Grit.
That’s one of Orange Lutheran baseball’s team mottos this season – something players turn to when in a slump, when in need of some motivation, when not performing as planned.
Tristan Hanoian, a 5-foot-9 senior shortstop isn’t the biggest, strongest or fastest on the team, but he brings something not all players have: a relentless commitment to make a play anytime, anywhere, to get the win.
Take the Lancers’ first game of the 2017 season against Dana Hills and pitcher Hans Crouse, arguably one of the best hurlers in the nation.
The lead-off hitter started the game with a line drive on a 93 mph fastball. In the field, Hanoian charged a slow dribbler and fired the ball to first while diving fully extended toward home, barely beating the runner at first, eventually leading the Lancers to victory.
“I just try, and really try and be the spark plug,” Hanoian said. “I’ve always tried to work harder than the guy next to me, just do the small things that help the team win.”
The defensive anchor, who is headed to No. 1-ranked Texas Christian University, is a quiet leader. He doesn’t open his mouth much, but when he speaks? Everyone hushes.
“He’s kind of the quarterback of the team, if you will,” said Eric Borba, Orange Lutheran’s head coach. “How he goes about his business is admirable to the younger guys.”
As an undersized infielder, Hanoian said he knew he had to work twice as hard as his teammates. He morphed into a field rat, always taking extra batting practice, extra ground balls. That extra time on the field became his sacred space, his place to shine.
He learned hustle from his father, Greg Hanoian, a former Fountain Valley High and USC star as well as from his grandfather, Terry Hanoian, who played ball at Fresno State.
Tristan would help his grandfather (as Greg did, growing up) in the summer doing landscaping and clean-up work at local baseball fields for rec ball and high schools.
As early as he can remember, Hanoian said he learned to give his full effort in any activity he participated in.
“It’s the type of people we are. We’ve got a pretty strict work ethic,” Greg Hanoian said. “It’s what I’ve always instilled in him and my wife has instilled in him: give 100 percent. Don’t let anybody use your size as a factor for making an excuse for you.”
Hanoian morphed into a four-year starter for OLU, a tough feat to accomplish considering there have only been six or seven freshmen to do so, Borba said.
When his name was called as a freshman, Hanoian, then barely 5-foot-4, nodded his head and did whatever was asked of him, like playing left field.
“He found a way to be more consistent than anybody else,” Borba said. “He did whatever it took to get in the lineup in his at bats, whether it be bunting or moving runners or just finding a way to get on base.”
That same mentality is evident in practice.
“He just does things without the coaches asking him to,” said Dylan Palmer, senior catcher/outfielder. “Say we’re all standing around, not doing much, he’ll go grab a couple guys and get some work in.”
When Hanoian’s school schedule gives him a free period at the end of the day, he rushes to Hart Park to set up the field for his teammates.
Then, he gets to work. More ground balls, more sprints. He’s already sweated through his practice uniform by the time his teammates trickle in and lace up their cleats.
“He puts in more time than anyone else outside of practice, too,” said J.P. Velasquez senior infielder. “Late at night, he’s on his own at the batting cages. Sundays, everyone else is taking the day off, he’s getting ground balls in.”
The work speaks for itself come game time.
“When he’s got that mentality that he can’t be beat, he’s one of the best short stops in high school baseball,” Borba said. “It takes a mental discipline to be that day in and day out.”
