Round Rock senior pitcher Hank Appl part of city's wealth of baseball talent

All about Hank: Enjoying Batman and Alabama beaches

Tell something about you that most people don't know.

I am one of four boys, and I’m the oldest brother as well.

If you could be any superhero, who would you be?

I would be Batman because he doesn’t need the powers to still be a superhero.

What do you believe is the world's greatest invention?

The world's greatest invention in my eyes is probably the engine because without it nothing else would have been made.

What has been your favorite vacation?

My best vacation was going to Gulf Shores (Ala.) three years ago. It was right after COVID and my family and I just had a great time getting out of the house.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

I plan to study kinesiology at Texas A&M.

It's all about tradition with Round Rock baseball

What has been your favorite memory playing baseball for Round Rock?

My favorite memory was going 14-0 in district play my junior year. It was so fun being the undefeated district champs and nobody could take that away from us.

Has baseball taught you any life lessons?

Baseball has taught me that you can’t be too high or too low because baseball is a game of failure and you can get humbled very quickly. It’s always good to keep a level head and trust what you have worked on in order to succeed.

Why is baseball such a big deal in Round Rock?

Baseball is such a big deal because the talent at the high school is unreal. There are constantly D1, going to college, and players taken in the (MLB) draft. We are always a contender for the playoffs in this area.

Do you have any game-day rituals?

My game-day ritual is that I always listen to the same song, which is "Rap Saved Me" by 21 Savage, before I start my hitting and preparation because it just gets me in the zone to compete.

Dream dinner: Summer of '61 a sure topic

If you could have dinner with any four people in the history of the world, who would they be?

I'd say Jesus, Mark Cuban, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

Maris and Mantle?

I would choose both Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle because they are icons in the baseball and business world, and I’d want to learn everything I can from them.

— Rick Cantu

Some of our other Faces off the field

Other Austin-area baseball players we've interviewed: Hendrickson OF James Lee, McCallum P/OF Nathan Nagy and Bowie P/1B Cole Miller