Though sophomore Surya Kumaraguru was recently pulled up to varsity, his walk-off single and strong pitching contributed to the Matador’s first league win against Milpitas High School on April 7. Kumaraguru started playing baseball at age five for a farm team, and despite not playing well at first, he improved and eventually played for the championship-winning San Jose Bulldogs before joining MVHS’ team.  

El Estoque: What has this season been like for you?

Sophomore Surya Kumaraguru: I was on varsity in the beginning, then I got moved back down, and now I’m back up. I’ve witnessed both winning and losing with both teams. Both teams have been awesome and fun to play with.

EE: How do the JV and varsity teams compare to one another?

Kumaraguru: JV is a more relaxed, there isn’t much tension, while varsity is more clean and has much faster-paced games. It’s a lot harder to adapt at first, but with a little practice you can do it.

EE: What’s your favorite memory of this season so far?

Kumaraguru: Definitely the walk-off hit this week. It was the second walk-off hit of my Monta Vista career, but this one meant a lot more because it was our first league win.

 EE: What are you looking forward to for the remainder of the season?

Kumaraguru: All the losses have not been much fun, so I look forward to turning it around. There’s lots and lots of talent on both varsity and JV.

 EE: What advice can you offer to incoming baseball players?

Kumaraguru: Don’t be afraid. Everyone here will help you, just ask — from seniors to freshman, anyone can help. Just don’t be afraid to join.

 The next home game is on April 21 against Los Altos High School.