Chase Christenson dreams of playing Major League baseball within the next 10 years. Of course, any kid who ever picked up a bat has that dream, but Christenson is one of very few who may be able to achieve just that.

A senior at Rio Americano High School, Christenson has been playing high school baseball since eighth grade, when he started practicing with the Raiders. But he says he’s been playing the game since he “could barely walk.” 

As he approaches one of the most important seasons for an athlete like him, he hopes to showcase his talent to colleges. But when asked about its importance, Chase showed no worries, but rather expressed more confidence in showing off even more this season than any other. “It fuels me to work harder and play harder, everyone will see what I’m made of,” he said.

Christenson has a clear vision of what he wants his career to be. He is a strong believer in determining his own destiny, even as he acknowledges the challenges ahead of him.

 “Everyday, the odds of an average kid to make it big and go far in baseball is slim,” he said. “However, I understand that even the people in the league right now thought the same thing at my age. So I try to balance having the right confidence in myself and also the awareness of the difficulty.” 

Confidence is key when it comes to fulfilling dreams. And Christenson isn’t lacking any confidence. 

Last year, Rio’s baseball team went the furthest in the playoffs that they ever have before. Although they came in as one of the lowest seeded teams after the regular season, they were continuously able to upset their higher rated opponents and put together a historic season. It’s no doubt that Christenson was a key piece in that playoff run being one of the captains of the team. Christenson commented on the improbable run and said, “I think it really showed the heart in this team to be able to go out and beat multiple teams that people said we never had a chance against.” Christenson definitely appreciated the rarity of the season he had his Junior year but was still optimistic about the upcoming season. 

Unfortunately, Covid has suppressed the opportunities for many high school athletes and has made the recruiting process completely different. For Christenson’s class, it feels that kids have to be double as good to even get noticed by a Division One college or university. 

Christenson certainly acknowledges that he’s going to have stress on him this season, but is still “just trying to enjoy the game.” For Christenson, baseball is his escape from all his stresses in life whether it be school, family, or anything else, going and hitting off a tee in his backyard is able to get his mind off of everything for an hour and reset his mind. He acknowledged the joy he has while playing and said, “Just being able to go out and play this game, with a group of people that I enjoy being around, honestly makes me enjoy waking up and going to school to be with them after.”

Christenson is going to have to work hard if he is going to succeed in his career, but the qualities he possesses make the seemingly impossible dreams of a high school kid become more believable.