With the 2021 season underway, GoStanford.com will be offering a glimpse into the lives behind the Stanford baseball team. Today we feature a Q&A with members of our junior class - Grant Burton (Dana Point, Calif. / Mater Dei), Cody Jensen (Roseville, Calif. / Jesuit), Austin Kretzschmar (La Mesa, Calif. Helix Charter), Nicolas Lopez (Redwood City, Calif. / Junipero Serra), Vincent Martinez (San Marcos, Calif. / San Marcos), Justin Moore (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) and Alex Williams (Castro Valley, Calif. / Redwood Christian).
Q: How did you get into baseball?
Grant Burton: Played it from a young age along with many other sports.
Cody Jensen: My mom loved softball and baseball and I started playing when I was four.
Austin Kretzschmar: Asked my mom to play when I was six, and never stopped playing after that.
Nicolas Lopez: My dad taught me to play baseball. Loved it ever since I was five years old.
Vincent Martinez: Always have been into sports, but baseball seemed to click the most with me.
Justin Moore: Started playing when I was around five years old! My family loves sports so I guess I was thrown into it.
Alex Williams: I've loved it since I was a kid.
Q: Who is your role model?
Grant Burton: My dad is my hero just for the person he is, his character, and the role model he has been for my brother and I our entire lives.
Cody Jensen: Probably my mom because she works so hard and does so much for my sister and I.
Austin Kretzschmar: My mom because of the lifelong lessons she has taught me.
Nicolas Lopez: My mom and dad. Taught me to work hard and enjoy the process.
Vincent Martinez: My dad. He always seems do to the right thing, is very strong and his faith, and is confident in his actions. He's what I think every dad should be like.
Justin Moore: My dad, he's given me everything I could have asked for to be successful on and off the field.
Q: If you could switch places with any person for a day, who would you switch with?
Grant Burton: Conor McGregor
Cody Jensen: Tom Brady
Nicolas Lopez: Tiger Woods
Vincent Martinez: It would be sweet to be Tom Brady for a day and throw some touchdown passes.
Justin Moore: Tom Brady, and I'd resign with the Pats
Alex Williams: Cody Jensen
Q: What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
Grant Burton: Poker with my teammates.
Cody Jensen: Golfing
Austin Kretzschmar: Going to the beach and eating a California burrito.
Nicolas Lopez: Hanging out with friends, golfing, studying.
Vincent Martinez: Love to just relax with the guys (socially distant of course) or just play any other games but baseball.
Justin Moore: Golfing and hanging with my teammates.
Alex Williams: Going golfing and playing poker.
Q: What sport would you want to play at Stanford, other than baseball?
Grant Burton: Wrestling. So much respect for all those athletes, and I hope their program gets the funding they need!
Cody Jensen: Basketball. I'm not very good but it would be fun.
Austin Kretzschmar: Basketball
Nicolas Lopez: Basketball
Vincent Martinez: I've never played football, might give that a try.
Justin Moore: Football
Alex Williams: Basketball
Q: What was our dream job as a child?
Grant Burton: Playing center field for the New York Mets.
Cody Jensen: I wanted to be Spider-Man then realized that wasn't possible and wanted to be an astronaut.
Austin Kretzschmar: Major League Baseball player and astronaut.
Nicolas Lopez: Doctor
Vincent Martinez: Professional baseball player
Justin Moore: Professional athlete
Alex Williams: Firefighter
Q: If you had to make a meal for your team, what would you cook?
Grant Burton: I'm pretty solid at making holiday meals so I'd probably make a big Thanksgiving dinner with all the classic sides for the boys.
Cody Jensen: I can cook a great steak, but in bulk I'd probably have to go with some lasagna.
Austin Kretzschmar: Breakfast guy so, scrambled eggs (Gordon Ramsay style), bacon and bagels.
Nicolas Lopez: Surf n Turf
Vincent Martinez: I would cook some big bone-in ribeye steaks with scallops, garlic mashed potatoes and bacon wrapped asparagus
Justin Moore: PB&Js
Alex Williams: Eggs and bacon
