Cody Schrier has been playing baseball for so much of his life, he doesn’t quite remember when he got started. But he knows that he discovered his love for the game by watching his two older brothers play. A sport often associated with failure, Schrier uses baseball to learn how to best respond to adversity.
“In baseball, you’re going to struggle a lot, but you’ve got to keep working and bounce back,” says the San Clemente resident. “It’s not going to be the last time you fail. Learn from it and get better.”
A sophomore infielder and two-year varsity player at JSerra Catholic High School, Schrier spent last summer representing the USA Baseball 15U National Team in the 2018 U-15 Baseball World Cup held in Panama. After defeating the host country for the gold medal, Schrier, who played shortstop for the U.S., was named MVP of the tournament. He has verbally committed to play baseball for USC.
“Cody is wise and mature beyond his years,” says JSerra head baseball coach, Brett Kay. “He has grown exponentially at JSerra, and to see his leadership and growth this year has been incredible. He has taken on the role of a team leader and plays the game by example. He’s humble about his play and only wants the team to win, regardless of his personal success.”
Schrier’s goals for this year’s Lions squad are to come out on top in the Trinity League and win a CIF-SS title. Despite the tough competition across the SoCal high school baseball landscape, the 16-year-old is confident in his teammates and their abilities.
“Those are big goals,” says Schrier, “but I think we can accomplish it if we work together and do our thing.”
Schrier has played on a number of travel teams over his baseball career, but nothing compares to being with his JSerra teammates day in and day out.
“It’s fun, and I like being with my teammates all the time and getting better with them every day,” says Schrier. “It’s a lot of struggles sometimes, but I like to bounce back and keep working hard.”
Away from the baseball diamond, Schrier has served his community for a number of years through Lion’s Heart, a teen volunteer service organization. His time thus far at JSerra has not only allowed him to grow in his baseball skills, but also in his faith.
“It really has made me see that faith is a bigger deal than I thought,” says Schrier. “If I’m going through hard times, I’ll sit and pray, and I feel like it’s really helped me.”
Schrier’s most significant role model is his father, who has invested in all aspects of his growth as a baseball player and a person.
“He’s put countless hours and money into everything to help me,” says Schrier. “Any time I need to talk to someone, I can go to him with anything.”