Gabriel Vasquez showed what Texas Southern University is made of Thursday evening at Truist Park during the Minority Baseball Prospects HBCU Home Run Derby. The Dallas, Texas native finished with six home runs on 10 pitches in the final round to win.
After leading in all three rounds, one additional round was granted to both players after ending the final round tied. Vasquez, a left-handed hitter, found his spot in right field (the Chophouse) which proved to work in his favor.
“As a little kid, I dreamed of hitting and playing on this field and being in the home run derby and I finally got the chance and took advantage of it,” said Vasquez on winning the home run derby.
Vasquez, who is a junior at Texas Southern, did not expect to get invited to the showcase but is glad he was able to show off his skills.
“I wasn’t expecting it for me and when I did, it was awesome,” Vasquez said. “Knowing that I was able to do this at Truist made it even better.”
With the showcase being at Truist Park for the first time, many players enjoyed getting the opportunity of a lifetime to play on a Major League Baseball field. For Vasquez, he is not taking it for granted and believes showcases like this will help other players just like him.
“[Being] given this platform and opportunity to show what we can do is awesome,” said Vasquez. “Being able to network with guys who have been here before is unbelievable.”
Vasquez is not done showcasing his skills as he will play in the All-Star game Friday night at 7 p.m.