Baseball has always been in Marco Moreno's blood after growing up as a youngster in Cuba and Miami. Now, as the starting shortstop on the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team, it's no different.But while baseball is what Moreno lives for, he also realizes that school work come first.
"I found out grades are very important," Moreno said. "If you don't study, then you won't get to play. I almost didn't get to play because of that. I won't ever forget that and it won't happen again."
Moreno is now fulfilling his baseball and educational aspirations as a collegiate player and he's thankful for the opportunities.
"My mentality was always baseball and having fun. I never paid too much attention to school and I always procrastinated on my homework or had someone do it for me. It was always like that. I always got by with just enough," Moreno said. "I am here now and I know everything happens for a reason. I just have to take advantage of the opportunity and see where it leads me."
Moreno is taking full advantage of his opportunity and WNCC coach Mike Jones is impressed by what his freshman middle infielder has accomplished so far this season.
"To have a freshman step in and play it as well as he has played it has been a real nice surprise" Jones said. "I saw him at a tryout in Miami when I was down there for a 3-day recruiting visit and was real impressed with his footwork and his hands as a defensive player. Offensively, he has been a nice surprise because he has really grown as a hitter."
Moreno said that being a freshman on a sophomore-dominated starting lineup hasn't been too nerve-wracking. In fact, he thrives on the pressure.
"As a freshman at the beginning, there was a lot of pressure," Moreno said. "But I have always been in pressure situations and I always like to put pressure on myself. I feel it makes me perform a little bit better."
So far this season, Moreno has sparkled. He is hitting over .250 for the season with seven extra-base hits. He also came up with a big triple in the team's four-game sweep at Otero Junior College last weekend.
"Coach Jones has told me over and over that I have improved a lot defensively and with my hitting," Moreno said. "But there is always room for more improvement. We need to keep working hard as a team and individually."
Moreno and the Cougars will get another stern test this weekend when they host Region IX leading Northeastern Junior College in a key four-game series. The winner of the region will host the Region IX Tournament in May.
"These games are extremely big because they are first in our conference right now at 7-1 and we are 6-2," Moreno said. "If we don't take conference this year, it means that we slacked off and we should have worked harder. With us taking three out of those four games, we would be in first place."
Moreno said that it's been the Cougars' goal from the start of the season to host the regional tournament.
"It would mean everything and it has been one of our main goals since the beginning of the year to host regionals," he said. "But we are just going to take it one game at a time. There is nothing else you can do. Whatever happened in the past, happened already, so you put that behind you and just keep going."
After starting the season slow, the Cougars have vaulted to an 11-15 record and Moreno said the team is ready to make some noise in the conference.
"We have improved a lot as a team and individually. Our attitudes have changed and we know we have what it takes to win," Moreno said. "We have the talent and we have the heart, the commitment, and determination to win. It all depends on us not getting lazy or getting over confident. We have a great team and it will be a shame if we don't make it as far as we know we can make it."
Moreno is living proof that you learn from past mistakes and keep improving. As a youngster living in Cuba until he was nine years old, he realized how important baseball and schooling was. In Cuba, he said, if you didn't want to go to school, you didn't have to. Boxing and baseball means everything to the people of Cuba.
"Baseball in Cuba is like life. In Cuba you either box or play baseball, it is one of the two," Moreno said. "Baseball is a lot more competitive." While in Cuba, Moreno never played organized baseball. Instead, he and others would play with tennis balls or anything they could round up to play pick-up games with. When he and his family finally moved to Florida when he was 9, his life changed in other ways than baseball.
"At first it was a big change. The language at first was a big obstacle and having to get used to going to another school where it was mandatory was hard," Moreno said. "In Cuba, it was more like where if you didn't want to go to school, you didn't have to. "But in Florida, I've improved a lot playing baseball. When I first got here, I hardly knew how to throw or hit. My dad worked with me a lot. We would go out and play after he got off of work and I improved the first couple of [years] I was there."
Moreno continued to play baseball through high school while attending South Miami Senior High School where he earned second team all-Dade County MVP honors. He hopes someday to be taking his baseball talents to the next level. But for now, he is happy to learn more about the game at WNCC while getting an education.
"Like everybody else, I'd like to make it to the pros. That is what I am going to push for and if not I will get an education and stay close to baseball or sports or anything along that line," he said. "But it takes a lot of hard work [to get to the majors] and a lot of getting noticed But if others can do it, it gives everyone else a dream that we can do it, too."
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