Twice weekly we will highlight spring sport senior athletes on their careers at Saint Mary's
 
The season might be over, but the memories come in strong for a pair of seniors on this year's baseball squad. The two seasons who sport the same first name, Andrew Shebloski and Andrew Hansen, have been around for four seasons each, arriving on campus together as freshman during the fall semester in 2016. While many will remember their performances on Louis Guisto Field, no one will forget their impact as a pair of "fan favorites."
 
Shebloski was just that during his tenure as a Gael, one that students and fans alike would always give an extra cheer for every time he stepped into the box. Perhaps that was a result of his radiant personality, one that can become infectious if within earshot. Shebloski joined the Gaels after coming up from San Diego, where he graduated from Madison High School and immediately made an impact for Saint Mary's.
 
"I knew I needed a change in my life, and Saint Mary's was that change," recounted Shebloski. "New area, new people, really good education, and a family type atmosphere are the changes I needed in my life."
 
His impact was felt right away for Saint Mary's, even though he was not a prominent starter in the lineup. He led the Gaels with eight pinch hits as a freshman, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the 14^th inning over San Francisco on April 8, a moment Shebloski still remembers as his favorite as a Gael.
 
All teammates had strong feelings about the chemistry of this year's group, a message that was echoed by Shebloski. "This year's team was special, a lot of talent throughout each class and everybody came to the field wanting to get better and there was a lot of love on this team," Shebloski said. "What stinks is we were playing our best baseball of the season and then all of this happened."
 
Despite the season coming to a close, perhaps this gives the best baseball video game player on the team a chance to sharpen his skills. Amongst all seniors who were asking this question, including Shebloski, they all responded saying that Shebloski is the best MLB The Show video game player on the team. 
 
Hansen saw time on the mound during each of his four seasons in Moraga, making the short journey from Roseville, where he was a product of Roseville High School. What separated Hansen from most pitchers was his devastating changeup, which he threw seemingly almost as often as his fastball. It led to Hansen striking out 79 over 92.1 innings.
 
His turnaround during the 2020 season was impressive in its own right, after he allowed runs in each of his first four outings (coming in the first five games of the year). After a rocky start, he allowed just one run over his final ten innings, with 12 strikeouts. Hansen was the pitcher of record in the final game of the season, where he got his lone start. In five innings of one-run ball, Hansen dazzled while striking out seven and beating Nevada 11-1. 
 
A lot of students and student-athletes alike comment on how the Saint Mary's community makes it feel like a family, and Hansen was no different. "The coaching staff played a huge role in my desire to go to Saint Mary's, as well as the culture that was around when I was being recruited," recalled Hansen. "It made me feel at home, even when I wasn't here yet. It made the entire process of recruiting and the excitement to play all worth the wait."
 
Hansen is not quite the gamer that someone like Shebloski is, but he does have a unique thing to keep himself occupied during the shelter in place: his horse, Caliber. A beautiful brown horse with a long, black mane, Caliber and Hansen spend time together back home in Northern California. Maybe ranching isn't in the future, but Hansen hopes baseball is. "Ever since I was a little boy, I wanted to be involved with baseball for as long as physically possible," said Hansen. "Whether that be playing, or maybe even coaching. All I can do is hope that it is possible in my near future."
 
Be sure to tune in on Thursday for the next rendition of Senior Spotlight!