High School Baseball : Preciado Making Grade as Hoover Wins; Castle Park Scores 29 Runs

The memory of some forgettable grades has inspired Felipe Preciado to excel athletically and improve academically.

In the ninth grade, Preciado earned a D in physical education and Fs in the rest of his classes. He was a dropout waiting to happen--a troubled kid with more problems looming.

“I had a girlfriend and we used to ditch (school) every day,” Preciado said. “I didn’t try at all.”

Then an older brother stepped in.

“He told me to forget about everything and get my grades up and work on baseball,” Preciado said. “My brother inspired me. He told me I had the stuff to play ball if I got my grades up.”

Preciado worked on academics last year as a sophomore at Hoover High School, and this year he is proving his brother right.

Tuesday he drove in the winning run and pitched a four-hitter as Hoover edged visiting Crawford, 3-2, in a City Central League game.

Preciado’s grade point average is 2.3 and rising.

“The district counselor came out here the other day, and he was real surprised at Felipe’s accomplishments in academics,” said Chuck Giles, Hoover coach. “It’s all due to athletics. That can be a great motivator. Other teachers have noticed the change. It’s changed his life.”

His presence on the field is changing life for the Cardinals. They are rated 10th in The Times’ top 10 with a surprising 11-5 record, 4-0 in league.

Preciado, a 6-foot 2-inch, 190-pound right-hander, has used a tough fastball to win five of those games without a defeat. He kept Crawford off balance through most of Tuesday’s game.

Manny Gagliano jerked an inside fastball over the left-center field wall in the second inning for Crawford’s first run. The Colts (8-6, 3-1) scored their other run in the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Keith Gilbert reached base on an error, stole second, went to third on a fly-ball out to right and scored on a wild pitch.

Hoover drew to within a run in the fourth when Danny Carter singled and advanced to second on a single by Ryan Rusich. Both runners moved up on a balk, and Carter scored on Tyrone Upton’s infield out.

Mike McKnight started Hoover’s game-winning rally in the fifth with a walk. He went to second on a groundout and scored when Gus Garcia singled to left. Preciado drove in the winning run with a double off the left-field wall to score Garcia.

“He’s such a plus out there,” Giles said of Preciado. “He plays right field when he’s not pitching and has a good arm. He drives the ball at the plate, and on the mound he’s kept us in there.”