Sac State freshman outfielder Isaiah Parker walks off the field after win against University of Wisconsin Milwaukee on Friday, Feb. 21 at John Smith Field. Parker plays multiple positions for the Hornets.
February 25, 2020
It’s not a secret that Isaiah Parker is the only Black player on the Sac State baseball team.
But Parker said he doesn’t let these contrasting racial dynamics keep him from enjoying his athletic experience, especially since this is something he said he is used to.
“I’m pretty sure every team I’ve played on, I’ve been the only African-American player,” Parker said. “We all crack jokes sometimes, but it’s all good, especially here. Everyone is cool.”
Parker is a freshman on the Sac State baseball team and is majoring in mechanical engineering.
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Growing up in Vancouver, Washington, Parker said he was able to develop in an environment that wasn’t filled with heavy sentiments of racism.
Parker said this allowed him to not only thrive as an athlete, but also flourish as a person, due to him not having to face the social pressures that stem from racially motivated dilemmas.
“I’ve been blessed to grow up in a place such as Vancouver, everyone was cool and there was definitely no sense of racism at all,” Parker said.
Parker makes it known that he is not only aware of the shortage of professional Black baseball players in major league baseball, but that he also draws inspiration from the prominent Black players that came before him.
“Those are the guys that paved the way for us to play baseball,” Parker said in reference to the earliest generation of professional Black players. “They’re definitely an inspiration, if it weren’t for them, the league would probably be 100% white.”
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