Darius has been selected to participate in the prestigious New Balance Future Stars Series Underclass Premier at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He needs your help to make this dream a reality. The players are not charged a fee to participate but instead get the opportunity to raise funds for Future Stars Series Foundation and St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. The players have a chance to earn stipends towards their expenses just by helping raise money for these great causes.
Meet Darius: Darius is 15 years old, and has 3 siblings, and lives in Pacifica, CA. He attends St. Ignatius College Preparatory on San Francisco, c/o 2026. His favorite thing to do is play baseball, & right now he plays (short stop and center field) for GamePrep Academy. In his free time, he likes to skateboard.
Darius shares his favorite baseball memory: "A baseball memory that stands out to me is when I got to meet with Tony Kemp of the Oakland A's. He took me around the A's locker room, introduced me to the rest of the players, gave me my own gear, signed baseballs, & I got to go on the field during warm-ups. I saw how the players stretched, ran, throw, and just get ready for the game. I saw what it's really like to be an MLB player. I saw who showed up early and did their own workout before the team one, & really got to see the mindset of the players on game day. I took in what I saw and applied it to myself every time I step foot on the field."
Darius also shares what attending the NBFSS Underclass Premier means to him: "Attending this event means more to me right now than anything else. My dream since I started playing baseball at 6 years old has been to make it to the MLB, and I know this Future Stars Premier is just one step closer to getting me there. I get to play with other great baseball players, meet new people, and elevate my game. This event will open new doors for me, I'll get to learn from new coaches, and I get to play the game I love in front of a new crowd. Baseball has always been my source of happiness, and has helped me along the way in my life, and this is another opportunity to showcase myself."
The New Balance Future Stars Series is not just about discovering and developing the MLB Heros of tomorrow. It’s about discovering and developing the leaders of tomorrow by creating real opportunities where they don’t exist today: opportunities for education, opportunities to give back to their community… opportunities for a future. We are incredibly grateful that Darius Bautista is a part of this chapter in our mission to CHANGE THE GAME!
Up to 20% of all net proceeds will be donated to Future Stars Series Foundation and St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.