University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
7th Inning Spotlight: Kort Peterson
April 20, 2016 | Baseball
7TH INNING SPOTLIGHT
An ordinary day for a UCLA baseball player sounds a little like this: 6:00 am wake up call for weights, class throughout the day, and practice in the afternoon going into the evening. With most of their days committed to baseball it's hard to think they'd have time for anything else in their lives, but rest assured they do.
The Seventh Inning Spotlight aims to shine light on the unique personalities and lifestyles of each UCLA baseball player with Q & A's to get to know each player beyond their athletic abilities. Each week we will be highlighting a new student athlete. So stay tuned to learn about one of your favorite Bruins.
Q & A with Kort Peterson
Hometown: Aptos, CA
Age: 21
Year: Junior
Major: Political Science
Position: Outfield
Tell me a little bit about how you got to where you are today.
I started travel-ball when I was 14. For the first 14 years of my life I lived in Northern California and then moved to Southern California for the 7th and 8th grade. After that I moved to back to Northern California strictly for baseball and played for St. Francis High School. There I got a lot of exposure and it was one of the main reasons why I got here.
Who has influenced your life the most?
Definitely my Dad. He was a baseball player at Cal and I grew up with him teaching me the game. My Grandpa also played pro-ball so that was a motivator for sure.
Tell me something unique about your hometown.
Aptos was ranked the 63rd best small town in America in like 2008.
What is a hidden talent of yours?
I can imitate the lead singer of Creed's voice.
Have you done any volunteer work?
Yes, in high school I did a bunch. I coached a Special Ed soccer team my junior year in high school and worked with the elderly my senior year helping them get from place to place and talking to them.
What was it like growing up with a twin?
It was awesome. We literally did everything together. That's probably why we were also good at baseball because we always played together. It's good to have someone who's interested in everything you are too. (Twin, Eric Peterson, played at Cal Berkeley for two years).
What do you enjoy most about being a twin?
On a serious note it would be having someone who knows you better than yourself because we've been together our whole lives.
What do you dislike most about being a twin?
I honesty can't say that I dislike anything.
Which city would you most like to settle down in and why?
After I'm retired it would for sure be Carmel because it's a mixture of Aptos and has a different vibe to it. It's a really cool town with the same weather as Aptos and is just a great area.
What is the most “LA” thing you've ever done?
Probably that I've bought three pairs of joggers.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
In the 8th grade when I had the biggest presentation of the year that I had to memorize. I got up there and I completely blanked. It was 75% of my grade and I just stared at the back wall for 15 seconds and then told my teacher I couldn't remember a single thing.
What is your favorite memory at UCLA?
Probably when we were named # 1 overall seed last year because we weren't expecting it. We were all watching it on TV in the clubhouse.
What's the strangest thing you've done to prepare for a game?
I guess this is pretty strange. In high school I never washed my undershirt once because we won our first 15 games. So I never washed it and wore it under my jersey every single game. It was probably foul.
What's the soundtrack to your life?
Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Scar Tissue”.
If you could splurge on one item, what would it be?
I'd buy a yacht one hundred percent.
Which TV character do you identify most with?
Ragnar Lodbrok from Vikings.
What advice would you give yourself at age 13?
“Live life in the present and don't be anxious for the future.”
There's one thing missing in your life, what would it be?
One thing missing in my life is having a dog.
Previous 7th Inning Spotlights
Luke Persico
Christoph Bono
Eric Filia
Brian Gadsby
Brett Urabe
Moises Ceja
Sean Bouchard
