LAFAYETTE — North Montgomery baseball junior shortstop Aiden Ambriz-Cruz kept his eyes firm on the ball being thrown at him while balancing on second base during the fifth inning against Lafayette Jeff.
His eyes watched, left arm up and slightly turned with his hips with Lafayette Jeff catcher Ben Pickering sliding towards him, hoping the 5-foot-9 and 145-pound infield would yield the bag he was attempting to reach safely.
Snap went the ball into the glove of Ambriz-Cruz, whose right foot remained on the bag before jumping up and over to avoid clipping Pickering.
Plays of high difficulty are routine for Ambriz-Cruz and the coaches who chew their gum calmly while silently complimenting the finesse and skill.
“It’s kind of an oxymoron because he’s ultra-aggressive but uber poised,” North Montgomery coach Matt Voorhees said. “In those moments he approaches those plays with such aggression and poise, but when he gets in those moments, he stays ultra poised and calm throughout the play. He does that over and over.”
Ambriz-Cruz has become a wizard on a North Montgomery team that is surging in Class 2A with a 12-3 record through May 3.
And there’s that signature smile of Ambriz-Cruz. The smile of a young man who has seemingly grown up on the baseball field and attended games played by his older brother Kevin and father Andres, who has competed in adult recreational leagues in Montgomery County.
Andres was a catcher, Kevin the outfielder and there’s Aiden, the youngest of them all.
“My dad and brother would let me go into the dugouts and hang out with everyone and talk to everyone,” Ambriz-Cruz said. “I always looked up to my brother.”
When Kevin got into high school at North Montgomery, Aiden made sure to bring his glove on game days. After the Chargin’ Chargers finished playing, Ambriz-Cruz would go onto the field with his father.
Andres hit groundballs towards his son and would continue getting reps.
“We’d be out there for hours and hours and never stop,” Ambriz-Cruz said.
Those days of extra practice have paid off for Ambriz-Cruz, who is batting .478 as his team’s leadoff hitter, scoring 21 runs with 12 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. He’s trying to lead North Montgomery, a program with a proud baseball history and has won 12 sectional titles and two regionals, to its first sectional championship since 2018.
Ambriz-Cruz is also known for being the loudest teammate in the clubhouse.
“When we play with positive energy, we usually have a positive outcome,” Ambriz-Cruz said. “Whenever the middle schoolers and underclassmen come up to us, we always have to lead by example. We want this program to be ready for the future.”
A selfishness Voorhees witnesses daily. Ambriz-Cruz helps carry camera equipment for school and team photographers. A precedence of leadership being set by his captain for others to follow.
This story was written by Ethan Hanson before he left the Journal & Courier on May 3, but published after the fact. Those looking to contact the J&C sports staff can email sports@jconline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Ambriz-Cruz brings the energy for North Montgomery baseball
Reporting by Ethan Hanson, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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