Adrian Nieto has come a long way to get where he is today. Having defected with his family from Cuba at a very young age, he started to learn values of working hard and making incredible sacrifices to achieve your greatest dreams and aspirations.

Through hard work, Nieto has been preparing himself for this point in his life, recently coming off of not only a state high school championship, but also the national championship, playing alongside fellow nationally prominent draft-eligible prospect Eric Hosmer.

The two have been playing baseball together for a long time, and both were named to last year’s Aflac All-American Classic in San Diego.

Nieto recently talked to me about his life experiences, the recent and past honors he has received, and how he intends to take his game to the next level as a professional.

Perfect Game Crosschecker (PGCC): You have one of the more inspiring stories to tell involving your defection from Cuba, coming to the United States on a raft when you were four years old. How much of that event at that young age do you remember today, and what do you feel is the biggest thing you learned and have carried with you to this day?

Adrian Nieto (AN): I was pretty young, but honestly I remember everything, from when we started heading out there with my mom and dad, to being on the boat, to taking off, from getting rescued by the Coast Guard, from going to Guantanamo Bay and hanging out there in the camps that they had before landing here in Miami. I remember everyday in my life because I know I am one of the luckiest people to cross the ocean and not die. A lot of Cubans try doing that and haven’t been successful. They’ve drown or disappeared, and I feel lucky to be alive. I take it with me everywhere I go, and I put all of that in everything I do in life as I don’t take anything for granted.

I always remember these things each time I’m going through hard times, whether it be in baseball or something else because I’m lucky to be here in this country. A lot of people there (Cuba) wish they were here in my shoes.

PGCC: Do you still have family in Cuba, and if so, are you able to keep in contact with them?

AN: Yeah, 80 to 90 percent of my family is in Cuba. I talk to them once or twice a month to keep in touch to see how they are doing.

PGCC: Is it difficult to keep in touch with them?

AN: Yes it is. The phone lines aren’t as clear. When you call the lines break up and you can’t understand what they’re saying. It’s tough, and I really don’t see them.

PGCC: Now living in South Florida, you are a member of the state and national champions at the high school level, American Heritage High School. Obviously it was a thrill to earn such an accomplishment, but just how important was that championship to you given where you have came from to cap off your high school career?

AN: It was very important. It was a team goal, and something we’ve been building up for years. They brought me up at the end of the year in eighth grade at the varsity level and we lost in the semi-regionals. I thought we were going to win it then, which would have been crazy doing so as an eighth grader.

Our freshman year we lost to Key West in the regional finals, and in my sophomore and junior years we lost in the semi-finals. I didn’t know if we would be able to get over the hump, and we finally did it by coming together as a team. Everyone contributed and we reached our dream. Our goal was to win state, because if we won state we knew the national (championship) would take care of itself.

PGCC: Is the approach of taking it one step at a time and not looking ahead key to your success?

AN: The whole season we were ranked number one so we knew we had to take it one game at a time.

PGCC: Is it difficult playing for such a nationally prominent team knowing that you are always the team to beat?

AN: Yeah. Every team we played we faced their number one (pitcher). You have a target on your back, everybody’s going after you, and everyone comes out to watch you play to see you lose. You don’t get any breaks.

PGCC: Playing for such a nationally recognized team, as well as playing with numerous nationally known players, including Eric Hosmer, is it difficult to concentrate on areas of your life outside of baseball, or do you embrace every opportunity you have, regardless of the crowds your team is drawing?

AN: We’ve been used to it. Guys like Hosmer and I have been playing together since we were 16 years old for the Florida Bombers, which was one of the best teams we’ve played for, and when we would play teams like East Cobb those games would be packed with scouts and recruiters. So when you’re 15 years old you get used to it quick, so by the time you’re 17-18 years old you didn’t think about it as much. We just played our game, we didn’t let them (scouts and recruiters) change how we played as a team.

PGCC: Does it help having guys like Hosmer on your team who is in a similar situation to you so that you can talk through some of the problems or concerns that you may have looking ahead to the future?

AN: All year long we (the team) stayed together, it was never about one guy. We’ve known each other for a while, and we’re all pretty much best friends picking each other up when someone was down.

PGCC: You and Hosmer were both named to the Aflac All-American Classic last summer. What was the biggest thing you took from being a part of that event?

AN: It was a dream come true for he and I as teammates. As I’m sure you know, Chris Marrero was selected a few years before us, and he’s like a role model to us. He was selected to that (the Aflac game) two years before us, and was then selected in the first round of the draft, and we both wanted to be like him. When Eric (Hosmer) got picked we were happy, and when I got picked in Cincinnati (at the Perfect Game National Showcase) it was like a dream come true because we both wanted to be there coming from the same school at the same time. That was our main goal last summer.

PGCC: You're no stranger to Perfect Game showcase and tournament events. How have those events helped you improve your game?

AN: They’ve improved my game a lot because you face the best day in and day out. Plus you’re using a wood bat, which makes you a better hitter and a better player. Those tournaments have helped not only me but my teammates get better because some teams you face in high school aren’t very strong, but every team you face is good at WWBA and Perfect Game events.

PGCC: Playing for your own team and for teams like the Florida Bombers while also being part of so many showcase events, you’re no stranger to a 95 mph fastball. What effects your familiarity more, catching those fastballs from behind the plate or being able to see them more often as a hitter to improve your timing?

AN: I think it’s more important as a batter, because as a catcher you know what’s coming and you know if something is going to break or sink or something like that. As a batter you’re up there looking for a fastball and then reacting (when you see something different).

PGCC: How would you describe yourself as a player, what are your greatest strengths and what weaknesses are you working on the hardest to be the best player you can?

AN: My strengths are my ability to throw runners out and handling a pitching staff. I’m trying to get better at the plate and improve my swing. I’m trying to drive the ball the other way and stay back on pitches better.

PGCC: Many switch-hitters often excel more on one side of the plate than the other, often showing more power from one side and sometimes being a better pure hitter from the other. Since you swung from the right-side of the plate during last summer's Aflac home run derby would you say you're a better hitter from that side of the plate?

AN: I tell everyone that asks me the same question that I feel the same both ways, it’s just that some days I feel more comfortable batting righty and others where I feel more comfortable batting lefty. The reason I went out and hit righty at the Aflac game was because I felt better that day from that side.

PGCC: Is that something you just feel or is it something you determine in the batting cage?

AN: It’s something that I feel in the batting cage.

PGCC: Do you have a sense of what teams are showing the most interest in you with the upcoming draft, and do you get a feeling whether you'll turn pro or honor your college commitment to South Florida?

AN: A lot of teams are showing a lot of interest in me, especially because I’m a catcher and everyone needs catching. I’m just waiting to see what happens. My dream is to play pro ball and my ultimate dream is to play in the Major Leagues. I’m not one of those guys that’s in it for the money, I just want to reach my dreams as quick as a I can.

PGCC: Is there anyone in your life that you credit for your success both on and off the baseball diamond?

AN: On the baseball field I give credit to my trainer Eddie Andreo. He’s been with me since I was 13, and no one has put more work with me than him. Monday through Sunday he’s always with me, throwing BP to me, working on my catching (etc.).

Off the field it’s my parents, keeping me level-headed and not too cocky.

PGCC: Being bilingual as a catcher has got to be a natural advantage for you given the growing number of Spanish speaking pitchers and players in general. Have you found this to be an advantage at all during any of the number of high profile events you have participated in?

AN: I never thought about it playing here (high school), but I’ve heard it could help me a lot when I start to play with more and more players from around the world when I start playing in the pros. I find it an advantage, and you get to meet and become friends with more people and communicate better with them both on and off the field.

PGCC: Do you have any overall takes on life and the game of baseball to those reading that may be in or hope to be in a similar situation to you a few years down the road?

AN: If I could tell something to a kid that is going to be in a similar situation as I am next year or a couple of years from now, it would be that you should keep playing your game and work hard. There’s always room for improvement, and there’s always someone out there trying to work harder than you and to be better than you, so don’t ever give up. You’re not going to go three-for-three or four-for-four every game, but the next day you could have a good game because it’s a new day. Don’t worry about the people in the stands, just play for your team and don’t try to do more than you can.

Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.