Feb. 10, 2015
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Jenna Marina
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - When he's not at practice, in the weight room or showing up 15 minutes early to a communications class, don't be surprised to find senior James Vasquez in the kitchen.
The lefty infielder is always on the hunt for recipes of something new to try. He's not bad at improvising, either. His roommates, fellow Knights JoMarcos Woods and Erik Barber, are happy to serve as regular taste testers.
"I really like cooking," said Vasquez, who was happy to receive a crockpot this past Christmas. "I can cook anything. I think I make a pretty good pulled pork."
Does he have a future as America's next top chef? Perhaps. But for now, he's focused on his final season with the Knights.
Vasquez has been playing baseball since he was old enough to hit off a tee - accumulating 18 years' worth of countless hours spent in ballparks.
He belongs to a baseball family. His oldest brother played in high school. Two of his cousins played for smaller institutions and took part in the NCAA Division II College World Series.
Meanwhile, Vasquez became the first member of his family to sign with a Division I program, setting the example for his younger brother Jeremy, who is a freshman first baseman/outfielder at Florida.
Months ago, the brothers circled March 3 and 4 on their calendars. In back-to-back days, UCF and Florida will play a two-game, home-and-home series.
"My parents are excited," James said. "I'm just excited to see what they will wear."
Vasquez knew early on that he was destined to wear Black and Gold. He verbally committed to UCF as a sophomore in high school. Since beginning his collegiate career in 2012, he said the program and head coach Terry Rooney have shaped him into the man he is today.
"He influenced me to never be late, my work ethic. No matter how you are feeling, you have to show up every day," Vasquez said. "Coach Rooney is always pushing me to do something."
As one of 13 seniors on the team this year - the largest senior class among American Athletic Conference programs - Vasquez has big plans to make his final year as a Knight memorable.
They're off to a good start and the first pitch of the season won't be thrown until later this week. Baseball America announced in January that the Knights were ranked No. 22 in its preseason poll.
Vasquez hopes they can build off big moments like taking a series from Louisville in April last year - a series that he helped clinch with a three-run homer to cap the first game. It marked UCF's first ever series win at home over a Top 10 team.
"That feeling was pretty awesome. The taste of that, beating the team that was No. 9 in the nation at that time, we knew we were really good," he said. "Now that we have another year under our belt, we're just excited. I think we can go pretty far. Win the conference championship, go to regionals and get to our final destination."