Elijah Papalios, Baseball

Nickname... Rocky
Hometown... Fairborn, Ohio, USA
High School... Beavercreek High School (Class of 2025)
Position... Right-Handed Pitcher / Outfield
Major... Business Administration

Favorite food... Hot wings
Favorite midnight snack... Chipotle
Favorite book... The Westing Game and Hatchet
Favorite TV show... Duck Dynasty
Favorite artist or music... Country or Rock
Favorite song... “Like A Stone” — Audioslave
Favorite vacation... Destin, Florida
Favorite movie... The Godfather Part I
Favorite saying... “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

Favorite athlete... Brandon Phillips
Favorite sport to watch... Baseball
Biggest pet peeve... Someone telling me to do chores I was already planning on doing
Dream car... Chevrolet Camaro SS
Car you actually drive... 2006 Monte Carlo SS
Dream job... Professional athlete
Career plans... Become a professional athlete, businessman, or game warden

Hobbies... Golf, fishing, hunting, and working out
Season goals for myself... Make the starting lineup and work as hard as possible all season
Season goals for the team... Go as far as possible and build strong team chemistry
One thing I wish I was better at... Not procrastinating cleaning my room
A book or movie about my life would be titled... Grinder

Most memorable athletic moment... Being the winning pitcher at the first and only Marquis Grissom Invitational Tournament in Georgia and beating Bo Porter’s team
Best advice I’ve ever been given... “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”
What motivates me... Accomplishing something my father had taken from him

I can’t imagine a week without... Doing something active
My advice to kids... Be a kid while you’re a kid — it goes by fast. Planning early makes growing up easier.
When people first meet me, they think... This guy is kinda weird but seems chill
Superstitions... Right foot first onto the field, left foot first leaving… and if I’m on a hitting streak, I can’t wash my sliding shorts
Country I’d like to visit... Greece
Nobody knows how much I... Battle my own mind

Best athlete I’ve faced... Steele Hall
If I were coach for a day... Get to know the players as much as possible
If I could break any record... Most golf majors won ever
If I could attend any sporting event... A UFC event
I chose VU because... I wanted to go where my brother went