Stephen Hrustich '19 Recruiting Profile

I would personally like to thank you for taking the time to learn more me and my personal goals regarding my college education and the ability to play collegiate baseball.  I will soon be turning 16 years old and will be a rising junior this fall at Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA.  My family relocated to Georgia from New York in 2012 and that posed some challenges from an age standpoint where Georgia has an age cutoff for starting school in the summer rather than January 1^st as was done in New York.  Consequently most students in my grade are all a year to two years older although I have seen this as a call to step up both my academics and field play to compete against these student athletes.  My first year of high school I attended Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology (GSMST) which is academically ranked as the number 5^th high school in the nation.  The rigor was exceptionally difficult with coursework starting at an 11^th grade level and at an accelerated pace with courses in physics and engineering.  Unfortunately GSMST did not have any sports programs and I would be unable to play high school baseball which I had a strong desire to play and excel.  Subsequently my parents and I made the decision to return to Parkview High School which is ranked as one of the top baseball programs in the nation with two National titles in 2012 and 2015 as well as 15 State championships.  At the close of my sophomore year I have already completed all my science credits to graduate as well have four years of language in Spanish.  My academic goals for high school are to continue to take advanced placement courses and increase my overall GPA which is currently a 3.55.

From a baseball standpoint I have always played travel ball both in New York and Georgia at a High A level for teams such as New York Thunder, Team Elite, Team Rawlings and I am currently playing for Atlanta Blue Jays 17U.  My primary position is catcher and I also play the corners, hitting for power from both sides of the plate. Dealing with the age difference for my graduating year I play at a level that is a year higher than scholastic grade appropriate where I am competing with players 2 to 3 years older.  This has allowed me to consistently see pitching in upper 80 to lower 90 mph range.  I am the starting catcher for Atlanta Blue Jays 17U and we primarily focus on Perfect Game tournaments across Georgia and Florida.  In the fall of 2016, I played in the 17U Worlds with the Blue Jays in Jupiter Florida starting as catcher at 14 years old.  In July of 2016 I also played for USA Elite in the 14U National Championships in Long Island, NY where we played in the  nationally televised championship game on ESPN2, falling to Jerry Manuel Prep School out of California.

In my sophomore year at Parkview High School I was the starting JV catcher and we won the region with our final record of 14-5.  I did get rostered for Varsity games during the season and the Panthers made it to the elite eight in the State playoffs this year.  The Parkview program is incredibly robust with a deep roster at both pitching and position players.  I sit behind two D1 committed catchers and understand the importance of working hard on and off the field to continually improve my play and knowledge of the game.  Parkview Panthers Baseball plays in the ultra-competitive Gwinnett County school system and the State of Georgia. It is known as one of the top baseball programs in the nation for its training program and hard nose, no nonsense play both on the field and in the classroom.  Coach Chan Brown and his staff have helped instill a fighting attitude in me and to go the extra mile whether it is during weight training, practice, during game time or in my academics.  Simply put they have made me want to excel and be the best I can possibly be while never sacrificing quality of character in whatever I do.  Understanding that the team always comes first and my conduct whether it be playing a hard fought game or representing Parkview Panther Baseball in my community is a privilege that should never be taken lightly.  

My goals and aspirations for college are many but include playing baseball at the highest level and constantly giving my best effort to help my team win.    My academic focus is to major in international business and economics which complement my strengths in mathematics, science and foreign language.  I am hoping to commit to a top university that can help me achieve both my athletic and academic goals.