From T-ball to collegiate baseball, every piece of senior left outfielder Riley Bishop’s game holds a piece of himself.

His Coppell jersey, No. 11, pays homage to former Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish and his beginnings in the sport. Living in Maryland as a child, he started playing baseball because of his father, Justin Bishop, who is a lifelong Rangers fan.

“It was something that me and my dad were both interested in, so it was something that we could do together,” Riley said. “That’s what made it fun initially, and the nature of the sport kept me going.”

After 13 years of pursuing his passion, Riley is now committed to play NAIA baseball for the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.

“The dream is to go to the MLB and beyond high school,” Riley said. “To actually take a step past high school baseball is basically a dream come true.”

Behind the scenes, Riley’s biggest supporters are his family. From the beginning, mother Ashley Bishop always had a feeling that her son would make it to the collegiate level of baseball due to his dedication and mindset.

“Being able to go to a college where he can further his education and play baseball is a gift in itself, so I hope that he just gets to enjoy playing,” Ms. Ashley said. “If something becomes of it, great. If not, I just want him to be able to play the sport that he loves for as long as he can.”

His progression through the sport has not been without hardships. Starting on JV2 as a freshman, Riley’s mentality was often his largest obstacle in improving his skills.

“When you get out seven out of the 10 times but you go back up to the plate, that is amazing,” Riley said. “It’s hard to see those seven times and to tell yourself that it is OK that you failed.”

Even when making varsity as a junior, he faced another challenge: his preferred position as a catcher was already occupied. Rather than letting that limit his playing time however, he made the decision to adopt a new position.

“Riley took it upon himself because of how much he wanted to be in the lineup and how much he wanted to hit for us, and he said that he’d play left field for us,” Coppell baseball coach Armando Garza said. “He took on a brand new position, which is extremely difficult especially at this level, and he did it very well.”

Adversity and frustration is where Riley cemented his style of play: quieting his mind. Contrasting from how many athletes attempt to fire themselves up before a game, Riley listens to laid back R&B artist Daniel Caesar and relaxes himself.

“I don’t feel like I play my best when I am angry,” Riley said. “It’s different for a lot of people but if I listen to hard rap or the things that people listen to to get going, I don’t play as well.”

Riley’s progression through baseball has not been without obstacles, but his collected, persistent drive never falters. With purpose behind every ball he catches and every bat he swings, he continues on to the next level as a Eutectic.

“He’s driven, he knows what he wants, and he goes out and gets it,” Garza said.

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