Baseball and family are two things Preston Kutej loves. Being named a starter for the Southmoore baseball team as a freshman and now as a sophomore is an accomplishment he is proud of, but his goals are larger than just making the lineup. 

“I have a couple of goals for this season for Southmoore to come together as a team and have a winning record and make it far in the regionals and hopefully make state. I also have a few personal goals as a .300 batting average and 15 stolen bases,” said Kutej. 

Coming into the season, Kutej said he has worked on being a better teammate. 

“One of my strengths is I’m able to do a lot on the offense side as in I can lay down a bunt and get on base or I can hit a single or a double to the outfield. I would say I have improved on being a better teammate doing the things for the team instead of worrying about personal success,” said Kutej. 

Kutej said being on the team is special and he’s thankful for his teammates.

“A teammate I have been impressed with is Kasen Rinehart and some of the other seniors has helped me with baseball and just how to be a better teammate,” Kutej said. “What I love most about my teammates is they are always there to pick you up when you are having a bad day and they will not judge you they will just help you.” 

Family is important to the sophomore as well and several members hold a special place in the life of the young baseball player. 

“Who inspires me the most is my mom and my maw-maw, they make sure I always have my baseball equipment; they always make sure I have food in my stomach and something to drink. They also make sure I have a roof over my head, they are really supportive, and I couldn’t have got this far without them,” said Kutej. 

Looking beyond the season, Kutej hopes to land a baseball scholarship or possibly work towards a career as a chiropractor.