On Sunday, Saint Louis alumnus and Ewa Beach native Caleb Lomavita was in his hometown helping with Tyson Ross’ free “Loyal to My Soil” camp.
Keiki of all ages were present at Campbell High School’s baseball and softball field, getting a glimpse of Lomavita and learning from him, along with former major leaguers such as Ross and Brandon League.
All the latest sports news from Hawaii’s sports station
It wasn’t long ago that Lomavita was a youth himself looking up to the pros above him. His first step in joining them in three weeks away at the first day of the 2024 MLB Draft on July 14.
“I still feel like a five year old,” Lomavita said. “I mean, I’m playing baseball. I’m playing the game that I love. And I didn’t stop since I was five, so it doesn’t it didn’t feel like too far away.
“I remember just like yesterday, I was I was putting on my Ewa Beach All-Star uniform, strapping up and getting ready for those little league games. You take it a day at a time. And then when you step back and you finally look at the bigger picture, you’re like, ‘Wow, I’ve come so far.’ So, I made sure that when I get back home that I’m going to inspire these little kids strive for their dreams.”
With the majority of campers young and new to the game, Lomavita aimed to keep his advice to them simple on Sunday.
“If they really love baseball, keep up the work ethic and listen to their parents. All you can do is make sure that you do the right things to create a good image of your parents and the people you’ve been around and your community,” Lomavita said. “So, I try to make sure that I’m respectful, I’m humble and disciplined every single day because I know that the people that raise me try to raise me right and always had a good heart. I’m going to try to make them proud.”