Joe Sever freshman from San Jose Calif. is the starting second baseman for the Pepperdine baseball team. But Sever will tell you he’s not alone— every play is guided by memories of his mom.
At the age of 12 Sever’s mother Jana passed away from lung cancer. Having never smoked a day in her life the diagnosis came as a shock for the family. After her death Sever took on his mother’s inspiration which she found through bicycle superstar Lance Armstrong’s cancer support campaign.In fact the memory of his mother has spurred Sever to play every game for her. He shows his compassion for his mother by wearing Armstrong’s Livestrong bracelet every day. Sever’s younger sister Dana took their mom’s death hard. Luckily the Sever siblings have six aunts who stepped in to take over the mother role in their lives. Sever’s father Al has raised his kids on his own. Working two jobs when necessary Al has nevertheless made it to almost every game this season including the Waves’ trip to Louisiana State University over Spring Break. Named most valuable player for Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose as well as the San Jose High School Athlete of the Year Joe Sever is a gifted athlete.Batting in the leadoff is what Sever prefers but so far this season he has hit anywhere from first to forth in the lineup. Having played the shortstop position from his T-ball days through high school it was new for Sever to play second base. “I was nervous Sever said. But now I am used to it.” The 195-pound freshman nicknamed “Joe Joe” by his teammates stands just shy of six feet. Sever bats and throws from the right side and plays the game of baseball with outstanding skills. Having started all 15 games for the Waves so far Sever has a batting average of .303. He leads the team with 27 hits and 16 runs six of those hits for extra bases.
Sever has backed up his performance with a .967 fielding percentage. His on-base percentage stands at an impressive .376 with seven walks and four hit-by-pitches.
“Joe is a very talented player who plays the game hard all the time said teammate Brian Humphries. He is a great team guy and will do whatever it takes to win.”Some impressive statistics that Sever earned during his senior year of high school include a.496 batting average six homeruns and 56 hits. His 56 hits in one season was the second-most hits in a season ever at his high school. The college game Sever admits is different.”Everyone is just as good as you Sever said. It is faster and you can’t make as many mistakes. “Life is 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how you react said Sever, repeating his favorite sports quote.Sever’s family had season tickets to the San Francisco Giants games. He loved going to the games and watching his favorite player, Kevin Frandsen, play ball. Sever’s father is his biggest influence and his uncle, Super Bowl-winning quarterback John Elway, also inspired his athletic career. During high school Sever was a two-sport athlete, playing football and baseball. Sever played linebacker, quarterback, and receiver for the Bells. His love for football runs in the family. His famous uncle played baseball and football at Stanford University, and, of course, was one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks. Although he wasn’t drafted right out of high school, some top name colleges recruited Sever. With offers from other NCAA schools, including UCLA, University of California Berkeley, Stanford, and University of California Irvine, the location is what drew Sever to Pepperdine.Sever loves going to the beach and skim boarding, and he also hopes to learn how to surf during his time at Pepperdine. Sever named his sister as the reason behind his love for the Nicholas Sparks books, with Promise Me” being his favorite. She is just two years younger than Joe and the two are very close. His love for chick flicks has made him a target for teasing by his friend and teammate Sam Meyer. Sever named Alex Najera and Sam Meyer as his best friends but adds: “I love everyone on the team and we are all very close. ” Sever’s hopes to win conference and make it to Omaha Neb. the city which hosts the national tournament do not seem too out of reach with the team recently beating No. 10-ranked University of East Carolina. But the Waves will have to put together a win streak down the stretch having drifted into the middle of the WCC pack so far.