From hating the sport and wanting to quit to aspirations of playing college ball, senior Stowe Empereur’s transformation from an insecure eighth grade rookie to an All-League, All-Star pitcher has not come without struggle.

This is Part I of Empereur’s baseball journey.

Empereur’s story begins much like those around him during the first year of little league. Yet, while others seemed to enjoy playing the game, the rookie 8-year-old dreaded each time out: He was afraid to be hit by the ball.

“I absolutely hated it,” Empereur said. “I used to cry and tell my dad I didn’t want to play anymore. But my parents made me finish the season out. I remember being scared of the ball when I was batting; I was scared that I was going to get beaned.”

Empereur unwillingly finished the season and left the sport without a second thought. Time went on and he moved on to different hobbies. About seven years later, his friends begged him to join the junior high baseball team. Empereur knew the team needed players, so he decided join to help his friends.

“I didn’t play again till eighth grade,” Empereur said. “The only reason I even played was because they didn’t have enough guys to fill the team. I didn’t like baseball, but I just went out to help field a team.”

Nothing initially changed. At first Empereur still disliked the sport, but he was willing to stick it out.

“Practice wasn’t that bad because I was with my friends,” Empereur said. “I wasn’t really having that much fun. I didn’t really have a position to play or anything. I didn’t really enjoy it that much.”

During his first practice, Empereur met then-coach Rich Sorenson. At first, he was unsure of what to think of his new head coach.

“I could tell he was a really tough coach and I wasn’t really sure that I was willing to play a sport that I didn’t really like, especially with the coach being so tough,” Empereur said. “He was pretty stern; I remember running a lot.”

Coach Sorenson had played at California State University, Fresno, and pitched for National College Baseball Hall of Fame coach Bob Bennett back in 1984-1985.