Babe Ruth once said: “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” Although Mike Mahfood may not live by those exact words, his story of perseverance is one that is inspiring for any athlete.

“Mike’s the type of kid that no matter what the score is, he’s going to hustle,” Oakville American Legion head coach Matt Boyer told the Call. “That’s one thing that I wish was that his enthusiasm would have spread over to other members of the team.”

Mahfood, a left fielder for the Oakville American Legion baseball team, experienced one of the most disappointing moments of his baseball career last spring when he was cut from the CBC High baseball team. CBC reached the state semifinal before suffering a 3-2 loss to Blue Springs.

But unlike some players who would hang up their cleats and quit or transfer to another school, Mahfood turned the tables on such a sour twist of fate. He played in the Ballwin spring league and then batted .384 for the Oakville American Legion team.

“I kind of thought about going to Mehlville or Parkway Central,” Mahfood said. “But getting cut made me want to do really good at Oakville this year and I wanted to stay at CBC for the academics.”

Besides leading Oakville in batting average, Mahfood led the team in hits with 56, triples with four and stolen bases with nine.

Besides playing baseball this past summer, Mahfood worked for the Boys’ Club of St. Louis as a youth counselor.

“Working for the Boys’ Club helped me become more responsible and made me appreciate what I have,” Mahfood said. “It also taught me to respect other people.”

Mahfood got his start in baseball about the age of 4 with a friendly game of toss with his father.

He began playing organized baseball in second grade with the Kirkwood Athletic Association at the third base and shortstop positions. But once he got to high school, he made the move into the outfield.

“During my freshman year, all of the in-field spots were filled, so I played in the

outfield,” Mahfood said. “But once I got to my sophomore year, I felt more comfortable in the outfield. This past year, I got pretty good in the outfield.”

The CBC senior also excels in the classroom as he currently holds a 3.2 grade-point average. Mahfood is hoping that this past season with the Oakville American Legion will translate to success on the field at CBC. He’s also hoping to play ball in college after graduation next spring.

“I’d play if I get the opportunity to,” he said. “If one of the colleges in the area contacted me, I’d probably go there.”