Aarav Borthakur (’25) grips the baseball bat, eyes fixed on the pitcher. The field feels alive with the energy of his teammates, a tight-knit group ready to rally behind him. This isn’t just a game; it’s where he found a new kind of belonging.

Growing up in a cricket-oriented family, Aarav always enjoyed watching cricket and began playing at a young age. But once he entered high school, he wanted to try something new. That led Aarav to baseball, where he quickly discovered the power of close bonds forged through shared effort.

Playing on the baseball team felt very different from his past sports experiences. Aarav found the chemistry among teammates much stronger, which helped him embrace the new game.

“I played in a lot of team sports in the past, but our baseball team is the closest group we have,” Aarav said. “Even though it was really difficult in ninth grade, I really liked how close the team was. Even though we’ve got all sorts of people from different friend groups, it feels like we’re a family.”

The similarities between cricket and baseball initially drew Aarav to the sport. However, he quickly realized baseball offered something unique in its team dynamics, especially during offensive plays, where everyone has a role even when not directly on the field.

“Baseball is more of a team sport on the offensive side, whereas in cricket, it’s more like there are two people in the middle, and the other players are not doing anything,” Aarav said. “That’s a big difference, and that’s something I actually enjoyed a lot, because in cricket if you’re not batting, you’re just completely static.”

Switching from cricket to baseball wasn’t easy for Aarav. The mechanics of throwing are very different, and relearning his form led to repeated injuries that challenged his ability to play.

“I’ve had a lot of arm injuries, and my elbows have been really messed up,” Aarav said. “It’s been a whole three-year journey trying to fix my throwing form to keep my elbows from snapping every time I throw. It’s had some major limitations on how well I can play defense, because if I throw too much on any day, it’ll start to hurt a lot.”

Despite those physical setbacks, Aarav never lost his interest for the game or the camaraderie it created. Senior night was a memorable highlight, when the entire team felt supported by a large crowd even on an unfamiliar field.

“A lot of people had come to watch the game, and it was on a different field, so to see all these people come meant a lot to us,” Aarav said. “Every time someone would strike out on the other team, we’d smack the gong and all yell, which was great because it was the first time we had a cool crowd behind our game. It was our seniors’ last time playing so it was pretty emotional as well.”

Aarav’s longtime friend, Ruhan Sahasi (’25), watched him grow not only as an athlete but also as a person. Their friendship deepened over years of shared experiences both on and off the field.

“We were going to some event in middle school, and we dressed up in suits,” Ruhan said. “It was the most mismatched outfit combination I’ve ever seen. We’ve changed so much both physically and mentally since then.”

That growth extends into the classroom, where Aarav’s social confidence and leadership have flourished. Computer science teacher Anu Datar observed his transformation from a quiet student to someone who connects deeply with peers through similar interests.

“Because he’s so outgoing, he formed a lot of deep relationships,” Datar said. “All of these kids, they had a lot of shared passions together, and so they fed off of each other’s energy, and they’re forever motivating each other. There are definitely moments during class that I will never forget for my entire life.”