From t-ball at the little league to varsity baseball at the Mule Yard, Parker Ambrose has been a Mule from the very beginning. He might be pitching, roaming the outfield or even catching once in a while, but wherever it may be, Ambrose will be somewhere on the diamond.
Before he heads to the Big Easy next year, Ambrose sat down with me to discuss what he’s learned growing up in Alamo Heights, his marine biology interest and who he has winning March Madness in his Senior Spotlight.
When did you start playing baseball?
I started playing baseball when I was probably four or five years old. My dad played in high school, so he wanted to start me off young. I played at the Alamo Heights Little League starting in t-ball. I was around four or five and never stopped from that point on. It’s always been my favorite sport and I did it all throughout my childhood.
What has it been like to start in Alamo Heights and end in Alamo Heights?
I think this year more than any it’s kind of been like the full circle because we’ve done volunteer stuff over at the little league and we’ve been over there for like opening day, and just seeing those kids now, it’s kind of cool because I remember when I was them, and so now it just feels like we completed the whole journey. Now we’re the kids we used to look up to, so it’s pretty cool to see them and remember what it was like to be in their shoes.
What would you tell those kids now about what they need to do or what they can look forward to?
I think that it’s all just the things that the coaches tell them like integrity, hard work and obviously not giving up. There’s a lot of times when you might question whether it’s worth it, all the work you put in, but then you come out and play and it’s fun, and that’s when you remember why you’re doing it, so just keep working hard and keep believing in where you’re headed.
When did you make varsity?
I started my sophomore year. I played a few tournaments and practiced with varsity a lot, but my junior year was my first full year on varsity and I was actually lucky enough to be a starter that year, so I started every game in center field, which was a really fun experience that helped me grow in baseball and just in life. It was pretty hard, but I learned to get through it and persevere, so that was pretty fun.
What has been your favorite memory with Alamo Heights baseball?
My favorite memory would either have to be my freshman year seeing [the team] in the state tournament or last year when we beat Dripping Springs. It was a really good team, and we were still young figuring things out, but we played really well that game, and I think we played to our potential. We beat one of the best teams in the district, which was awesome.
You mentioned seeing that state run. What was it like seeing that not being quite part of the team but knowing that’s where you could go one day?
It was inspirational to see those guys because we practiced with them sometimes and we see how hard they work and see what they’re doing. We’re fully capable of that, so it’s really an inspiration to see how hard they work and see where that got them. It makes us want to work harder as a program.
What is your next step after high school?
I will be attending Tulane University in New Orleans next year. Right now I have no plans of continuing baseball, but I could see myself maybe getting involved as a manager or something around the game because I feel like I will miss it, but as of right now I have no plans. Just go to college, graduate, find a job. Right now my major is political science, but the thing about Tulane is they’re really flexible about changing your major, and that’s something I really look for because I would love to have that flexibility in case I find something I really love and I just wanna pursue that, so it’s easy there.
Do you prepare differently when you know you will pitch in a game?
If I know I’m pitching, whether it’s starting or coming in for relief, I usually throw a little bit more. I also just try to distract myself with other small things like stretching or getting involved with other parts of the game because if I just sit there and think about it, it gets in my head and I get flustered. I just try to distract myself and maybe throw a little extra if I know I’m pitching that day.
Is it hard sometimes being in the field during a game while not knowing if later on you will be on the mound?
I think as I’ve matured I’ve gotten past that feeling of like being nervous or just not ready and I’ve learned to just focus on what’s happening at the moment. If I get called in to do my job, I know what I have to do, so I’ve done better focusing on the present.
You’ve been quite the utility man over the years. What’s your personal favorite position and why?
My favorite position to play in the field right now is any position in the outfield because that’s where I’ve been, but I also liked getting a chance to catch every once in a while. It’s just something I can do, and I think it’s really fun to try that out every once in a while.
In the outfield, what’s the best catch or play you’ve ever made?
It actually probably came this year. In one of our tournaments I was playing center field and there was a ball in front of me, and I had to sprint to it and lay out. I made a diving catch. That was fun and probably the best catch I can remember.
Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?
I don’t think so. I usually throw and warm up a lot quicker than most other people, and I just get in the dugout and watch the other team get ready to see if they’re like messing around or if they’re super locked in to know what their tone is going to be like.
What’s your go to song before a game?
My walk up song is “Stereo Love,” [by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina]. It’s an old classic. It makes me think of when we were middle school kids. It reminds me to have fun and not get all tense. It just makes me relaxed a little bit. I used to listen to a lot of music but now before games I just don’t have the time.
Who is your favorite sports team?
By far the San Antonio Spurs. I’ve been a huge fan ever since I was little. My dad would always watch the games with me when I was growing up, so I’ve just continued that. I try to watch every game, and I read about them. I know a lot about the NBA in general, but especially the Spurs.
Who is your new favorite player on this revamped team?
Probably LaMarcus Aldridge. I’m growing to like DeMar [DeRozan] a little bit more, but LaMarcus I feel like has grown a lot since he’s been here. His start was a little but rough, but now he’s more of a leader, more composed, and I think he’s grown a lot.
Did you fill out a March Madness bracket? Who do you have as your winner?
I did. My winner is Duke. I filled out 25 brackets, but in my main bracket Duke is the winner. That’s probably my heavy favorite.
Are you concerned with how they played against UCF?
A little bit. UCF showed a little bit of the weakness in them, so we’ll see what it comes down to. Usually the team that everyone thinks is going to win doesn’t actually win, so we’ll see how that goes.
What’s your dream job?
I want to be a marine biologist, but that’s a lot of work, and I’ve not really taken that path, so that’s a stretch. But my grandfather scuba dives and that’s important to him, and he’s taught me a lot about that, so that’s something I have a lot of interest in. That’d be really fun to have as a career.
If you were stranded on an island, which as a marine biologist wouldn’t be so bad, with one person, who would you choose and why?
I feel like my go-to answer would be my dad because he’s pretty smart, and it’d be nice to have someone I’m so close to there. If I thought about it more, it might be Bear Grylls, someone who could get me out of there alive.
If you could have dinner with three people, past or present, who would they be and why? What would you eat?
We would have Japanese fried rice and it would be my grandma, Jahseh Onfroy (XXXTentacion) and Gekyume Onfroy because I’ve heard so much about them. I want to know what they are like. My grandma is one of my favorite people. She always makes me smile.
If you had to tell the world one thing, what would you say?
I would say that a lot of people are sleeping on our baseball team this year, and we’re going to surprise some people in the playoffs. That’s what I would love to announce to everyone. Last year was not our best, but we’ve learned a lot, and this year we’re going to make a deep run in the playoffs, so I’d tell everyone to watch out.