Bases are loaded. One ball, no strikes. One run separates the two teams in

the eighth inning of the season opener.

He stands over the plate, armed with his perfectly poised bat and hungry

for contact. Converting his energy into motion, he swings his aluminum

weapon as if an extension of his body. Unwinding like a coiled spring he

unloads his force on the speeding ball, sending it screaming into deep left

field.

As he follows his three teammates around the bases to the chants of

“Welcome back Sonny,” he can’t help but smile. He hit a grand slam home

run.

Last weekend at the ACC/Disney Baseball Blast, the University of Tennessee

men’s baseball team swung into action sparked by the force of senior Sonny

Cortez’s bat. Before Friday’s eighth-inning explosion had ceased, and while

the thrill of his grand slam still radiated through his body, Cortez

stepped to the plate again. The elated slugger launched another rocket over

the fence to bring in three more runs and secure the Big Orange lead in

Friday’s win over North Carolina State.

“There is an incredible adrenaline rush when you see the ball clear the

fence and hear the roar of the crowd. It’s one of the greatest feelings in

baseball,” Cortez said.

The Long Beach, Calif., native must have felt pretty good as he punctuated

the Vols’ inaugural tournament with four home runs and 12 RBIs, hitting

.538 for the weekend. Highlighting his triumphant return to the diamond was

the presence of his parents, who flew in from California to cheer him on

from the stands.

The slugger explains his success simply.

“The name of the game is seeing the ball and hitting it hard,” Cortez

said.

But when the ball cuts through the air at an average speed of 80 mph,

making contact is no easy task. It is the hours of grueling practice Cortez

diligently endures that makes him a ballplayer.

“I worked really hard in my off-season,” Cortez said. “This weekend was a

product of the constant training.”

Sidelined last season with a broken right hand, Cortez has been

long-anticipating his first step to the plate. Though he had not played in

a game since May 1996, Cortez certainly made his presence felt in his

spirited comeback performance.

“I got really hungry to play,” Cortez said. “It was like being caged up

like an animal, so when my chance came I took advantage of it.”

The thunderous swings and reliable glove of the right fielder were missed

and all were eager to welcome him back to the line up.

“We missed him tremendously both on the field and off,” head coach Rod

Delmonico said. “He is a great leader in the dugout as well as a fine

defensive player.”

Already proving his worth, Cortez promises to be a player to watch in the

1998 season. After igniting an impressive hitting display in the Sunshine

State, some may come to expect such flawlessness with every trip to the

plate.

“I have to stay even keel. It is impossible to hit that well every

weekend,” Cortez said.

Delmonico, who avoids placing expectations on his players, just wants to

see Cortez exceed his own goals. While he knows that Cortez won’t be

hitting .500 every weekend, the coach is confident that he will continue to

be a force at the plate and in the field.

“He is our best hitter and has tremendous strength,” Delmonico said. “He

just wants to win and will do whatever it takes.”

Cortez has come a long way since his first days on the diamond. The 6-1,

212 lb. slugger first put on the pinstripes when he was 12 years old.

“I couldn’t throw or field well,” he said. “I struck out all the

time.”

Though discouraged, the young Cortez did not hang up his cleats and

eventually turned the strikeouts into home runs.

Like most little boys who stand in the outfield with slumped shoulders and

peek out from behind the brims of their oversized Little League caps,

Cortez had dreams of playing in the major leagues. For most, the fantasy

stays inside the neighborhood ballpark. Cortez, however, has converted his

aspirations into attainable goals and every ball he cranks over the fence

takes him closer to realizing his dreams.

“Sonny is one of our hardest workers and respects the game and plays it the

way it should be played,” Delmonico said.

While he remains focused on daily training and preparation, Cortez does

have hopes for a trip to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series and,

ultimately, a chance to play professional baseball. For the time being,

however, Cortez is happy to step up to bat for Tennessee and flex his Big

Orange muscles.

“It feels really good to be back in a Vol uniform,” Cortez said.