Alex Ellison

Department of Athletics

March 19, 2018

Sophomore baseball player Eric De La Rosa is off to a phenomenal start to his second season. Over twenty games played, De La Rosa is hitting .488 with eight home runs, 31 RBI and a 1.049 slugging percentage. On the base paths, he has scored 26 runs and stolen 12 bases and in center field, he has converted 49 of 54 total chances for an out, good for a .926 fielding percentage.

The standout season is a result of perseverance and hard work. De La Rosa originally went to San Jose State University out of high school and redshirted his freshman year. That offseason, there was a coaching change and he was not on the fall roster his second year on campus.

De La Rosa arrived at Grossmont in January 2017, having not played any real, competitive games of baseball in over a year.

"We could tell he was a raw talent and would need a little time and a lot of at-bats to get more comfortable in how we did things," assistant coach Samuel Pepper said. "Raw talent is never a guarantee and Eric's development is a real testament to his drive and work ethic."

This season, De La Rosa has thrived in his new role as a team leader, helping his teammates adjust to the collegiate level. His ability as a leader seems to run in the family, which happens to be rather large. The youngest of nine children, De La Rosa has learned from his older siblings - one of whom graduated from the University of Virginia and works as a VP on Wall Street, another who works as an engineer for NASA. This strong sense of family has taught De La Rosa that putting in the work is what it takes to succeed.

Being an athlete like De La Rosa never hurts either. His long, athletic frame and mechanics are making MLB scouts take notice. He tests off the charts physically and his baseball IQ is growing with experience. His ability to drive the ball out of the park to all fields is unique and the combination with the speed he possesses is tantalizing. In their February 2018 scouting report, Baseball Census listed De La Rosa's MLB ETA as 2023.

For De La Rosa to actually make the major leagues would take time and hard work on his part, but that isn't something that worries head coach Randy Abshier.

"Eric is a very strong family man who brings an intangible component to the team and his teammates," Abshier said.

With a style that supports his teammates while also bettering himself, De La Rosa is on the right track to a prosperous future.

For updates on De La Rosa's standout season, visit grossmontgriffins.com or follow Grossmont College on Twitter @gcghouse and Facebook @GCAthletics.