Student who lost leg returns to mound for Narbonne High School baseball team

HARBOR CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Narbonne High School baseball player thought he would never play again after losing his leg from a gunshot wound, but thanks to perseverance, hard work and a prosthetic leg, he is back on the field.

Senior Ruben Marin was shot in the leg while walking home from a graduation party.

"I tried to get up, that's when I felt the pain," Ruben recalled. "When I tried to get up, my whole leg just collapsed."

After losing his leg from a gunshot wound, senior Ruben Marin returned to his high school baseball team as a starting pitcher.

As he recovered in the hospital, Ruben was convinced his baseball days were over until Paralympian Rudy Garcia Tolson dropped by.

"He was walking with both legs amputated, with five gold medals on his neck, and I was like, 'Dang, that's pretty dope,'" Ruben said. "Right then and there I told myself I'm going to play baseball again."

Just a year and half later he proved himself right.

"This is a message to people that are down there, 'Pick yourself up whenever you have the motivation,'" Ruben said. "Nothing's going to stop us. Nothing."

Narbonne high school varsity coach Bill Dillon said since the shooting Ruben's grades were up as was his dedication.

"He's turned this into a life changer for himself in a great way," Dillon shared.

The coach said Ruben was no charity case as he is a starting pitcher.

"That's all about just his character, his heart," Dillon said. "He's making contributions to this team, he has his first varsity win for the season. It says a lot about him."

Baseball is a dream Ruben hopes to continue on a college level.

"This feels amazing, just to be able to be alive and just playing baseball," Ruben said. "This is something I love and I never take for granted."