By Chris Cox

Like a lot of kids, Hunter Wall got into sports because of his older brother.

“I’ve played baseball as long as I can remember,” Wall says. “I started with tee ball and then moved up to kid pitch where I played with my older brother (Wyatt). That was the real reason I got into baseball is because of him and I wanted to be like him.”

While Wyatt might have been the reason Hunter started playing baseball, the passion he developed for the game is what keeps the Grove shortstop and third baseman going today.

“I love the fact that it’s a one-on-one game at the plate but you have a team and coaches around to help you,” Wall says. “I also love that you can be in control but have people to rely on when you need help.”

Playing a sport like baseball, where errors are common and a .300 batting average is good, requires a lot of mental toughness. That’s something the Grove senior is trying to impress upon his teammates.

“When my teammates are down, or if I’m down, there’s always someone there to pick you up,” he says. “I’ve learned that I can pick people up not just with words but by playing and doing my job. I enjoy being that person that gets to help when a teammate strikes out or makes a bad play. I enjoy taking that role of picking them up.”

That embrace of leadership takes a good amount of character and that is something that Wall says he has been working on since he was young.

“Character is judged off who you are off the field, at practice, and in the classroom,” he says. “For me, it starts in the classroom and getting good grades. Besides that, I try to be polite no matter where I am and show my best self on and off the baseball field. Character is also about showing up, being there every day, going 120 percent all the time, and doing my job and what I’m asked to do at all times.”

After graduation, Hunter plans on attending college and playing baseball.

“I have a couple of offers right now,” he says. “I am going back and forth on those right now. After baseball I plan on becoming a pilot.”