MISSOULA — The Missoula Osprey picked up yet another Pioneer League Baseball win at home against the Orem Owlz on Saturday.
With Idaho Falls losing, Missoula is now in a tie for first place. While baseball is clearly a team sport, a lot of the success this year can be attributed to the youngest guy on the team.
“It’s hard, but if you take the time you’ll be better every day. Everything is not easy; you just have to keep pushing and pushing and you’ll get everything,” said Missoula’s Liover Peguero.
Peguero has played in just 20 games in a Missoula Osprey uniform, but through those games, he’s proven to be one of the key pieces for this year’s first-place run.
Peguero is batting .380 with 30 hits in 79 plate appearances and currently is the second-best hitter in the Pioneer League. And he’s just 18 years old.
“It’s not easy when you are a younger guy in front of the older guys, who are 20 years old, 21. He was like, ‘Oh my God, who are you, bro?’ And I was like, ‘Hey, what’s up, man?’ But just keep playing baseball and don’t think too much,” said Peguero.
In his first year in the minors in 2018, Peguero struggled at the plate but has clearly figured it out in 2019.
“Last year I was thinking too much when I would miss or something. So, I think why I’m better right now, I don’t think too much if I miss, if I do something wrong. I’m just trying to forget this, and do it again and do it again. Just keep trying, I’ve got this, just keep trying, bro,” said Peguero.
And Peguero hasn’t been too shabby in the field either. He’s started all 20 games at shortstop and has just two errors with a .973 fielding percentage.
“This is my right position. Every time in Little League my favorite position every freaking day, ‘You know what? We’re going to play this game, I want to be shortstop. You know what? We’re going to play this game, I want to be shortstop.’ And they’re just like, ‘OK, OK, keep it there, bro,’” said Peguero.
Not many players who perform at this level stick around Rookie Ball too long, but for now No. 10 is just happy that he’s got an opportunity at all.
“I’m so excited to be here, because I believe in me and I know what I can do. I am just trying to keep my head up, just keep pushing. I feel so amazing here, so I’m excited, bro,” said Peguero.
