by By Dan Ninham, contributing writer
Tahj Orona, 17, is Apache, Pueblo, Yaqui, Persian, and Kurdish. He is a senior at Chandler HS in AZ. He is also a left-handed pitcher on the baseball team.
“One of my main accomplishments is being a Native American dancer and singer,” said Tahj. “I travel and perform with my family, primarily my dad. I was also blessed to sing with my dad on his recorded album, ‘Circling Spirits.’ Song and dance have added balance to my other passions including playing baseball and being an honor student.”
“I believe my indigenous core values of family, community, tradition, and hard work have helped me stay grounded while pursuing my dreams and aspirations,” said Tahj. “I have a large extended maternal and paternal family that I enjoy spending time with. They help to give me a sense of who I am.”
“The adversity I’ve encountered in sports and academics has taught me to love work as much as I love success,” said Tahj. “At school, I was diagnosed with dyslexia but refused to use it as an excuse. It motivated me to work smarter and think differently.”
“My freshman year in high school, I didn’t make the baseball team. Again, I turned the obstacle into an advantage, using the time and motivation to improve myself physically and mentally. I put in extra hours at the gym to strengthen my body and learn the finer mechanics of baseball. And while being left-handed isn’t easy in a right-handed world, it’s definitely a plus when playing the sport I love.”
Check out Tahj’s website profile including statistics and video: www.tahjorona.com
Jamie Brewington is Tahj’s pitching coach and trainer. He was a former professional baseball player and right-handed pitcher. Tahj said: “Coach Jamie helped me physically and mentally in life and in baseball. I do athletic training with Coach Jamie throughout the week. He has been one of my biggest supporters. Coach Jamie teaches me about baseball and pitching, but he also teaches me about life, struggles and successes.”
Rex Gonzalez is a former professional baseball player and coach and head coach of T-Rex baseball. Tahj shared: “Coach Gonzalez gave me an opportunity to play on his club team, without even knowing my skill level or me. He is all about developing kids and allowing kids to play baseball at the highest level possible. He given me the opportunity to play in some very high level tournaments and in front of many college recruits.”
Lee Tinsley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and current team coach for T-Rex club team. Tahj said: “Coach Tinsley also provided me an opportunity to play one summer with the team. He saw me working out one day and I heard him talking about getting additional kids together to fill out the 2022 T-Rex Baseball club team. I went and introduced myself and he asked me to come out and practice. Since then, he has been my coach and has continued to give me opportunities to get on the pitcher’s mound and pitch against some amazing talent on the field. He is a huge advocate for my funky 3/4 arm slot arm action and has told many coaches about me.”
Doug Ketchen is the current team pitching coach for T-Rex club team. Tahj said: “Coach Doug has helped me gain more confidence and has taught me a deeper understanding of baseball. He has especially helped me learn to focus on my strengths and work on my weaknesses. He really likes my arm slot and pitching style and continues to work on solidifying my pitching style. He is always telling me how much he believes in me as a pitcher and a person.”
“I have been working with Tahj for the past two years,” said Coach Doug Ketchen. “He has dedicated himself to improving every time we work together. He has an excellent work ethic and understanding of what he needs to do to play at the next level. One of the things I love about Tahj is his desire and passion towards the game.”
“As a coach we also wonder what the athlete is doing when we are not looking. Tahj is one of those young men that puts in the work behind closed doors to make himself better. This allows us to work new things to perfect his mechanics and pitches. Tahj is truly a student of the game and getting better all the time. Great things to come this year for him!”
“I transferred to Chandler HS during the pandemic,” said Tahj. “Coach David Lopez put me into the baseball program not knowing anything about me or my skills. Upon coming into the program, Coach Lopez had been pushing me to be the best pitcher and also develop me into a good human being. Coach Lopez is big on developing us kids into being good people first and foremost. He uses baseball as a way to give us life skills way beyond baseball. Coach Lopez continues to believe in me and my capabilities as a pitcher and as a human.
David Lopez, head coach of Chandler HS, believed in Tahj and his capabilities as a pitcher. He said: “Tahj is an outstanding young man, who continues work hard to improve both on and off the diamond. We are looking forward to seeing Tahj compete this fall and make the most of his opportunities.”
Kelly Stinnett is the head coach of the Grinders and Buccaneers and former. Tahj talked about his former coach: “Coach Kelly was my first club coach, and he helped me get started in baseball. I came to meet Coach Stinnett in approximately 2015, just fresh into baseball. He was about trying to help develop kids on the field. He would always push us to get better and had a great staff to help. He provided me with the support system in his coaching staff that would fuel my fire in baseball. He was always encouraging and a great support.”
Tahj Orono is on his journey to be the best he can be in his baseball career. His coaches will help him along the way.
Photo Credit: Roman Orono
