Jake Pao '17 Recruiting Profile

I am a 5'9" and weigh 159 pounds center fielder with a 7.00 sixty yard dash time. As a player I'm determined, hard working, and a leader. I pride myself on playing the outfield with great confidence, working hard, and sticking to a concept until I can get it right. Since my freshman year i have been named 2nd team all-league, Honorable Mention, 1st team all-league, Longhorn Award, MVP, and Junior of the Year. My past high school season my team made it all the way to the CCS Championship and unfortunately lost. This experience has showed me how little things go a long way which has motivated me to work even harder and try to fix all of the little flaws in my game. I was born and raised in San Jose, California with my two brothers, older sister, and both parents. I grew up playing baseball which has been an instant love from the start. Coming from a baseball family as well as having two older brothers made the love and competition even greater. Coming from two loving and supporting parents showed me that anything worth doing is worth working for, which has proven to me that anything is possible with effort and dedication. My brothers provided great competition for me growing up as the youngest brother. My sister also provided comfort and a best friend that I'm lucky to have. Having a full and connected happy family quickly changed the night of August 6th, 2014. My father had collapsed onto the bed and was having a massive heart attack. My mom and I rushed into the room and did everything we could to help him before 911 had arrived. My father had unexpectedly suffered a massive heart attack and passed away that night.  This horrible event has changed me to be proactive and determined as both a player and person. It has also made me into a better man than I was before for not only myself but for my family as well.