Junior pitcher Alvaro Orozco had never seen Stanford University until he pitched the game of his life there on March 24.

The Jalisco, Mexico native grew up just 25 miles north of Stanford in San Bruno. However, his journey that culminated in a dominant 6-0 shutout of the two-time national champion Cardinal has been a complicated one.

Orozco’s family immigrated from central Mexico to the East Bay in search of a better life and opportunity for the children. He arrived in San Bruno when he was a young boy.

Upon reaching San Bruno, Orozco’s father Isidro took a job as a gardener to support his family. Orozco said that his father worked very hard to provide for him and his siblings and he always stressed the importance of hard work. He added that his father would never let him relax on the couch. He credits his upbringing for the success he has had on the mound.

“Respect for my parents and respect for my family is what has made me work hard and get to where I am now,” Orozco said.

“He’s a great kid with a lot of heart and a tremendous work ethic,” coach John Smith said. “He’s a very determined individual to be successful.”

Orozco’s work ethic is unquestionably an asset for the team’s ace, but it may also be vital to his achievements. He is listed at a generous 6-feet-tall in the program, and he is right handed and is not as physically imposing or intimidating as some Friday starters.

“It’s a disadvantage, but I work with what I have,” Orozco said. “I just have to go out there and keep the ball down and throw strikes and hopefully people will overlook my height and look more at the way I pitch and the way I compete.”

After playing mostly infield in his first two years at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Orozco’s determination earned him one of the starting pitching slots as a junior. That year, Orozco went 10-0 in the West Catholic League, which is considered one of the most competitive prep conferences in California.

At the conclusion of the season, Orozco was named the MVP and Pitcher of the Year for the prestigious conference. Entering his senior year with high expectations, Orozco was able to duplicate his previous performance and was honored with both awards a second time. He finished his prep career with an 18-2 overall record and a no hitter on his resume.

Orozco was recruited by several major Division I universities out of high school, but he said that he had some trouble earning a qualifying score on the S.A.T., and his high school coach Pete Jensen advised him that community college was the better option because Major League teams could potentially draft him after two years.

Orozco eventually landed at Skyline Community College in San Bruno. The start to Orozco’s collegiate career was a brilliant one.

In his freshman season, he was named the North Coast Conference pitcher of the year and league MVP. He also earned All-American honors. Orozco was the first freshman ever to be named to the All-American team in Skyline’s history.

Just as Orozco’s pitching career was taking off, he suffered an elbow injury that forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery. The procedure, which reconstructs the elbow, is well-known for giving new life to pitchers who have blown out their arms.

Orozco endured a year-long battle to rehabilitate his new elbow before returning in a limited role for his sophomore season at Skyline.

He finished his second year pitching just 35 innings, but he finished with a respectable 2.55 ERA.

With Orozco’s health in question, the attention from universities tapered. Sac State assistant coach Don Barbara, who had closely recruited Orozco while he was an assistant at Long Beach State, was confident that Orozco had some good innings left in him.

“(Barbara) kept with me and kept with me,” Orozco said. “He was the first one to make me an offer last year so I told myself, ‘I’m not going to mess around and take a chance.'”

After an impressive fall at Sac State, Orozco earned the important Friday starter position. The position reserved for the team’s best and most consistent pitcher.

Smith trusted Orozco to pitch on opening day for the Hornets on Feb. 2. He did not disappoint his coach, allowing just one earned run in five innings, but he earned a disappointing no decision at the hands of Loyola Marymount.

The entire month of February would prove to be a series of ups and downs for the transfer, finishing the month with a lackluster 0-2 record in four starts. March would prove to be just the opposite.

Orozco began March by going 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts. On March 24, he came full circle, returning home to the East Bay to face off with Pac-10 team Stanford.

“That was awesome. When I was a little kid, I wanted to have a chance to play there and it happens to be that my first time there I get a chance to start in front of 1,500 people,” Orozco said.

Orozco didn’t just start the game, he finished it. In front of his entire family, including his father, who is unable to travel to Sacramento due to pain in his knees, Orozco was nearly flawless. He completed the entire nine innings without allowing a Cardinal to come across.

“It was one of those games where I knew where the ball was going every time, Orozco said. “I was throwing mostly fastballs, but I could spot it and put it anywhere I wanted.”

As a result of Orozco’s dominating performance, he was named the WAC pitcher of the week. Orozco said he was proud of the honor, but what made the performance truly special was having his family there to witness it.

Since his victory over Stanford, Orozco’s elbow has begun to flair up again. He said that it is an ongoing battle to recover from the surgery, but the best is yet to come. Orozco believes that he “has a lot left” to prove and he hopes by next season he will be back to where he once was.

Mario Martin can be reached at [email protected]