Disciplined Gouveia hitting stride with Division-I Aggies
Former Manteca High baseball star Alex Gouveia is finding the same success at UC Davis, where he leads the Aggies in hitting. (Photo courtesy of Alex Gouveia’s Instagram)
By MOISES RAMOS
The Tower
Former Manteca High school baseball player Alex Gouveia was recently named student athlete of the week in his first season with the UC Davis baseball team.
During a recent game versus Cal State Bakersfield, Gouveia played a key role in securing the Big West victory for the Aggies. Gouveia currently leads his team with a .348 batting average and 40 hits this season.
After graduating from Manteca High in 2019, Gouveia played two years for Modesto Junior College and then transferred to UC Davis, choosing the Aggies over Southern California and Gonzaga, among others.
Since his time as a Buffalo, Gouveia says he has significantly stepped up his game, on and off the field. His biggest improvement, he says, is discipline.
“The discipline is enforced and especially in the student athletes,” Gouveia said. “We have 4 a.m. wakeups for 5 a.m. weightlifting, and then right after that we have 7:30 class, and then practice later on in the day.”
The Tower recently sat down and spoke with Gouveia about his first season with UC Davis and how the Aggies beat a Power 5 school in the recruiting war for the middle infielder.
Former Manteca High baseball star Alex Gouveia is finding the same success at UC Davis, where he leads the Aggies in hitting. (Photo courtesy of Alex Gouveia’s Instagram)
The Tower: Why did you choose UC Davis?
Alex Gouveia: I choose UC Davis mainly for (its) good reputation, along with the pretty decent amount of scholarship money they were willing to give me academically and to play baseball.
TT: When deciding where you would go, what other schools were in play?
AG: So, I really wanted to go to USC. I also really wanted to go to Gonzaga but especially USC, because they obviously have such a good tradition of baseball there. It’s a really good baseball school and then Gonzaga, of course, is just another excellent school that’s right there in Washington. I also had a lot of schools that were in the conference that I am right now. I also had an offer from Hawaii, CSU Northridge and there were a lot of other schools on the east coast looking at me as well, but it was really hard to turn down Davis.
TT: How did Manteca High baseball prepare you for college baseball?
AG: I was actually very fortunate. I played baseball and football at Manteca High and funny story, that it was actually one of the biggest eye openers for me. I was not eligible for my freshman year of football, so I had to get kicked off of the team.
Not many people know that about me, but it was coach Neil (MacDannald) that brought me aside after one of those practices. He is the one that wanted me to play varsity baseball my freshman year, so he had a one on one with me and then looked me in my eye and told me how much potential I really had. Potential that I didn’t necessarily see or believe at the time, but he made one of the biggest impacts on my life. He forced me to basically change my ways in the classroom because you don’t get the sport without the classroom; that was one of the biggest eye openers for me.
Lessons like that, along with many other coaches that have inspired me and really guided me to the right places in life, is what got me here today. Without them, I don’t know where I would be.
Former Manteca High baseball star Alex Gouveia is finding the same success at UC Davis, where he leads the Aggies in hitting. (Photo courtesy of Alex Gouveia’s Instagram)
TT: Where do you hope baseball takes you in the future?
AG: I’ve always aspired to be a professional baseball player no matter what level that may be, but obviously it is a pipe dream. That’s something I’ve accepted. So, I’m just playing the game day by day, enjoying every minute of it. Really trying to embrace the successes and the failures as tomorrow is not promised, but I do aspire to make it to a professional level.
TT: In what ways is college baseball different than high school baseball?
AG: The biggest difference is the details. Everybody at this level is obviously very talented. They are there for a reason. But the biggest difference is definitely the very small details in the game. You know, playing the game smart; having a good IQ; having a really good sense of the field; knowing a lot of different situations; (and) expecting and reacting to those situations I would say. Then obviously the talent level is a big shift, especially from the Division I level to even the junior college level, which is where I was at last year. It is a big difference.