BELTON — At his core, Alejandro Sanchez III is an avid learner. One look at his workload in the classroom says that much.
Raised in an academic-minded family, the Fort Worth native has managed to double major in both biology and chemistry through his four-year college career, working towards a post-graduate career in orthopedics. Talk to him more, and a genuine love for learning becomes evident. That doesn’t stop once he laces up his cleats and steps onto the baseball field, either.
“I chose it my freshman year and I’ve just stuck with it,” the senior infielder said recently. “The sciences have always been my first love. My parents are super academic-focused so I do stuff I want to enjoy, but also keep my grades up for them. It’s definitely a challenge. I always tell people, ‘You have to love studying. You have to love learning. You have to love being a student.’
“And I love being a student.”
He transferred to UMHB this past fall after three seasons at Division II Oklahoma Christian, and wasted no time familiarizing himself with the recent trends of UMHB’s on-field performance. His analytical approach saw him comparing The Cru’s 2024 stat totals to that of last year’s ASC champ, Concordia, revealing a disparity in runs batted in, and pointing to an area for growth. Individually, very few days go by that he’s not asking for film from the coaching staff or a teammate to improve some aspect of his technique.
It’s a constant process of pushing towards an upward trajectory for Sanchez, who applies the same dedication to every aspect of his day-to-day life, from the lab to the classroom to the diamond at Red Murff Field. And more than anything, he’s motivated by his teammates, with whom he’s formed strong bonds in less than a year since arriving in Central Texas.
“That love of being a student translates to my overall lifestyle of trying to always learn to be better for myself and better for the guys,” Sanchez added. “Not letting these guys down who have put their trust in me.”
That mentality can be both a blessing and a curse, UMHB head coach Mike Stawski points out. On one hand, Sanchez’s insatiable desire to better his skill set makes him adverse to complacency. But at the same time, in a sport where failure is inevitable and difficult days at the plate or in the field are just part of it, a fine line must be walked to avoid a negative at-bat or error snowballing and affecting Sanchez’s approach down the line.
“The blessing of it is that you have a guy fully invested in what he’s doing and what we’re doing,” Stawski said. “He wants to be great, not just for himself but for the team. He knows that his play on the field will result in the team’s success. He gets that. He’s always trying to get better.
“But the curse is he works so hard and puts so much time into his craft that he does believe he should never get out. He does believe he should never make an error. Unfortunately, this game doesn’t work that way. But in his mind, he believes that if he can crack the code to perfection and do everything the way he’s supposed to do it, he can control the results. But that’s not possible.
“I love that chase to perfection. But I have to remind him that he can’t be upset when he goes 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run and a couple stolen bases. Because what sometimes happens is that he doesn’t want to focus on the good of the day, and focuses on his popout to second base. I’m like, ‘You had an awesome day, man. Let’s focus on the three great at-bats.’”
It speaks to Sanchez’s competitive nature, something that became more and more evident as The Cru progressed through fall workouts. For transfers, the first semester in a new program is often difficult, more so with the team dynamic than the on-field element. It takes time to find one’s place within a new program and develop a voice amongst unfamiliar teammates. But Stawski challenged Sanchez to break out of his shell early, and step into a leadership role, something that has produced positive results for both Sanchez and The Cru as a whole.
“I told him, ‘That doesn’t mean you have to be the loudest guy in the room to be a leader. You do stuff the right way, you play the game the right way, so you can lead by example. When enough guys follow you, then you can start talking, and guys will listen.’ That’s what’s happened. He did it that way, and now, he leads in a lot of different ways. He leads by example, he leads with his voice, and he leads by his results, too.”
That was put on display in The Cru’s three-game sweep of Austin College on opening weekend, two Saturdays ago. Each time he stepped to the plate, it seemed something special was capable of unfolding. Sanchez went 7-for-13 in his debut for the Purple and Gold, swatting a pair of home runs along with six RBIs and six stolen bases, en route to ASC Player of the Week honors.
And because fog postponed the final six innings of Game 1 on Friday, the conclusion of the series opener was tacked onto the previously-scheduled Saturday doubleheader, meaning Sanchez posted nearly the entirety of that stat line in a 12-hour span.
“A big thing for us is our baserunning,” Sanchez said, quick to praise the overall team performance when his offensive success is mentioned. “I did very well for myself, but it kind of overshadows the role guys like Cam Talburt and Riley Bender played. Cam hit .444, Riley hit .429, and Carson Hagan stole six bags, so I think a big thing with our guys is the baserunning to always manage to be on base and be in scoring position helps guys like me or Tyler Martin to get the RBIs that bring in runs.
“When you’re always in scoring position it helps to continue to turn over the lineup and get the job done. Really, I have the easy job. Those guys go out there and stay in base, stay in scoring position to keep us in the game.”
He did plenty of baserunning himself, tying with Hagan for the team-high in stolen bases as UMHB swept Austin College for the second straight year. It took almost no time at all for his top-level speed to hit the basepaths in Sherman. After Sanchez singled through the left side of the infield in the top of the first in Game 1, he immediately stole second, then third, all with freshman cleanup hitter Nolan Williams at the plate.
“Speed is actually my game and that’s where I thrive the most,” Sanchez noted. “I’ve always been a lower part of the lineup or a leadoff guy. But just last year at [Oklahoma Christian], I grew into my body, developed a little later, and that’s when the power numbers and being able to hit for power to both sides of the field started.”
He added that in considering his options for his final year of college baseball, Stawski’s reputation as a baserunning guru—Stawski has been recognized by the American Baseball Coaches Association for his knowledge on the subject—helped sway him in the direction of The Cru. Not only was he looking to harness his newfound power at the plate, but he was also aiming to get even better in an area that was already integral to his skill set.
“I really meshed well with Stawski and his plan to elevate my baserunning game from being a 10 to 15 stolen bags a year to a Carson Hagan and getting 30 and 35. That was a big decision maker for me, when deciding to come to UMHB, to not only elevate my abilities at the plate, but elevate what I’m already good at.”
“His speed is exciting for us, with a program that runs as much as we do,” Stawski added. “That was something that wasn’t taken advantage of as much for him as his previous school. So for us to use and respect that tool that he has, I think he really enjoyed [his first semester at UMHB] and his time in our program early on.”
He says it was a “God-thing” that Stawski called when he did, inquiring of Sanchez’s interest in UMHB after entering the transfer portal. He hit .353 as a junior for Oklahoma Christian in 25 games last spring, but decided to use his final year of eligibility elsewhere. He wanted to be part of a strong culture, a place where he felt wanted. Stawski’s program in Belton offered that opportunity.
“I had offers from bigger schools and schools in our conference, and I didn’t want to make a decision out of pride, to say that I did the Division I thing or to say that I played at a certain school,” Sanchez recalled. “I wanted to make a decision where I could enjoy my last year. As I prayed about it, I asked God to give me a clear sign.
“It’s a long-winded thing, but the short story is that Stawski called at the right time when I was looking for an answer. I prayed about the clarity, that there was a reason I was called to be here. It had nothing to do with baseball, and everything to do with God and where He wanted me to be.”
He soon realized he had, in his words, “found a home”, not long after stepping onto campus. It took little time to foster connections with his new teammates, and that made the transition feel somewhat seamless.
“The guys here have done everything to welcome me,” Sanchez said. “They’ve made me feel comfortable. They’ve elevated me. I had a great weekend, but this team we have is something that I’ve never had or experienced in my life. These guys are so supportive, they’re always looking to help me, they’re always holding me accountable, helping me where my game falters. I’m nothing without this unit of guys here.”
That was part of why his second home run of the Austin College series—a hard-hit ball to right center field in the third at-bat of Game 2—stood out to him so much. Stats and individual recognition aside, it gave the rest of the lineup a spark, starting things off with a momentum boost that carried into homers from Riley Bender and Cam Talburt, and a nine-run explosion over the first four innings. For as much as his teammates have elevated him so far, Sanchez hopes to do the same in return, especially when those opportunities come at the plate.
“To feel that ball and hit that home run to tie the game, that’s just a number on the page, but to see my guys go crazy and watch them celebrate and us get to jumping around and bringing the energy back in the dugout, that’s what home runs do,” Sanchez said, referencing his first homer of the weekend. “Then with the second one, I hit that home run, and we got started. Then Riley Bender goes out there and hits another one. And Cam hits another one. Then we’re rolling with the bats, and we’re rolling with defense.
“To get that stat is cool, but to watch the domino effect of your guys then starting to believe in themselves and seeing it can be done, and it just continues—that’s all the joy that it brings to me.”
