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from The Entertainer! Magazine - June

by Times Media Group

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TAKING IT DAY BY DAY

Pavin Smith just wants to help the team

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

When Pavin Smith was called up to the big leagues, he, admittedly, couldn’t sleep that night.

“I had no idea what was going to happen,” Smith says via FaceTime. “I didn’t know how anything was run. I just didn’t want to step on any toes.”

A first baseman and outfielder, Smith has worked out well for the Diamondbacks. He’s become the D-backs’ unlikely hero. He comes through in a clutch and makes highlightworthy plays.

Ask him about it and he shrugs it off modestly. That’s the way Smith plays. He puts his head down and does his job.

Sports journalists have pegged Smith for a Rookie of the Year candidate.

“Obviously, it feels good to be playing well,” he says with a smile. “That’s the goal — to play as well as you can and try to help the team win. Hopefully, we get a couple more of those wins.”

The recently married Smith prepared for the 2021 season by working out in Tampa with fellow ballplayers who have the same agent. The workouts helped Smith pave the way for success. However, he’s not one to adhere to goals.

“I’m more of a guy who takes it week by week, day by day,” Smith says. “I hope to get better every day and see where that leads me, instead of setting a certain number I’d like to reach. By the end of the year, I want to look back and feel like I had a certain amount of success.”

A Florida native, Smith is learning his way around the Valley. He enjoys Scottsdale, especially Old Town and Blanco’s Tacos and Tequila. In the offseason, he golfs with friends, goes boating on the ocean in his home state of Florida or plays Call of Duty.

Smith has always been passionate about baseball. He played basketball as well, but baseball was always his “No. 1.”

“By the time I was 8 or 9, I knew I wanted to be a Major League Baseball player and not have to do anything else,” he says.

First base is his calling, but he also subs in the outfield. In college, he mastered leftfield, but he had not played centerfield until the Nationals series earlier this season.

Aside from baseball, he’s a family man. After he was taken seventh overall out of University of Virginia in the 2017 MLB draft, he paid off his parents’ mortgage. The Diamondbacks’ first-round draft pick can obviously keep a secret.

“I just decided on that for a little Christmas present,” he says. “I knew in September that I was going to do it, and I have to wait three or four months to tell them.”

NICK AHMED IS ‘ALL IN’

Charity gives Diamondbacks another reason to win

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski executive director of Big League Impact. A rizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed is going “all in” to help raise money for Compassion International, just to see “The past year has highlighted so much need in our communities, and we’re excited to see these teams and their fans come together in support of the greater good this season.” Ahmed adds, “I just think it’s a great the less fortunate smile. opportunity and a great organization

Ahmed is joining injured pitcher Luke to work with. Big League Impact has Weaver and reliever Joakim Soria, who come up with a really creative idea with have teamed up to pledge a combined a way to raise money for important $2,050 per win and hope to raise at least causes, engage fans to do fun things and $180,000 by the end of the 2021 regular experience their favorite plays and teams season. Proceeds will be divided among in a unique way.” their selected charities. Ahmed says Wainwright founded Big

Weaver’s choice is Consider the Lily, a League Impact because he didn’t want home for exploited and trafficked girls in to host a standard golf tournament or Manila. Soria is supporting 1Mission, a banquet. The Cardinals player decided to community development organization start a fantasy football league with fans giving impoverished people the as a charity endeavor. chance to earn a house by serving their “He hosts a bunch of different activities, community with projects in Mexico, and it spread like wildfire,” Ahmed says. Nicaragua and El Salvador. “It was a little difficult with COVID

The program is through Big League because of protocols and restrictions. Impact, founded by St. Louis Cardinals Before that, we were able to have everyone pitcher Adam Wainwright. who signed up for fantasy football out to

“The annual #ALLWIN campaign is Chase Field for a live draft, play catch and built around the idea that ‘when we’re give them a great experience. all in, we all win,’” says Keith Brooks, “We also engage in some good oldfashioned trash talking. It was a great way for the fans and players to enjoy each other.”

The Fill the Stadium initiative, which Ahmed has been involved with since early 2020, provides support for nearly 70,000 children in need around the world. For every $500 raised, Compassion International can provide a year’s worth of essential food, nutritional supplements, hygiene essentials and other critical items for children in crisis.

“Especially with the effects of COVID, there’s a huge need for child sponsorships in the hardest-hit countries and the poorest places in the world,” Ahmed says.

“A local church is meeting the basic needs for hygiene and health needs. They’re always doing things to help the child, and whole family as well. Because of COVID, they haven’t been able to raise awareness and get sponsors for children.”

Fill the Stadium team leaders are Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, CEO and president of Compassion International, and Steve Stenstrom, president of Pro Athletes Outreach. Forty professional athletes and national leaders are assisting. So far, the group has “filled” over 22,000 seats — on their way to the goal of helping 70,000 children.

To make a fundraising pledge, visit https://pledgeit.org/allwin-arizona. Individuals who donate at least $1 per win — a minimum $80 donation — will receive a limited-edition #ALLWIN Arizona T-shirt.

Ahmed and his wife, Amanda, got involved after meeting Ken McKinney, who runs Pro Athlete Partnerships, at an off-season conference. During the event, baseball players and their wives dig into their faith to learn more about God and acquire resources to build that into marriages and finances.

Ahmed says his charitable endeavors have been gratifying.

“It’s been amazing to see the people’s faces and talk with them and see the gratitude they have,” he says. “It gives me more motivation to continue.”

Fill the Stadium/ Big League Impact

27 ‘THE ITALIAN DREAM’

Vettori strives to be his country’s first MMA champ

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski for is on the line June 12 in Arizona.” Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori is confident about his sold-out Saturday, June 12, UFC match The 27-year-old southpaw has been into martial arts since he was young. Vettori mostly did it for fun until, one day, at the age of 16, he saw a video of Fedor Emelianenko fighting in Pride. “Since then, I keep getting more and against middleweight champion Israel more obsessed with it,” he says. “This is Adesanya at Gila River Arena. my occasion, and I make the most out of

“I work harder than anybody this dream.” else,” says Vettori, the No. 3-ranked His titles include the Venator FC contender who fights out of welterweight title, and in Brazilian Mezzocorona, Italy. jiujitsu he’s ranked as a brown belt under

“Whatever obstacle I have in front his coach Filippo Stabile, who awarded of me, I crush it. I just work hard and that to him after his last fight. never take a short cut. I keep improving These days, Vettori trains twice a day, myself. I show up when it’s time to, and six days a week — 10 a.m. to noon and 6 that’s it.” to 8 p.m. with Kings MMA. In between,

The Vettori/Adesanya fight is he eats and rests. the headliner, as the co-main event The Huntington Beach, California, is flyweight champion Deiveson resident says it’s meaningful to be Figueiredo against the No. 1 contender fighting in the UFC. Brandon Moreno. “It means everything to me,” says

All bouts will be streamed on ESPN+ Vettori, who has been a pro since in English and Spanish. The early 2012. “My dream has always been to prelims begin at 3 p.m. PT on ESPN+ be in the UFC one day, and that is and UFC Fight Pass. The prelims will be why now that I have reached my first myself and, no matter what, I’ll come distributed on ESPN, ESPN Deportes big step, I will do everything that is in out with a win. and ESPN+ beginning at 5 p.m. PT. my hands to stay here for a very long “He’s no easy opponent. I fought him The UFC 263 main card will stream time.” already one time. This is my moment to exclusively on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View When he fights Adesanya, Vettori make a wrong right and rewrite history starting at 7 p.m. PT. promises it’s going to be action packed. and be the first Italian UFC champ.

“I’m super excited,” says Vettori, whose “Everything is on the line,” he says. There’s a lot of animosity before or record is 17-4-1. “Everything I worked “You can expect the best version of during for sure.”