Eighteen-year-old Chilmark native Bryan Sornas made a little piece of Vineyard history last month when he committed to play Division I baseball at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.
Sornas’ only predecessor in recent memory is James Sashin, who stood at 6-foot-6 in high school, and shipped off to pitch for San Diego State University in 2016.
As a 5-foot-10, first-generation Brazilian American ,Sornas isn’t the most obvious candidate to play baseball at the Division I level. He attributes his rare accomplishment to the sacrifices he and his parents have made in the past several years, making hundreds of trips off-Island to pursue his passion.
“Hopefully people from the Island see that you can do it,” Sornas, a third baseman, said. “If you put your head down and work, anything’s possible.”
Sornas got his start playing in the Martha’s Vineyard Little League at age 7, and began playing competitive baseball off-Island at age 12. He eventually joined elite travel teams like the East Coast Eagles and Boston Expos, and transferred from MVRHS to Worcester Academy last summer.
Playing against future D-I pitchers on a daily basis, Sornas says, “Everything took off” this past school year.
“The pitchers are throwing 85 [mph] and up. The coaches work with you throughout the winter. College scouts are coming to watch your games,” Sornas said. “It couldn’t have been a greater year.”
The past 30 days have been a whirlwind of excitement.
On July 26, Sornas accepted his offer from Holy Cross. Less than a week later, the U-18 Pan-American Championships started in Panama, where Sornas co-captained the Brazilian national team to a 10th-place finish.
On August 10, he celebrated his 18th birthday.
It was Sornas’ second time representing Brazil; he previously played in the South American Tournament in Argentina in December.
“It has a lot of weight, but that’s the fun of it. It was definitely an honor,” Sornas said. “The fans cheering and yelling — it was a crazy environment.”
Now, Sornas heads back to Worcester Academy for his final year of high school ball.
Sornas reclassified from the class of 2024 to 2025 last season, giving himself more time to prepare for the college level.
“Going to Worcester was an investment. It was a step into reality,” Sornas said. “My bat’s been my strength, and last year my glove was my biggest achievement. Now, I just want to stay consistent.”
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