With homeland close to his heart, Ukraine native helps Miami Christian win state title
David Bosque only had 15 minutes to collect his thoughts.
Only 15 minutes to digest what was happening a world away from the mound where Bosque, a junior at Miami Christian School, was about to pitch for his high school baseball team.
It was Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine — the country where Bosque was born and had lived for more than half of his life until he and his parents moved to the U.S. following the initial conflict which started in 2014.
Bosque had just seen the reports of what was going on and heard from his family just 15 minutes before he was scheduled to pitch for the first time this season.
“It was truly horrific seeing what was happening to my country,” Bosque said. “I just had to put it in the back of my mind and go out and pitch. But it was really hard.”
Bosque controlled his emotions enough to throw one of his best starts this season that day against fellow Miami-Dade baseball power Monsignor Pace when he picked up the win after allowing only one run over six innings.
Before the game, Bosque showed everyone how much his heritage meant to him as he proudly draped a blue and gold Ukrainian flag over his shoulders as he and his teammates bowed their heads and listened to the playing of the U.S. national anthem before the game.
Bosque did so before every game in the nearly four months since the war in his home country escalated after the Russian invasion.
He kept the flag with him in the dugout during games.
And a little over a week ago Bosque raised his hands in triumph holding the flag high as he and his Miami Christian teammates celebrated in Fort Myers after winning the Victors’ third state championship in five years.
“His dad was worried about him and I know he had friends who enlisted to be soldiers,” Miami Christian coach Chris Cuadra said. “I wasn’t sure if he was going to be mentally ready to pitch that day, but he said he could do it. He asked if it was OK to come out with the flag to every game and we told him ‘Of course.’ Our players and our parents have really supported him throughout the season.”
Bosque, a right-hander, played a crucial role in the victory over Tallahassee North Florida Christian, which secured the title when pitched 3 ⅓ scoreless innings in relief after the Victors had fallen behind early, 1-0.
Bosque struck out six and allowed only one hit and two walks, giving Miami Christian a chance to eventually rally for a 4-1 win.
“I just keep hoping that everyone back in my country is staying strong and just keeps fighting,” Bosque said. “The team, the coaches, the school, they’ve all supported me through this. I’ve always felt safe and supported here.”
Bosque’s father, Adrian, was born in Cuba and went to university in Ukraine in the late 1980s when the country was still part of the Soviet Union. There he met David’s mother, Nataliya Openchenko and the two eventually married.
Bosque and his four siblings (three brothers and an older sister) lived in Ukraine until 2014 when the tensions escalated and the fighting between the Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian military began.
Bosque, who was home-schooled until the past couple of years when he began playing baseball for Miami Christian, had never played the game nor did he know much about it until he moved to Miami with his family at age 10.
This season, Bosque went 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA and struck out 18 batters over 21 ⅓ innings as a reliever for the Victors.
Before the invasion, Bosque was even invited to play for the Ukrainian national team, something he still hopes to do.
Cuadra said Bosque has already earned the attention of some colleges and hopes to land a formal offer heading into his senior season.
“He came to our school and adapted well on and off the field,” Cuadra said. “He’s a kid who’s very respectful and a great teammate. He likes to volunteer in our school community, and he participates in service projects. We have field days where our high school students will do activities with our middle schoolers. David always participates in those.”
Bosque learned English and Spanish after he moved to Miami and now speaks four languages along with Russian and Ukrainian. He has even taught some Ukrainian to his teammates.
Bosque said most of his family now lives either in the U.S. or in other countries, but he still visited Ukraine every summer.
Bosque, who maintains a 3.0 GPA and said he would love to play for Oklahoma State University, will play baseball this summer as he vies to land a scholarship offer. All the while, Bosque plans to keep his homeland present in his thoughts and hopes for a resolution to the war soon.
“I’m lucky I was able to come here and I feel lucky to be able to represent my country through this sport I love,” Bosque said. “I hope I can continue to bring more attention to the sport one day in my country. I just hope we continue to fight and eventually get our land back. I hope we can show Ukraine truly has power and we’re going to stay strong and we’re going to win this.”
This story was originally published June 5, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
