<\/strong>Javier \u201cJay\u201d Benavides is a person who anytime the topic of baseball is brought up, is all ears and his love for the game shines through his radiant smile. Whether he\u2019s talking about his favorite Houston Astros or his new team the Javelinas, it is clear Benavides was born to play baseball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy love for baseball started at a young age when I played little league baseball. The rush I get from playing baseball is like no other, and it is something I am very passionate about,\u201d Jay said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout middle school and high school, Jay played for head baseball coach Charles Hinkel. \u201cThe first time I saw glimpses of elite play out of Jay was in the seventh grade when he crushed a double in the gap that hopped the wall,\u201d the coach said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Jay\u2019s senior year, he helped lead his team as the senior captain to the UIL area competition. \u201cHe got hot with the bat and was great defensively behind the plate. When you have players that can do that during big games, especially a senior captain, it becomes contagious and others start to follow,\u201d Hinkel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following his senior season, at a showcase at the beginning of the summer, a Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) scout saw his potential as he was hot behind the bat and played well at his catcher position earning himself an offer from the university. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In only one short month of working out and practicing with the team, Benavides captured the attention of TAMUK\u2019s baseball Head Coach Jason Gonzales. \u201cJay is going to be a very good player as he has a strong arm, runs well as a catcher, has worked very hard in the weight room, and has a very high ceiling,\u201d the coach said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coach Gonzales believes that Jay is a young player with the tools to succeed. \u201cThe first thing you want to see as a catcher is a strong arm, and he\u2019s got that. I think he has a lot of self-confidence and those two combinations always provide an opportunity to excel at this game so we got to continue to take the talent that the good Lord gave him and continue to make it better,\u201d Coach Gonzales said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a strong young talent, Jay\u2019s expectations for himself in his first year on the team are high.\u201cEarning the starting catcher spot and contributing as much as possible while fulfilling my dream of being a starting catcher at the college level,\u201d he said of his goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n