In the suburbs of Parker, Colorado, 4 year old Dallas Macias stood outside, wiffle ball and bat in hand.

He tossed the ball into the air and crushed it from the right and the left side.

His dad Eugene Macias watched in amazement as he worked with his older son Geno Macias on his swing in the garage.

After Geno Macias went inside, his dad told Macias to take a couple of swings off the tee.

“He went up there right-handed … and hit the ball really well,” Eugene Macias said. “Then I picked him up and put him on the other side of the plate and said ‘Hit the ball the other way’ … And sure enough, he took a swing just as smooth as the other side.”

Eugene Macias knew from that moment that what Macias had was special and he made sure to work with him on both sides of the plate.

Macias is a sophomore switch hitter for Oregon State baseball and has been a crucial asset to the Beavers’ success thus far.

He has the fifth-best batting average (0.320), the second-most doubles (12) and the third-most total bases (95) on a team full of superstars.

On April 24 Macias had his most impressive offensive performance of the season. He hit two home runs and secured three Runs Batted Ins, yet the Beavers still managed to fall short to the California Golden Bears, 3-4.

“I wasn’t frustrated at the fact that I hit two home runs and we still weren’t able to win,” Macias said. “But I was looking to pick up the other guys around me… so my main focus was making sure the guys were good and were ready to bounce back.”

The humbleness and maturity from Macias are nothing short of impactful.

“My main goal is to do whatever I can to help the team win,” Macias said. “I play hard for my brothers when I’m out there and support other guys when they’re in there.”

On defense, Macias finds himself in the outfield for the Beavers.

In his youth baseball days, he sat behind the plate as a catcher, framing strikes and throwing out runners at second.

Quick reflexes, a strong arm and high baseball IQ created the shift from catcher to shortstop and third base in high school.

But when Macias got to college he was asked to make another switch and play in the outfield.

“Being able to play defensive back allowed a transition when I got to college, to move into the outfield a lot easier,” Macias said. “It’s got a lot of the same footwork and fundamentals that you need in the outfield to make the right reads.”

In high school, Macias lettered in both football and baseball. He credits a lot of his success to the relationships he made playing both sports.

“Each sport brought me closer to different coaches and friends that I’ll have forever,” Macias said.

Building relationships is a fundamental component of Macias’s collegiate success but the relationship he values the most is the one he shares with his family.

“I don’t know how things would have shaped out,” Macias said. “But I do know that I wouldn’t be in a situation where I’m able to compete and play Division I baseball without such a supportive family.”

Back in February, Beaver baseball traveled to Arlington, Texas where they played a few games over five days and Macias’s parents were in attendance.

His dad recalls a conversation with Macias in their hotel room where he knew Macias was one step closer to his goal of being a professional baseball player.

His dad asked him how he was feeling about the season to which Macias replied, “I’ve come to the realization that baseball is not the most important thing to me. The most important thing is that you and Mom love me no matter what and that my walk with Christ is getting stronger every day.”

At that moment, Eugene Macias knew his son’s priorities were straight and Macias was going to have a successful career ahead of him.

Eugene Macias had a front-row seat in Macias’s development in baseball. He was his right-hand man during youth baseball and even coached his team to a Cooperstown tournament championship when Macias was 12 years old.

Before coaching Macias’s team, Eugene Macias spent most of his time coaching his oldest son’s team.

“I started (coaching) with Geno,” Eugene Macias said. “But I figured if I’m going to spend two hours at the park I’m going to bring Dallas with me.”

Macias tagged along to every practice eager to follow in his older brother’s footsteps.

“I’m super grateful that my dad and brother brought me in and helped improve my game by playing with older kids,” Macias said. “Being able to play with them and get double the work in was such a fond memory.”

Macias idolized his brother, and while Geno Macias only played one season of collegiate baseball, he was still the person to look up to for Macias.

“I never had a favorite pro baseball player,” Macias said. “My older brother was always my favorite player.”

As the youngest of three, Macias watched his siblings in amazement. He followed them around like he was their shadow.

Macias, his dad, brother and sister would spend hours hitting batting practice together in high school.

His sister Isabel Macias played varsity softball so the three of them took turns hitting baseballs and softballs, progressing the development of their game.

“He really enjoys his time with his brother and sister,” Eugene Macias said. “They are very close, our family is really tight that way.”

But this family isn’t complete without the help of his mom Meggan Macias.

“He has a good bond with his mom,” Eugene Macias said. “They have a special relationship too, that’s different than just sports.”

As a pediatric physician assistant, Meggan Macias understands the mental battles athletes struggle with every day.

“I give my wife a lot of credit for her conversations with (Dallas),” Eugene Macias said. “She is always talking to him about how he’s doing and how he is feeling and I think her role is the most important.”

Macias recognizes the supportive roles his parents play in his life.

“My mom spending all the time that she does at her job just so that my siblings and I were able to go to all of our tournaments and my dad going to the field with us whenever we wanted and throwing batting practice at any given moment means the world to me,” Macias said.

Macias does not hide his gratitude for his family. His impressive baseball career trajectory is credited to the love and support he receives from his mom, dad, brother and sister.

The end of Macias’s sophomore season is not quite upon us as Beaver baseball looks to make a push to Omaha, Nebraska in hopes of bringing home a College World Series championship to Corvallis.