Afghanistan native new to baseball helps Des Moines North snap 103-game losing streak

MEMBER OF THE NORTH POLAR BEARS TO START HIS FIRST SEASON AS THE NORTH HIGH HEAD BASEBALL COACH ALEX GOWER WAS THROWN A CURVE BALL. HE SHOWED UP THE FIRST DAY. SANDALS, NO GLOVE, NO HAT, NO CLEATS, NOTHING. IN APRIL 2022, SIDECAR SOPHIE MOVED FROM AFGHANISTAN TO DES MOINES AND ONCE SETTLED INTO HIS NEW HOME, WANTED TO PLAY PLAY BASEBALL. WE DON’T TURN ANY KID AWAY. ONCE HE TRADED THE SANDALS FOR CLEATS, GOT A HAT AND A GLOVE. IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR THE STAFF TO NOTICE. HE’S THROWN SOME BEFORE. PROBABLY NOT A BASEBALL, BUT HE’S DEFINITELY THROWING SOMETHING. AND WHAT HE HAD THROWN BEFORE WAS A CRICKET BALL. I’LL PLAY CRICKET BECAUSE CRICKET IS GOOD. THE ARM TALENT WAS OBVIOUS, SO HIS COACHES THREW HIM ON THE MOUND, TRADING THE SKILL OF BOWLING A CRICKET BALL TO PITCHING A BASEBALL. IT’S WEIRD, SAID HIS CATCHER, TEAGAN O’BRIEN HAS THE UNIQUE CHALLENGE OF CALLING PITCHES. I’M NOT GIVING HIM ANY SIGNS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. HE’S JUST PUMPING IT IN THERE AND JUST THROWING IT WHENEVER I’M BEHIND THE PLATE, WE KIND OF HAVE LIKE TELEPATHY KIND OF AND I’LL PUT MY GLOVE UP, GET HIS ATTENTION. THEN I’LL NOD AND SAY THAT I’M READY. HE’LL NOD AND SAY THAT HE’S READY AND THEN GAME ON AFTER A FEW GAMES OF RELIEF WORK. ALEX GOWER AND HIS STAFF DECIDED, LET’S TAKE IT UP A NOTCH, GIVING TYPEKIT THE OPPORTUNITY TO START AGAINST DES MOINES. HOOVER REMEMBER, SIDECAR HAD NEVER PICKED UP A BASEBALL BALL UNTIL TWO MONTHS PRIOR IN THAT GAME AGAINST HOOVER, HE THREW A COMPLETE GAME, STRIKING OUT SI BATTERS, ONLY GIVING UP THREE EARNED RUNS. THROW THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING I’VE EVER SEEN ON A BASEBALL FIELD BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS KID WHO LITERALLY HE WOULD WAIT WHEN THE THIRD OUT HAPPENED TO SEE IF HIS TEAMMATES WOULD COME OFF THE FIELD. SO HE KNEW HE COULD RUN INTO THE DUGOUT LIKE HE DOESN’T. HE STILL DOESN’T KNOW LIKE THREE OUTS, LIKE AND HE JUST KEPT THROWING AND IT WAS JUST AWESOME. AND WHAT’S EVEN MORE WILD IS IT’S GOING TO BE A FRESHMAN THIS UPCOMING SCREEN. SKY’S THE LIMIT. THE SKY’S THE LIMIT. BASEBALL GIVING COMFORT TO A YOUNG MAN THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY FROM HOME. BUT PERHAPS REMINDING HIM OF HOME EVEN IF IT’S JUST A LITTLE BIT THE JOY ON HIS FACE WHEN HE WOULD RUN OFF THE MOUND AND HE WOULD DO A LITTLE JUMP AND CLICK HIS HEELS AFTER HE’D GET DONE WITH THE INNING, IT WAS LIKE, YOU HAVEN’T SEEN A KID THIS HAPPY AMANA BURNSIDE TO PLAY BASEBALL IS BECAUSE BASEBALL IS GOOD. JEFF DUBROF KCCI, IOWA SPORTS. HOW COOL IS THAT? NORTH INNER TONIGHT’S GAME AGAINST MARSHALLTOWN ON A 103 GAME LOSING STREAK. IF YOU DON’T COUNT A RANDOM FORFEIT DURING THAT STRETCH TONIGHT, TYPEKIT SAFI MADE HIS SECOND START. HE PITCHED THREE INNINGS, GAVE UP JUST ONE EARNED RUN AND WAS THE WINNING PITCHER. YES, HE HELPED NORTH WIN 10 TO

One Des Moines North player has had a unique journey to becoming a pitcher, trading in a cricket ball for a baseball.Sadaqat Safi moved from Afghanistan to America in April 2022. Once he settled into a new home, he wanted to play baseball."He showed up the first day — sandals, no glove, no hat, no cleats," head coach Alex Gauer said. "We don't turn any kid away." It didn't take long for the staff to notice the rising freshman's talent, so his coaches put a ball in his hand and sent him to the mound. "He's thrown something before. Probably not a baseball, but he's definitely thrown something," Gauer said.The language barrier presents a unique challenge for Safi's catcher, Teagen O'Brien. Instead of calling pitches, O'Brien guesses them."Whenever I'm behind the plate, we kind of have like telepathy. ... I'll put my glove up, get his attention, and then I'll nod, say that I'm ready, he'll nod, say he's ready, and then game on," O'Brien said.After a few games of relief work, Gauer decided to take things to the next level. The staff gave Safi his first start against Hoover High School.Safi, who picked up a baseball for the first time just two months ago, threw a complete game, giving up just three earned runs and striking out six batters."The joy on his face when he would run off the mound, and he would do a little jump and click his heels after you get done with the inning. It was like you haven't seen a kid this happy," Gauer said."I'm here excited to play baseball because baseball is good," Safi said.North High School entered Tuesday's game against Marshalltown on a 103-game losing streak, not counting a forfeit win.Safi, who made his second start, pitched three innings, gave up just one earned run, and was the winning pitcher.The Polar Bears won 10-9, snapping the long losing streak.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

One Des Moines North player has had a unique journey to becoming a pitcher, trading in a cricket ball for a baseball.

Sadaqat Safi moved from Afghanistan to America in April 2022. Once he settled into a new home, he wanted to play baseball.

"He showed up the first day — sandals, no glove, no hat, no cleats," head coach Alex Gauer said. "We don't turn any kid away."

It didn't take long for the staff to notice the rising freshman's talent, so his coaches put a ball in his hand and sent him to the mound.

"He's thrown something before. Probably not a baseball, but he's definitely thrown something," Gauer said.

The language barrier presents a unique challenge for Safi's catcher, Teagen O'Brien. Instead of calling pitches, O'Brien guesses them.

"Whenever I'm behind the plate, we kind of have like telepathy. ... I'll put my glove up, get his attention, and then I'll nod, say that I'm ready, he'll nod, say he's ready, and then game on," O'Brien said.

After a few games of relief work, Gauer decided to take things to the next level. The staff gave Safi his first start against Hoover High School.

Safi, who picked up a baseball for the first time just two months ago, threw a complete game, giving up just three earned runs and striking out six batters.

"The joy on his face when he would run off the mound, and he would do a little jump and click his heels after you get done with the inning. It was like you haven't seen a kid this happy," Gauer said.

"I'm here excited to play baseball because baseball is good," Safi said.

North High School entered Tuesday's game against Marshalltown on a 103-game losing streak, not counting a forfeit win.

Safi, who made his second start, pitched three innings, gave up just one earned run, and was the winning pitcher.

The Polar Bears won 10-9, snapping the long losing streak.

Afghanistan native new to baseball helps Des Moines North snap 103-game losing streak

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