Rookie outfielder Joel Barraza says the most difficult part of the season so far has been traveling and playing the same day.

Said Barraza, “It’s a challenge to get used to all this. But as the saying goes, if it were easy then everyone would be doing it. I’ve come to understand that challenges only make you better as a player and a person.”

Summarizing the season at about the halfway point, Barraza said it definitely hasn’t gone as expected.

“At the beginning the team had high hopes to be a great team and bring another championship to Alpine,” he said. “That is still the goal, but to get there we need to play better, work harder, and move as a unit.”

Barraza comes from Canutillo, a small town outside El Paso, so he calls Alpine home. The Franklin Mountains remind him of Alpine’s surrounding desert islands.

In preparation for games, Barraza will read a good book and listen to music. He also says his prayers and stretches so he is mentally, physically, and emotionally ready.

He gave some advice for the aspiring pros out there.

“Be consistent with it. The kid that takes 100 ground balls is going to perform a lot better than the kid who gets 10. So whether it be batting, fielding, training - whatever you do, do it a lot and do it consistently,” said Barraza.

His favorite memory of the season so far was hitting his first professional home run. His folks were in the stands watching, so to have them celebrate the moment was special.

His personal goals for the rest of the season are to be a better teammate, and pick up the rest of the guys when they’re down.

Said Barraza, “This is my first year in pro ball so I’m just seeing how hard it all is. You have to learn how to be there for your brother when times get tough.”