For Broken Arrow High School’s Brody Tedesco, baseball is more than a spring pastime. It is where the senior corner infielder and right-handed pitcher has learned how to handle adversity, lean on his teammates and chase a standard that extends far beyond the foul lines.

Tedesco plays first base, third base and works on the mound, giving the Tigers a versatile presence who can impact the game in multiple ways. Helping Broken Arrow reach the state tournament last season stands as the accomplishment he is most proud of, and it reinforced what it takes to compete deep into May. “My sport has helped me learn how to overcome really tough situations,” Tedesco said. “How to really work as a team and do my part to help the team achieve the end goal.”

Classroom influences have mattered just as much. Tedesco points to his 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Jones, as his favorite. “She helped me a lot with any problems that I had, and she helped me whenever I was struggling in her class,” he said. At home, his mom sets the example he tries to follow every day. “My mom inspires me to become a better person every day because she has raised me and I see how hard she works,” Tedesco said. “I wish I had the work ethic that she has.”

On the field, former teammate Johnathan Wilson left the biggest impression. “He was one of my best friends when we used to play,” Tedesco said. “He was the first person that I felt like I could call a brother and a best friend.” Representing Broken Arrow, he said, means “maintaining and going beyond the standard that our coaches have for us” and encouraging others to do the same.

He still leans on advice from coach Wilhite, who told him during a sophomore-year slump not to overhaul his swing, only to fix his timing. Tedesco, who grew up admiring former Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant, said he wants to thank his parents, teammates and coaches for helping him become the player and person he is today.