As a native from Cuba, Miami Dade College’s Pitcher Ernesto Pino has adjusted to the language, and culture of the United States. Pino, a sophomore at Miami Dade credits his ability to learn a new language (English) to his desire to excel in baseball.

“… I think I have learned English because of baseball, if I wasn’t playing baseball I don’t think I would have learned the English that I know now. I think that baseball is my class – my classroom for English.”

According to the 2011 American Community Survey, the percentage of Spanish/Spanish Creole speakers 5 years and older who lived in the U.S., and spoke English well was 17.8 percent. Now as a resident of Miami Pino joins that group.

Three years ago, the pitcher, and his family moved from Camaguey, Cuba to South Miami. Before attending MDC, Pino attended South Miami Senior High School for his junior and senior year. Reflecting back on when he first started school in the United States Pino says, “At the beginning it was hard to be there. I didn’t have any friends; I didn’t know anybody. But when I started meeting people and playing baseball at that school (South Miami High) I started feeling better.”

Now entering his sophomore season with the Sharks, Pino is ready for the baseball season to begin. He has hopes of getting drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft, or receiving a scholarship to play for a 4-year university/college.