By Jonathan Kaner ’18 & Alex Reiner ’18

They call him “The Horse.” He battles to win every pitch, every inning, every game. He is a competitive and diligent athlete who will not stop until he succeeds. New to the Wreckers, Harry Azadian ’19 looks to make a big impact on the already skilled Staples baseball team.

“Baseball is my passion and it has shaped who I am as a person because it taught me how to work hard for something I want,” Azadian said.

Since the age of four, it has been Azadian’s passion to be a baseball player. “My brother Zack inspired me to be a baseball player since he has worked so hard in his baseball career,” he said. “He has always worked so hard at baseball, so I thought I would too.”

Azadian’s rise to fame began in the summer of 2013, when he helped lead the Westport District team to the United States Finals in the Little League World Series (LLWS). He was part of a dynamic duo on the mound, accompanied by Chad Knight ’19, and was the team’s powerful cleanup hitter.

“Harry is an incredible player and an even better teammate,” Knight said. “He was a natural leader on and off the field, and someone our entire team looked up to that entire summer.”

Azadian took his talents to Fairfield Country Day, where he spent eighth and ninth grade to help mature and further improve his game. “It was tough to leave all of my friends at Staples, but it was something I had to do for baseball, and more importantly, academically,” Azadian said.

Azadian hopes to find the same success at Staples as he did during the LLWS, as head coach Jack McFarland is excited for Azadian to join the roster this spring. “Harry brings great enthusiasm [and is a] high character kid who wants to play at a high level,” McFarland said.

Azadian is not scared to take his baseball career to the next level, nor is he intimidated by the competitive nature of Staples baseball. “I’m not expecting anything out of myself,” he said. “I’m just making sure I keep my head down and work as hard as possible.”

McFarland sees Azadian contributing both at the plate and on the mound. Despite not playing an inning of varsity baseball at Staples yet, McFarland expects Azadian to have opportunities to succeed at both areas.

Staples is expected to be a championship contending team this year with Division 1 athletes throughout the roster. “There is a lot of talent on varsity this year between our pitching staff and deep infield,” Azadian said. “I’m expecting big things from our team this year.”

To Azadian, baseball is so much more than a sport. “My goal for my baseball career is to play as long as I can. I couldn’t imagine myself without it,” he said.