Former Othello baseball star Alix Garcia looks forward to his final season
File photo Othello graduate Alix Garcia is heading into his final baseball season with Oklahoma State University.
MOSES LAKE — Former Othello baseball star Alix Garcia looks to build on his first season playing at Oklahoma State University. Garcia transferred to Oklahoma State for his junior year this past spring after two seasons at Central Arizona Community College.
Garcia said the transition to the Division 1 program took a little more time to get used to than when he arrived at the junior college level, where he knew his role a lot sooner.
“When I first got here, I didn’t play much,” Garcia said. “I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, I didn’t know what I was doing right. But I just kept with it, and when I got the chance to play, I just tried to do the best that I could.”
Garcia was able to crack the rotation as the season went on, finishing the year with a batting average of .294, with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. The Cowboys made a deep run into the postseason, falling just short against Texas Tech for a trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Garcia said his first season with the Cowboys was one of the most fun years he’s ever had playing baseball.
“I liked the added pressure that the environment brought,” Garcia said. “That type of game makes the game fun. It makes it so simple.”
Playing on the big stage in front of, at times, a national audience, Garcia said helped him become more level-headed as a player. Making a mistake, Garcia said he knew he couldn’t show emotion and let people know he was upset.
Moving into his senior year, like most players, Garcia said he looks to continue working to get stronger and faster. Most important for him, Garcia said he just wants to soak everything up.
“This is the last year I’m going to be able to play baseball, so I might as well live it up,” Garcia said. “That’s the way I’m looking at it. I know my wife won’t be happy about that, but she can have me for the rest of her life. I just want to have one year with the guys, and one more year with baseball.”
Coming in his first season, Garcia said he was welcomed, but that the embrace he’s received coming back for his second year is completely different, “night and day.”
“Everybody’s excited to see you, they know who you are,” Garcia said. “You just kind of fall into a roll with the team.”
Looking forward to when he’s put a cap on his career, Garcia said he “definitely” wants to move back home to Othello and work with his dad. The Othello native also said he hopes he can work with the staff on the high school team as well.
“I want to help those guys out like I was helped out,” Garcia said.
Until then, Garcia continues to prepare for his senior year with the Cowboys, hoping to build on last year’s run, with a championship.
“I just want to play the game for as long as I can,” Garcia said. “If you keep winning, you get to keep playing. I’d rather win a championship with these guys than anything else.”
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