Atwater Aviators’ left-handed pitcher Kevin Kinder By Cherie Smith Kevin Kinder, a left-handed pitcher, is playing summer collegiate baseball for the Atwater Aviators in Atwater, CA. He is from Clovis in central California. Kinder will be a redshirt junior at Sonoma State University in California this next year. This is his second season with the Aviators. Kinder said, “… both years have prepared me for upcoming seasons.” He also played in 2010. “I enjoyed playing with the Aviators. I decided to come back because the atmosphere with the teammates allows you to play the game you love at your maximum potential,” Kinder said. In 2009 Kinder graduated from Buchanan High School in Clovis, CA. He played the 2011 and 2012 seasons for Reedley College, a California Community College in Reedley, CA. Starting pitcher, relief pitcher, and outfielder are the positions he played at Reedley. In 2012, as a sophomore for Reedley he pitched in sixteen games, started six games, 44.1 innings pitched, 39 hits, 28 runs, 26 earned runs, 36 strikeouts, 24 walks, a 4-3 record, and a 5.28 ERA. He also pinch ran twice, scored a run, and played the outfield in two games in 2012. Kevin Kinder playing for Reedley College in 2012
Kinder said, “The team (Aviators) is always filled with a great group of guys with lots of talent. Traveling up and down California makes it exciting to play in front of lots of fans.”
When asked what makes playing in front of the home crowd better, Kinder said, “The local crowd knows you by name, not just number. They want you to win just as much as you do.” The Atwater Aviators play in the Golden State College Baseball League. It includes teams from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento area, and Nevada. Kinder is able to live with a teammate in Turlock, CA during the summer. It is a 30 minutes from Turlock to Atwater for games. As of July 12, Kinder has pitched in six games, eleven innings, thirteen hits, eight strikeouts, eight walks, 1-1 record, one save, and a 4.90 ERA. Kinder said, “Summer baseball has been an excellent opportunity for me and I don’t regret it one bit. I am thankful for those who have helped me grow as a player and an individual throughout the years.”