Why does Crockett pitcher Hunter Dement love the Texas Rangers so much? Hamilton, Darvish

All about Hunter: working his way to the dream

Tell something about you that most people don't know.

I have taught Sunday school for kids between 3 and 5 at my church with my mom and sister since I was 12 years old.

When you were just a little boy, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Growing up I would watch the Texas Rangers play. Watching Josh Hamilton and Yu Darvish play made me fall in love with baseball and I knew I wanted to be just like them.

What has been your favorite vacation?

My favorite vacation was when my family and went to Cozumel, Mexico. It was memorable because I was able to enjoy Mexico with my cousins and grandpa who I don’t get to see all the time.

First, some baseball. Then, karaoke.

What has been your favorite baseball memory in high school?

My favorite memory is our away game bus rides. We bring a speaker on the bus and do karaoke or freestyle.

Do you have any baseball game-day rituals?

Before every game I take a knee and pray to God because without Him I would not have gotten this far.

Which school would you say is your biggest rival?

Our biggest rival is LASA. They are a solid baseball team that has pushed us to get better every single year.

Tell something about the first competitive game you ever played.

My first competitive game was when I was 7. I played out at Manchaca (Optimist Youth Sports) for the Rangers. I remember my whole family was in the stands cheering and hollering for me. I was put on my first select team with a bunch of people I did not know but they all ended up being my lifelong friends today.

If you could see a game in any MLB stadium, where would you go?

I would go to the Giants Stadium (Oracle Park in San Francisco) because of the energy of the fans, the stadium and the river behind right field.

More:Austin area provides many All-State soccer players

Dream dinner: make room for all the animals

If you could have dinner with any four people in the history of the world, who would they be?

I'm going to say Josh Hamilton, Steve Irwin, Albert Einstein and Kobe Bryant.

Why did you choose Steve Irwin?

I picked Steve Irwin because I think it’s very intriguing how involved he was with animals. I love animals and marine life. If he were still here I think it would be awesome to have a conversation with him.

— Rick Cantu

Some of our other Faces off the field

Other Austin-area baseball players we've interviewed: Hendrickson OF James Lee, Bowie P Cole Miller, McCallum P/OF Nathan Nagy

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Faces off the field: Hunter Dement, Crockett senior pitcher