Ollie Kusiak

Our Athlete of the Week is Ollie Kusiak. This Creekside Middle School student is the “Bat Kid” for the Oakland Ballers' inaugural season. In addition to assisting players with their baseball bats, Ollie also helps the umpires by bringing out new baseballs.

“Being a Bat Kid for my favorite baseball team is a very great experience. I’m really part of the team.” Kusiak told the Forum.

Being the Bat Kid is also very tiring, he added. Even though he has a great view of the game, he’s in the dugout and must be ready for anything. Almost every at-bat, Kusiak runs out to get a foul ball or collect gear.. and you have to hustle, he says.

“It's about six baseballs used in an inning,” Kusiak said. “If you do the math, that is about 54 baseballs a game. You have to be ready to run out at all times because you never know when you will have to go out.

The Ballers play at Raimondi Park in West Oakland. This week, they are playing the Northern Colorado Owlz. Their next home game is on August 27, when they host the Idaho Falls Chukars for a six-game series.