WATSONVILLE—Baseball is more than a sport for Aaron Whitehouse. For the Monte Vista Christian senior, it’s become a way to keep his father’s memory alive.
Since his father’s passing his sophomore year, Whitehouse has been striving to flourish in the sport that was near and dear to his heart. On May 20, the Gilroy native said he finally accomplished that by signing his letter of intent with Doane College in Crete, Neb. at his school in Watsonville.
“I share the same passion for the game that my dad did,” Whitehouse said. “I’ve been keeping the same passion that he had and kind of playing for him. I’ve just kept going and (I’m) trying to make him proud.”
Whitehouse said he was 4 years old when his father first had him pick up a bat. Some of his earliest memories include going to Giants games with his dad. Whitehouse said his father supported him for as long as he could and he’s thrilled he can keep his memory alive through continuing his playing career.
“I was pretty happy that in four years, I finally did something to get noticed,” Whitehouse said. “I was pretty happy that my four years of hard work paid off.”
The senior pitcher/first baseman is joining a Tigers team that went 33-5 overall last season. Doane is a high-caliber program that won a conference championship and qualified for the national tournament in 2014, but Whitehouse isn’t intimidated. Instead, he said he feels prepared thanks to the coaching he’s gotten at MVC through Devin Kleffer on JV and Don Keathley on varsity.
“Both of them really helped me grow, not only as a player but as a person,” Whitehouse said. “They taught me a whole bunch about showing respect for the game and showing respect for the other team and how to play the right way.”
The Crete, Neb. campus is almost 1,700 miles northeast of Gilroy and features harsh winter weather not found in the Garlic Capital. The distance and weather are not deterring Whitehouse, however. He said he can’t wait to start pursuing a degree in business administration, be close to family members in Kansas City and continue his playing career.
“I really love playing with my high school, so I’m really looking for a good family base like that and that college experience,” Whitehouse said of joining Doane’s Tigers team. “(It’s nice to) not only go to school there, but be able to play college baseball, too.”
