For the love of the game

Two of Marshall University's baseball players have a sense of brotherly love on and off the field.

Victor Gomez, junior history major, and Nathan Gomez, freshman undecided major, both from Miami, Fla., are brothers who play for the Thundering Herd baseball team.
  

Nathan said Marshall's greatest attraction for him was being able to play baseball for a Division I school and having the chance to play with his brother again. Both brothers received an athletic scholarship to play baseball.
  

Victor said being on the team while Nathan was still in high school made it harder to see him play. He couldn't attend Nathan's graduation because of the conference tournament.
  

"Having someone close to you that's been around your whole life makes everything easier for you," Victor said. "He's someone you can talk to about anything. Instead of being a phone call away, he can come over to my house or I can go to his.
  

"I barely got to see him these past two years, play any baseball at all," Victor said. "So when he got here, it's like seeing what he developed over the past two years as a baseball player, pretty much just what he turned into as a guy in general. It's definitely been a blessing."
  

"It's definitely a lot different in college," Nathan said. "It's just playing at such a higher level than high school. I know he's always there to help me with baseball. I can't picture playing baseball without my brother. We've been playing our whole lives together."
  

Victor said growing up they were able to play baseball year round. He said it was a big change coming from Miami to Huntington.
  

Nathan said they have always had a close relationship. They played a lot of the same sports growing up such as roller hockey, basketball and flag football. In high school, they had the same friends and spent most of their time together.
  

They said they bring a lot of different aspects to the team by being Cuban-American.
  

"We definitely brought southern spunk to the team," Victor said. "Spanish are loud and they bring enthusiasm. We definitely brought that to the team."
  

"Latin players like to play with a lot of emotion," Nathan said. "That's how we've always learned to play. It's very different from the way Americans play. It's a mix of cultures. It brings the team closer together."
  

Victor said they are the only children in their family. During his first two years of college, his parents couldn't come to many games because Nathan was still in school. Now that both Nathan and Victor play for Marshall, their parents have attended every game.
  

Nathan said religion is very important to them. During baseball season, it is harder to attend church on a regular basis. Both brothers wear rosaries every day, and during every game under their jerseys.  After the national anthem, they make a silent cross and kiss them.
  

Victor said it is a blessing to have Nathan on the team.
  

"The team this year is really a closer team and he just really fits in," Victor said. "He's not looked at as my brother, he gets looked at as Nathan. They know he's my brother, but we're both looked at as individuals on the field and as a team." 
  

Nathan said they don't get to go home when school lets out for summer because the season isn't over until June. He said the season going into summer doesn't bother him. Besides family, baseball is the most important thing to him.
  

"We train every day, get better every day to win," Nathan Said. "That's the main goal,"
  

Laura Hatfield can be contacted at hatfield120@marshall.edu.