“I felt like I was on top of the world,” said Joshua Torres, a University of California, Riverside (UCR) baseball pitcher who was recently named Student-Athlete of the Week. From battling an arm injury to emerging as one of UCR’s most phenomenal athletes, Torres’ journey hasn’t been a straight shot down the middle. It’s been a long journey defined by hard work, dedication, consistency and doing what it takes to be the best of the best.
The recognition comes from Torres’ successful performance against California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). The Highlanders played CSULB on the road on April 17, where Torres delivered seven strong innings with three hits and one run, while recording seven strikeouts and issuing just two walks. This marked a career high for Torres on both the innings pitched and strikeouts, which helped carry the Highlanders to victory that Friday.
When asked what fueled his performance, Torres credited his strength coach, Thomas Nichols, for helping him prepare in the moments leading up to the game.
“He got me right,” said Torres. “We did a little workout before we headed down to Long Beach, and I think that’s what prepared me to get in the right mindset.” He also emphasized the role of confidence in athletic performance: “When I go out there, I know I’m going to dominate.”
Before he plays, Torres does his stretching routine, listens to music, draws a line down the middle of the mound before a pitch, bows his head in prayer and asks for confidence, faith and protection for everyone on the field. During the game his setup stays the same, having his water bottle to his left and glove and hat to his right. From there it’s just tunnel vision.
His journey at UCR has been an exciting experience for him. Torres expressed, “If I had one word to describe the season, I would probably say growth.” His season didn’t start off the way he wanted, but that didn’t stop him and his teammates from taking care of business.
“I think a lot of us have learned to grow with the game and grow with each other and grow with our coaches, and I think that’s what’s led us to being so successful recently,” Torres explained.
That chemistry has been a key factor in both his motivation and success. He described the team as “one big family.” Every time he goes out to the field to pitch and comes back, regardless of the performance, his teammates are there to cheer him up. For Torres, family is what truly brings it home.
With four games left in the season, Torres is looking forward to seeing how he and his team perform. Making the conference tournament and winning the rest of the series with his team are goals he has in mind.
