Gallery • 3 Photos

Peralta practices his swing in preparation for a scrimmage against Saint Francis Preparatory School.

He gets up to bat, the sweat nearly dripping from his brow bone. His eyes focus immensely on the ball, and his mind is completely unoccupied. The stress of school, the stress of family and college; they all float away. What matters right now is finishing his swing and proving to his coach that his years spent on varsity have paid off.

During his final senior year at Francis Lewis, Sebastian “Sebby” Peralta is helping to lead the Francis Lewis baseball team alongside his friends and fellow captains.

“I’ve been playing baseball for the past 10 years,” Peralta said. “Baseball has impacted my life in a positive way by showing me that there’s more than just waking up, going to school, doing homework, eating, sleeping and restarting the process 5 days a week. It has shown a side of me I never knew I had; passion and dedication to play a game that people think is just a bat and a ball.”

Playing and practicing six times a week, Peralta endures and faces the stress that many fellow student athletes experience.

“Some struggles that I face balancing baseball and school, is that with baseball we practice everyday for 3 hours,” Peralta explained. “When we get home from practices or games, you most likely have homework, but not the energy to do it. But, we have to do everything in our power to keep our grades up so that we’re eligible to play. Being on a team means we have to manage our time wisely.”

Family is also important to Peralta’s success, as his mother, father and sister are all supportive of him.

“My mom pushes me with my school work, and my dad pushes me to never give up whenever it gets hard in life,” said Peralta. 

Baseball was part of his family life as well, with Peralta teaching his younger sister how to play.

“Growing up she would go to the backyard and practice baseball with me,” Peralta said. “I taught her how to throw a baseball and I would have her pitch to me so I could work on making contact with the ball. She’s always there for me whenever I need her. My sister is everything to me.”

Sebastian’s love for baseball also helped him develop friendships on the field, even with people who were not on his team.

“It’s great to be around someone with such positive vibes and such a passion for baseball,” said Alyssa Baez, a freshman on the varsity softball team. “Every time one of us are really upset about a game or a play we give each other a motivational talk. He is always motivating me and never lets me get down on myself.”

Being on a team means absolute hard work and dedication, and despite everything, Peralta said he’s managed to make it worth his while. His relationships with his teammates have developed over the years, bettering him as a player and a person.

“My teammates impacted my life because no matter what happens during the games they always have my back,” Peralta said. “In practice they always have positive mindsets about the game and that’s what a team needs. First they started as my teammates, but now I call them my family.”

Over 5000 people – including students, teachers, staff, and administrators – are part of the Francis Lewis High School community. One in 5000 is a series that delves into the individual stories of the people in our community.