GAMES
RANKINGS
BACK ON THE DIAMOND: Hastings’ Romero Returns to the Diamond Following 2023 Injury
WHEN ONE SEES THE STATURE AND PROWESS ON THE FIELD THAT JACOB ROMERO DISPLAYS, IT COULD BE ASSUMED THAT HE’S BEEN PLAYING BALL HIS WHOLE LIFE.
The contrary happens to be the case for the Hastings’ junior outfielder.
“I actually started playing pretty late, when I was 14,” he said. “I fell in love with the game when the Astros won the World Series back in 2017. My favorite player to watch was definitely George Springer, which is part of the reason why I became an outfielder.”
“But, I try to model my game after Mookie Betts because he’s one of the top players in the MLB, despite not being one of the bigger players. He still competes with the big guys, which is really impressive and he serves as a good model for me.”
Romero certainly caught on quickly, considering his freshman year performance earned him a first-team, all-district nod.
He was on the trajectory for another all-district performance last year, however, he would suffer a season-ending injury. A concussion and cracked skull after colliding with his teammate's knee sidelined him for the remainder of his sophomore campaign.
“It was pretty rough,” said Romero. “After everything happened, I wasn’t able to be out there with the guys, doing what I wanted to do. But, as soon as I healed up, I went right back to it. I’ve been grinding to recover to the form I had before the injury.”
Now that he has made the steady recovery – at the behest of his coaches – Romero has a one-track mind.
“I’m hoping to have one heck of a season... even better than my freshman year,” he laughed. “I’ve been working my butt off all Summer, Fall and Winter to get back. The workouts, hitting and throwing practice, and consistent recuperation have all led me to this. I’m going to make sure it was worth it.”
He’ll have his work cut out for him, as he and his Bears are tasked with competing in a crowded District 23-6A. Night in and night out, Hastings will face likes of perennial State contenders such as the 2023 Finalist Pearland, along with Alvin and Strake Jesuit.
But, given his steadfast determination and positive disposition, Romero is sure to put on a show as he returns to lead Hastings in their Spring campaign.
“As an athlete, I’m proud to represent Alief – especially as a baseball player,” he said. “Not too many people play here, let alone exceed high expectations. So, every time I step on that field, I’m going to make sure I play with pride and passion. I’ll be going 100-percent, no matter who we play or where we compete.”
With a mindset like that, first-team, all-district should be the minimum for Romero in 2024.
HEATING UP: Hastings’ Orogbo shaking off sleeper tag
Every recruiting cycle, there seems to be one player that comes out of nowhere and becomes one of the top recruits in the city of Houston.
Come on down Hastings defensive end Smith Orogbo. At 6-foot-5, 215-pounds, Orogbo’s size screams DI, Power 5 talent. Pair that with his junior stats 73 Tackles, 17 Tackles for Loss, 7 Sacks, and 2 Forced Fumbles, it's easy to see why the offers are rolling in.
The crazy part about Orogbo’s is that he didn’t start playing the game of football until his freshman year of high school, and he's already has become a dominant force on the field.
“I was a basketball and track athlete before I started playing football my freshman year,” he said. “I loved the sport once I started and I love the feeling of dominating on the field.”
Orogbo’s recruitment has taken off this offseason picking up offers from Kansas, Oklahoma State, Pitt, TCU, Cal, Oklahoma, Texas, SMU, Tulsa, and most recently UTEP, Memphis and Florida. Now at 19 total offers, you could say the junior is enjoying the recruiting process so far.
“It has been amazing," he said. "The love I get from the coaches and getting to know their programs is just a blessing.”
The talented defensive end plans to attend the Baylor, Oklahoma and TCU junior days in coming weeks. He also mentioned that he has heard from Texas Tech, Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State the most as of late. Ohio State has been in contact as well.
Smith Orogbo is the diamond in the rough of this 2025 recruiting class and expect his offer list to grow quickly in the coming weeks.