It is the dream of many young athletes to get recruited and live out their passion for their sport. This dream is a reality for Arcadia High School (AHS) senior Varsity Baseball player Fernando Palencia. Palencia is Arcadia’s finest shortstop and right-handed pitcher whose great talent has led him to commit to NCAA Division 1 school, University of San Diego (USD). But Palencia’s future in baseball was not always guaranteed.

“I was talking to almost every mid-major Division 1 school you can think of. My experience was really slow, at first I wasn’t getting as many looks as I thought I’d be, but once I was able to put myself in the right places at the right times and perform as best I could, I started getting invited to showcases and big tournaments with very well known teams that had connections. The scouting part of my journey blew up after that and I was getting attention not only from top universities but also from professional scouts. That’s when I definitely realized I need to become more serious about my craft,” stated Palenica. 

Through his hardships and times of uncertainty, Palencia has kept one key principle: positivity.

“Something I always keep in mind is the importance of controlling the controllables and not letting things I can’t control affect me negatively,” said Palencia. 

Furthermore, while on the AHS Varsity Baseball team, Palencia has gained great experiences and made unforgettable memories as well as friendships, on his journey to being recruited. 

“A highlight of my baseball career so far has been traveling to different states and getting the chance to meet different players from all over the place, along with connections that would last a lifetime,” reminisced Palencia.   

Having now committed to USD, Palencia describes the school as ‘perfect’ for his plans and values. 

“I chose USD not only because of how nice the area is and the school’s beauty, but also because the coaches made it clear that the main goal is winning—not only in baseball but in life. Also the personal connections the coaches had with players made it seem really family-oriented,” stated Palencia.   

Now that Palencia has accomplished his first target of committing to a Division 1 school, he continues to look forward and set milestones for himself, including going professional. 

“It was definitely a dream of mine since I started playing baseball and still is, but now it’s become more of a reality. My goal now looking forward is repeating what we did last year as a team and even better. Along with some personal goals of receiving player of the year and doing what I need to get drafted as soon as possible,” said Palencia.

Palencia has truly come a long way to commit to USD and put himself in a position to potentially have a future in professional baseball. He is an example of how far hard work and dedication can get you, and we wish that he’ll achieve his dream of getting drafted into the MLB. Go Palencia!

Photos courtesy of Fernando Palencia