Coming back from an injury hasn’t stopped senior Diego Deventhal from continuing to lead his team as both an athlete and a captain.
“He has had such a vital role playing shortstop and hitting top of the lineup ever since he was a freshman,” said varsity baseball head coach Eric Olsen.
According to MaxPreps, Deventhal grew up playing baseball, and has played on the varsity baseball team all four years of high school, having been pulled up in the middle of his freshman season.
“Middle school was when I really started taking it seriously and started practicing almost everyday, and then in high school, I took it to the next level with weight room and practicing,” Deventhal said.
Delventhal said that baseball has always been a top priority of his because it was the sport he enjoyed the most.
After breaking his finger, Deventhal had to pause his season, and came back the week of May 3 for Senior Night.
“After his injury, he was talking about not taking things for granted and being in the present,” said co-captain and senior Jack Meyjes.
“The time that I put in in the off-season and also during the season made me not want to miss any games because of how hard I’d worked for the opportunity to play,” Deventhal said.
Deventhal also said that he starts his off-season training right after the high school season ends and plays club baseball, which means that he essentially plays all year round.
“In our fourteen years of us playing together, I’ve really gotten to see his work ethic. I don’t think I know anybody who works harder than him.” Meyjes said.
Sophomore Orion Sachs said that Deventhal came to every practice and game during his injury and helped everyone work harder even though he couldn’t actually play, which really showed his dedication to the game.
“When I needed help fielding, Diego was there,” Sachs said.
“Showing up to work he’s going to be the first guy there and the last guy to leave,” Olsen said.
Not only is he respected by his teammates and coaches because of his work ethic, but also because of his leadership ability as a co-captain with Meyjes.
“He’s a natural leader and he’s really good at getting the team excited and ready for games, as well as picking people up if they’re not playing well,” Sachs said.
Because of their experience, Deventhal said that he and Meyjes are better-equipped to make informed decisions on how best to lead the team.
“We’ve both been in the program for four years, so we know what the coaches want and are able to help out the team the way they’d want us to,” Deventhal said.
Since Deventhal and his coaches have been working together for so long, they have built a mutual understanding that has allowed his coaches to see his transformation as a player over the years.
“One of the most satisfying things about coaching him really is the arc of his career that tells the story of how he’s gotten better. He was a freshman and he played on varsity, and he’s just gotten better and better, and now he’s one of the top players in the league, if not the whole Bay Area, really,” Olsen said.
Deventhal’s work ethic has paid off as he has been awarded WACC first team all league for the ‘26 season.
“I’ve worked towards the confidence to be able to think that I can compete with anyone. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, then nobody is going to believe in you in your place, so that’s something that I try to focus on,” Deventhal said.
