Small, pitted dents litter the end cap of Gautam Chawla ’20’s bat, numbering the times it has hit the packed infield dirt. From a foam bat to a Louisville composite, Chawla has turned his childhood pastime into a decade-long journey.

“I started because my dad had some foam bats and balls lying around the house. … My parents are supportive in pretty much everything I do, [but] it was mostly my coaches who encouraged me to start practicing on my own and taking lessons,” Chawla said.

Even with the support of his parents and coaches, Chawla had to work hard to rise to the top. Smaller and weaker than most of his teammates, Chawla’s stature proved an inherent disadvantage, yet set the stage for a career defined by perseverance and hard work. By pushing himself to lift weights and practice his sprints, Chawla increased his strength and built endurance to improve his on-field performance.

“I realized that although talent can take you far, unless you’re some naturally born Olympic athlete, … if you want to continue to be a competitive player, you’re going to have to put in some work,” Chawla said.

With hard work came success, and with success came increased pressure. Chawla’s increased responsibility prompted an increased focus on the scores, leading to disappointment when not every game ended with a victory. This unhealthy mindset led him to get distracted from the present, but Chawla has been able to mature and reflect upon himself to stay grounded in the moment.

“I used to be very emotional playing baseball, mainly because you have very few opportunities to contribute, at least on offense, and it is important to make the most of them. But over the years I realized that I focused too much on what couldn’t be changed, and I try to focus on the current play,” Chawla said.

Applying what he learned from playing competitive baseball to PHS, Chawla proved to be a valuable player, and was the only underclassman to make the varsity team during his sophomore year. Being one of the younger players on the team, Chawla initially wasn’t given many opportunities to play, but over time Head Coach Dominic Capuano has seen him develop his leadership skills as one of the team’s co-captains.

“Right away, you saw a kid who was just special. … He's always had the talent. He was always very passionate and committed and I think it's only grown since his freshman year now,” said Capuano. “Last year he really evolved into an important role player on the team, … and then this year, he took the captain's lead.”

Organizing summer workouts and offseason training, Chawla emphasizes the importance of conditioning and dedication to consistent self-improvement. On the flip side, Chawla also recognizes the importance of team bonding as baseball requires close coordination between all positions and roles. By holding team activities, like the traditional dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, Chawla hopes to instill the importance of teamwork and being a team player.

“It's really fun [having] him [as] the captain — [he] likes to make sure we're doing what we need to do so [we] can be a better team,” said teammate Aiden Castillo ’22. “Not just skills-wise a better team, but also being together [and] having those bonds and relationships with each other.”

After all of the time and effort he has dedicated toward growing PHS’s baseball team, Chawla plans to continue his baseball career in the fall at the California Institute of Technology, where he can enjoy and improve at the sport he started at such a young age.

“Ultimately, if you don’t enjoy what you do, is there a point in doing it?” said Chawla. “I think the biggest thing with baseball is just enjoying the game.”