schiappacasse said. “Getting him to this point has been a team effort.
“Every time he’s screwed up, he’s owned it, and he’s come away from those situations better for it. He’s a phenomenal young man, and I’m proud he’s made it so far.”
This season, Gonzalez has been particularly successful with a small-ball approach.
“A lot of people think I’m a power hitter, but I really only want to get on base every time I’m up,” he said. “This year my bat-to-ball skills have been really good, and overall I’m just seeing the ball really well.”
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Reinforcing Gonzalez’s self-confidence is his propensity to thrive when runners are in scoring position.
“That’s when I feel I’m at my best,” he said. “In those situations, I get wider, choke up, and you throw your hands at the ball. I mainly look to hit the ball to right-center or right and not try to do too much.”
Gonzalez is also an important cog defensively. He’s generally the Zee-Bees’ No. 2 starting pitcher and has made a successful move across the diamond from third base to first.
“When I was little, pitching was my favorite thing, but now, since I don’t throw over 75 (mph), I really have to be on it,” he said. “You can’t go out there and just throw. Every pitch has a purpose.”
As Gonzalez plays with purpose, Zion Benton senior pitcher/shortstop Andrew Mitchell has come to appreciate his presence.
“He’s going crazy hitting this year, and he brings good vibes to the team,” Mitchell said. “He picks people up when something goes wrong, and he’s someone that everyone on the team likes being around.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.