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Pacific baseball a family affair for four players

From left to right: Luis Vargas, Omar Vargas, Adrian Vidal and Andre Vidal

From left to right: Luis Vargas, Omar Vargas, Adrian Vidal and Andre Vidal

The University of the Pacific baseball team has not one, but two sets of brothers on its roster.

Adrian ’27 and Andre Vidal ’26 and Luis ’27 and Omar Vargas ’27 have found a new home, harnessing their brotherly competition to sharpen their skills and foster a cohesive team spirit.

Adrian and Andre Vidal, from Miami, Florida, have been nearly inseparable on the diamond, playing baseball together since the age of five.

“Since the beginning, we’ve practically played baseball our entire careers together,” Andre Vidal said. “It’s a great, fun experience. Playing with him is just a really special connection.”

The feeling of sharing the field at Pacific is a dream come true for the brothers. While Andre has primarily started at second base this season, Adrian has also earned his share of time at the hot corner of third base and shortstop.

The duo has made the most of their time on the field together. “It’s beautiful,” Andre Vidal said. “I look across the field and there he is. I’m doing this with my baby brother.”

“Turning double plays with him at second base reminds me of when we were younger with my dad,” Adrian Vidal said. “We would always practice taking turns making those plays and now it’s a reality.”

During the recruitment process, Andre piqued the interest of the Tigers’ coaching staff, and Adrian soon joined the conversation.

“I was at our junior college and that’s when I started talking with Coach [Chris] Rodriguez,” Andre Vidal said. “He found out I had a brother, so he started to talk with both of us. Adrian and I wanted to play together and we both decided to play at Pacific.”

Off the field, Adrian and Andre can be seen spending time together on campus, sharing meals and studying.

“He’s my best friend,” Andre Vidal said. “Every day, I see him. We share a car. I take him to eat. He’s been my best friend ever since I was a kid.”

The other set of brothers, Omar and Luis Vargas, from Richmond, Texas, share a similar relationship.

“Being here at Pacific has brought us closer together,” Luis Vargas said. “It’s really nice having family always around for you.”

“It has been a great experience,” Omar Vargas said. “I love this place and the facilities. It’s been awesome playing with my brother. He is always someone I can talk to. It’s really fun being on the same team as my brother.”

Omar started playing baseball when he was five years old, while Luis began at seven. The two didn’t play on the same team until more recently.

“We started playing together a couple of years ago, but it’s been really nice ever since college,” he said.

As the Tigers embrace family as one of its four core pillars, the baseball team stands as a shining example of how teamwork–and brotherhood–can intertwine to fuel success on and off the field.