With his toned forearms and close-cropped hair, Javier A. Lopez '02 looks like a ballplayer--and the thick gold chain doesn't hurt. He's 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, but those figures belie an impressively muscled form, one that comes from an entire lifetime of batting and fielding and training.

"When I was two and a half my dad was teaching me to play baseball," he says. "I'd always have the glove in my hand."

Lopez is one of Harvard's top baseball recruits this year, an outfielder from Westminster Christian in Miami, a school known for its powerhouse players. Last year his skill at the plate helped lead the Warriors to their second national championship. This spring he may start for Harvard, already a strong team and last year's Ivy League champs.

"He's a good-looking ballplayer ,and we're expecting some good things from him,"says assistant coach Gary P. Donovan. "He's a goodhitter and he has above average speed."

Lopez plays all kinds of ball. A running backon the Westminster football team for all fouryears of high school, he intends to join Harvard'sprogram next year after getting settled in. Anddespite all the time spent on the field and in theweight room training, like many Harvard athletesLopez managed to maintain a highly competitive(4.2) grade point average in high school.

But even he is doubtful about fitting inacademically at Harvard, a huge change from thetiny Catholic high school back home. Theadjustment to college is tricky to begin with, butfor Lopez, the son of working-class Cubanimmigrants, Harvard poses a special culture shock.

His mother works as a secretary, and his fatherowns a gas station. The family speaks both Englishand Spanish at home.

"Most people here have a lot of money, but Ijust try to get by with whatever I can," Lopezsays. "It's hard because people will say, 'Let'sgo out,' and you spend 15 or 20 dollars. For themthat's pocket change, but for me, I feel it."

Only seven of 80 graduating seniors at his highschool are going to college out of state, and heis the first student from Westminster Christian toattend Harvard, he says. In addition, he is one ofthe few Cuban-American players recruited byHarvard.

"I really do feel like I'm the mistake," Lopezsays. "I don't know how the administration let mein."

His recent workload doesn't inspire muchconfidence.

"Right now I've got five hours of work forExpos," he sighs. "I've never had that before."

Out of the Park

He may be struggling with Expos, but Lopez isno stranger to buckling down. As fellow studentswere doing homework or relaxing at home last year,Lopez practiced with the Warriors "from 3:09 untilit got dark," Afterwards he would put in anadditional two hours with his hitting instructoror at the batting cage. And weekends were noexception. On Saturdays, he trained from 9 a.m.until evening.

"It was baseball all day, all week,everything," Lopez says. "[Westminster Christian]is like a little baseball factory."

But despite the long hours, he never got tiredof playing.

"I never wanted to say. 'Screw baseball,'" hesays. "I want to be the best. I'm aperfectionist."

Most of all, he simply enjoys playing the game."I just like hitting a baseball," he says.

Even by the standards of his high school, whichhas sent 29 players to the Major Leagues, Lopezstands out. In his senior year, he scored fivehome runs and 44 RBIs, turning in a .415 battingaverage.

"That's a good batting average, coming from thebest program in the country," he says. "We don'tface weak competition--we face the toughestpitchers in the country. At our school you have toearn every statistic you get."

There is a trace of bravado in the stockyoutfielder's voice as he reels off the numbers,but then perhaps that isn't surprising. Lopez washeavily recruited in his senior year, attractingthe interest of the Atlanta Braves and PittsburghPirates. In July he ever appeared in a MiamiHerald magazine cover story.

Lopez seems to enjoy the attention. He tellsthe story of a night game his senior year againstKey West High, a match-up between the twotop-ranked high school teams in the country. Thegame, he says, attracted 5,000 spectators to theUniversity of Miami ball field, including collegeand pro scouts, and was being broadcast on ESPN.

When Lopez came to the plate in the lateinnings, it was as the Warriors' last chance.

"We were losing 3-2, there was a man on first,they had their ace on the mound," he says. "I hita home run and we won by that run."

As Lopez displayed bulging gold championshiprings, it was clear that consistent wins havebolstered his confidence.

"It's a fun game, you know," he says."Especially when you do well."

Though Enough

Although he sparked the interest of MajorLeague teams, Lopez decided that going prostraightaway wasn't worth skipping college. Andwhen Harvard called, he decided the school'sacademic reputation was too good to pass up.

"I really didn't plan on coming to Harvardbecause I didn't think I could hack it," Lopezsays. "But I just decided that Harvard could giveme the best of both worlds."

While he was an excellent student in highschool, Lopez is nervous about college and lifeafter graduation. He has reason to stress--theprospective biology and anthropology jointconcentrator hopes to someday attend medicalschool.

In high school, he says, "I just did my work.Here it's going to be a much different ball game."

One way Lopez is coping with the pressure isthrough religion. A devout Catholic, heimmediately sought out the ministry at St. Paul'sChurch on Bow St.

"I've noticed myself praying more because I'mhomesick," he says--especiallyA-10LOPEZCrimsonSamantha GoldsteinJavier A. Lopez '02"I really didn't plan on coming to Harvardbecause I didn't think I could hack it. But I justdecided that Harvard could give me the best ofboth worlds,"