EDINBURG – Senior Victor Garcia Jr. of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley baseball team played soccer before realizing that he wanted to play baseball just like his brother.
 
"I started playing baseball when I was eight years old," Garcia said. "My brother used to play all kinds of sports growing up. I used to play soccer and I saw him play and I wanted to play baseball just like him."
 
Baseball came easy to Garcia growing up and it quickly became his favorite sport. He had always wondered why Major League Baseball players got paid so much but now knows the answer to that question.
 
Growing up in the game of baseball, Garcia has had quite a few coaches that have helped him learn about the game. There was one coach that really had a big influence on him.
 
Garcia's hitting coach Tony Folino went above and beyond what normal coaches usually do. For Garcia, Folino was more like a second father to him.
 
"He is like a second father to me," Garcia said. "When it came to baseball, he took care of me. He gave me whatever I needed, whether it was bats, gloves, you name it. He always made sure I was good to go."
 
Garcia learned how to respect the game and how to go about it from Filino. He also learned how to not let a day go by where he is not working hard or not focused on the task at hand.
 
As he entered high school at Plainfield South High School, it was all about getting more experience. The more at-bats he got, the more he learned and became more comfortable with himself in the game.
 
Another reason why he got more and more comfortable was the fact he had his brother, Leo, on the team with him when Garcia was a freshman. Looking back at that season, it might be one of the best memories for Garcia.
 
"My freshman year in high school, I played with my brother on the same team on varsity," Garcia said. "That was pretty cool having my parents come out to see both of us."
 
Garcia went on to earn All-Conference honors all four years in high school. He hit .391 with 15 doubles, eight home runs and 37 RBI while slugging .730.
 
As a junior, Garcia didn't play much, if at all, due to a knee injury. It was because of that knee injury that Garcia now finds himself at first base. He used to be an outfielder but now he loves being a first baseman.
 
"I love first base," Garcia said. "First base is my favorite spot on the field. If I could play first base the rest of my life I would be there at first. At practice, you just kind of stand there fielding groundballs but if someone makes a nice play and you are able to make a scoop or you are able to make a nice play for them to finish off their play is pretty cool."
 
After his high school playing days, Garcia didn't have many offers to continue playing baseball at the college level. He had some offers to go to junior college, which he almost took.
 
His high school coach had a connection with the coaching staff at the University of Texas-Pan American but in a good word in for Garcia. Things started to take shape for Garcia.
 
"It was either here or junior college," Garcia said. "Honestly, I was about to go to juco but then something happened where some money opened up here. I was already set to go to juco and this was like a last minute decision."
 
When Garcia came down to the Rio Grande Valley, he took in everything he could. He was paying attention to the older guys on his team trying to learn all the little things about school and the game.
 
He quickly realized that playing high school baseball was going to be different. He learned that baseball becomes an everyday thing in college and you have to be mentally prepared.
 
Garcia made an immediate impact on the team in his freshman season. He played in 53 games while starting in 50 of them while batting .273 with 21 RBI. Garcia wanted to make an impact right away and he did.
 
"I came in expecting to play. I didn't expect to sit," Garcia said. "It was kind of cool starting everyday as a freshman. Not many people can do that. It was a blessing, honestly."
 
Garcia has been a main stay at first base ever since coming to the program back in 2014. He has gone through the ups and downs with the program while experiencing everything in between.
 
Looking back at all the moments of his collegiate career, Garcia has one game that sticks out to him and he will remember for the rest of his life.
 
It was the final game of his freshman season and Garcia and his team were looking to clinch a spot in the WAC Tournament. It was a special day because it was Senior Day and Mother's Day.
 
Garcia's friend and teammate, Andy Fortuna, won the game in walk-off fashion with a home run, his first of his career.
 
"My favorite memory has got to be Andy Fortuna's walk-off home run," Garcia said. "It was Senior Day and Mother's Day also so that was pretty special. If you know his story then you know why it would be so special."
 
Garcia went on to play 52 games as a sophomore while starting in all of them. He hit a career-high four home runs that season while driving in 39. He followed that with 40 more games as a junior and he currently has played in 40 more games this season.
 
There are only a couple of guys on the squad this year that have been here all of their four years. As one of the seniors to do that, Garcia has been seen it all.
 
"There is not that many of us that have been here for four years," Garcia said. "I have been here through all the struggles, the good years that we have had and the bad ones."
 
Over the past four years, Garcia has been able to make friendships that will last a lifetime. The bond of teammates is strong in sports and it is no different for Garcia. He knows how important friendships are when you are in school and he knows that they will be important after he leaves.
 
Garcia is majoring in criminal justice and the only thing he is for sure about is trying to keep playing baseball. If baseball doesn't work out then he hopes to one day find another passion like he has for baseball.
 
He hopes he gets another opportunity but he will be ok to let the game go if one doesn't come along.
 
"If no opportunity comes after this then it will be pretty much calling it quits," Garcia said. "I am just grateful that I got to play. I will be ready to start another chapter of my life."
 
Garcia is going to miss the days where the only thing he has to worry about is school and baseball. He realizes that when he gets older he is going to miss those days of sleeping in on a Saturday or miss all those road trips to Arizona or Seattle.
 
Garcia is grateful to UTRGV head coach Manny Mantrana for giving him the opportunity to come and play baseball in the RGV. He is grateful for all his experiences and his teammates. He believes that all that has happened over the last four years happened for a reason and he wouldn't change anything.
 
"I believe everything happens for a reason," Garcia said. "I truly believe that. I think whatever happened over the last four years happened because that is the way it was planned."

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