Picture retrieved from the Radford Baseball twitter page.
RADFORD, Va. – The 22-year-old senior gets himself out of bed every morning with the intent of putting in his best effort in the classroom, on the field, and in the weight room.
“As a leader of a team it is important to pave the road for under classmen. I hope I taught them what it means to be a great teammate and to give everything you have all the time, because you never know when your career could end,” said Danny Hrbek, pitcher and infielder for Radford University baseball.
Ever since helping the team to a 2015 Big South Championship win his sophomore year, and competing in the NCAA tournament, Hrbek has left everything on the field to try and get that feeling back. His most recent achievement was a school record, “A highlight for me was throwing the first nine inning no hitter in school history,” Hrbek said. His head coach, Joe Raccuia, had this to say about the senior, “If anyone in this program deserved an accomplishment like that, it was Danny. He is one of the all-time special Radford baseball players.” Hrbek later noted that his multiple walk-offs throughout his career have also been a highlight for him.
Hrbek’s teammates have the utmost respect for him and his abilities. “He’s a great leader. He knows how to handle a team of young athletes, works his ass off, and is an outstanding player,” said Chandler Davis, a red-shirt sophomore catcher for Radford. Watching Hrbek on the field, it’s clear to the spectator that he is the player his teammates look to for guidance and swagger. Hrbek and Davis are pictured above.
Throughout his four years, Hrbek has played almost every position for his team. The only thing he has not tried is catching. This further proves that Hrbek is an all-around talented player, with the heart and drive to be great at whatever his coaches and team need him to do. He’s the kind of teammate coaches of all sports look for these days.
With the end of his senior season coming up, Hrbek is thinking about the future. Playing in the MLB is something that every college baseball player strives for. Hrbek has put in the extra work and is hoping that will pay off in the upcoming months. “After college I hope to get drafted so I can keep living out my dream,” he said. He has learned a great deal of important life skills during his years as a student athlete. “I’ve learned the importance of teamwork and hard work. I think whether I further my career in the MLB or get another job, those qualities well help me be successful,” he added. Once his time playing baseball is up, Hrbek noted that he wants to get his masters to become a consultant.
On the rare occurrence that he’s not busy with schoolwork or baseball, Hrbek enjoys hanging out with his family and friends, and trying his hand at other sports. You can often find him and his teammates shooting hoops on the Radford court after a team lift.
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