Baseball: Hart’s accomplishments go beyond the diamond

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No matter what happens in Friday’s Foothill League contest between Hart and Valencia, the Indians can come away knowing they’ve already been declared winners off the field.

OK, I know that sounds a little AYSO-like, but it’s true -- Hart’s baseball team was recently recognized by the Southern Section as having the highest grade-point average in a school with an enrollment over 1,500 students. Collectively, the Indians have a 3.58 average GPA and, according to Coach Jim Ozella, 12 of his 20 players have a GPA of 4.0 or higher.

The team will be honored in an on-field ceremony at Angels Stadium on April 29 before the start of the Angels’ game against the Oakland Athletics.

‘It’s something we pride ourselves on and it’s a real source of honor for the kids,’ Ozella said. ‘We know that when you push yourself to do well in the classroom, you’re going to push yourself to do better on the field, too.’

So, if the grade book has anything to say about it, Hart will beat Valencia tomorrow. Of course, if the Indians really are smart, they won’t underestimate the Vikings after Wednesday’s dramatics.

For a complete listing of this year’s academic winners, check this out.

-- Austin Knoblauch

-- Image from www.projectappleseed.org