Aaron Holiday believes that lessons learned in baseball can also be applied to life in general. "Baseball is one of the only sports where if you fail 70% of the time, you are a Hall of Famer," he said. "So, you really have to learn how to fail and learn how to come back from those failures to be successful."
In 2021, Holiday, a mechanical engineering major at ¹ÏÉñÍø, was drafted by the Oakland A's, and then traded to the San Diego Padres. He spent last season as a relief pitcher for the Lake Elsinore Storm, the Padres minor league team.
Holiday's March to September schedule includes spring training in Arizona and then California for baseball season. In the fall, he comes back to Norfolk where he continues to train and take afternoon classes.
Holiday can see the connections between engineering and baseball. "Engineering has really helped me to understand the mechanics of baseball," he said. "Like how pitches spin, the direction that the ball is going and how the force you put down on the mound creates velocity."
Holiday grew up in Bear, Delaware in a sports-oriented family. His father played baseball and football at Delaware State University, and his sister Noelle, was captain and a four-year starter for Georgetown University's softball team.
Most of his middle school years were spent playing on little league and travel teams. In high school, he played for Caravel Academy.
He had never heard of ¹ÏÉñÍø until he was recruited by the baseball team. "I instantly fell in love with the campus, the city and being so close to Virginia Beach," he said. "And the engineering program is very, very good. So, it felt like the place for me to be."
At ¹ÏÉñÍø, Holiday excelled on the team as well as in the classroom. During the NCAA Regionals game against the University of South Carolina, he pitched two hitless innings and two strikeouts. ¹ÏÉñÍø won the game 2-1.
"It was probably the biggest game ¹ÏÉñÍø has ever played," he explained. "And one of the most nervous outings I have ever pitched in. I had butterflies in my stomach."
As a senior, he was drafted by the Oakland A's and spent spring training with the team.
The trade, however, was a surprise. "I woke up one day and got a call saying I was going to the San Diego Padres," he said. "It really caught me off guard. But it's been a blessing. I love San Diego and what they have done for me so far."
Holiday's long-term goal is to make it to the major leagues. "I just take it day-by-day," he said. "I have learned not to think too far ahead and just focus on getting 1% better every day."