Had a good week during districts. I went 4-8 at the plate with a double and 3 RBI’s. Also went 7-7 in the field with 2 double plays. Looking forward to the first round of regionals on Wednesday! @FlatgroundBats
Had a good last week of regular season, at the plate I went 8-18 with 2 doubles, a home run and 11 RBI’s. Looking forward to making a run in playoffs! @FlatgroundBats
Team played another good weak of baseball, we went 3-0 on the weak against some good competition. I was .357 on the week with a .400 OBP, I had 1 double and 3 RBI’s.@FlatgroundBats
Had another solid week of baseball, team played great and went 5-1. After starting the week off slow, I finished well and was 6-17(.353) with 7 RBI’s, also played well in the field and had 4 double plays. @FlatgroundBats
Played some good baseball this past week. Through 7 games, I hit .304 with a .393 OBP. I used all parts of the field well and had 2 doubles in the left center gap. Also played good defense. I was 16/16 and had 2 double plays.@FlatgroundBats
Team had a good showing against Hudsonville today, we won the first game with an 8 run come back, then tied the second game. At the plate I was 2-6 with 3 RBI’s, a single and a double. Also had 5 total chances in the field and had zero errors.@FlatgroundBats
Team had a good showing in our first conference games this season against Kalamazoo central. We won both games 10-2, and 6-1. Throughout the series I was 3-4 with a triple, 2 singles, and 2 RBI’s along with a sac bunt.@ColdWeatherBats@CoachDCoop2@PrepBaseballMI@UBAuncommitted
Played 2 games at Novi today, unfortunately lost the first one, but came back to win the second. At the plate for the day I was 1-3 with a double, 2 walks, and a sac bunt.
@romsekpeter@Jared_Fry123@Brandonevans3_@CoachLuke5
Split the series to Rockford for our season opener, here are my stats for the series
1st game: L 8-3
1/3 at the plate
1 put out playing second base
2nd game: W 2-1
3/3 at the plate with a go ahead 2 rbi single
1 putout playing second base and a double play
@UBAuncommitted
When you look up my name, Izen Tsitsos, you will find some things about me. I play baseball. I go to Centreville High School. You may also come across an article written about me when I was 13 that talks about my medical history.
When I was 11 years old, I was hospitalized for four months and diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM). This disease causes muscle breakdown and inflammation faster than the body can recover. While it is treatable, it is not curable, and it can quickly take childhood away from kids. It can take their ability to walk, run, and in extreme cases, even swallow.
That article shows how I managed life with this disease, but it does not show the mental side of the battle. The sleepless nights. The constant headaches. Getting sick from treatments. Missing over 30 days of school in one semester during my 8th grade year.
Between the ages of 11 and 13, I went through 8 rounds of chemotherapy, 30 IV treatments that lasted 8 to 9 hours each, and countless hours of physical therapy just to regain the ability to walk and eventually throw again.
There were plenty of times where I could have listened to the doctors, accepted the limits placed on me, and given up on the goals I had. Instead, I put my head down and kept working. Ever since I can remember, all I have wanted to do was play baseball at a high level. Through everything, I kept showing up, working out, sticking to my throwing plan, eating right, and doing the small things every day. I am no stranger to hardship, and because of that, I work harder than most.
At 15 years old, as a sophomore, I helped lead my team to a regional finals. That moment meant more to me than most people will ever know because there was a time I did not know if I would walk or throw again.
Now, at 16 years old, I am officially in remission. No more inflammatory markers. No more medication. Just back to grinding and playing baseball.
I am writing this to show people that you are more than your medical condition. People do not realize how much of a gift hard work is until it is taken from you. Waking up early, lifting, and going to throw instead of hanging out is not something I take for granted.
I am more than my diagnosis. I am a hard worker, a team first player, and someone who is grateful every single day for the opportunity to compete.