Baseball: Round Lake's Cueves takes a winning cue from Cubs' Rizzo

A lot of kids who play sports look up to professional athletes.

They want to hit a baseball, or shoot a basketball or throw a football just like their heroes.

Angel Cueves simply wants to be able to stay alive like his hero, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

Rizzo was diagnosed with and successfully treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2008.

Cueves, a junior infielder for Round Lake, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in January of 2017, and is finally feeling like himself again.

He starts at third base, shortstop or second base for the Panthers.

"When I first was told I had (cancer), I was thinking 'why did this happen to me, how did this happen to me.' I was 15 years old at the time and this usually happens to people in their 30s and 40s. I was in shock," Cueves said. "I was angry, too, and I was worried about being able to play baseball."

So Mario Cueves, Angel's dad, brought up Rizzo.

"He told me about how Anthony Rizzo went through cancer, too, and how he was able to come back from it," Cueves said. "He's a baseball player just like me and look where he is now, and as a person, he always seems so happy. That made me feel a lot better."

Cueves, who was bothered by a painful lump that just wouldn't go away, missed most of his sophomore season last spring.

He was busy undergoing chemotherapy treatments, and was sick, nauseous and fatigued most days. In fact, Cueves elected to do his school work from home during his treatments, and teachers from Round Lake came to his home twice a week to teach him the material.

"I wasn't feeling well at all," Cueves said. "I could feel myself getting weak. I was skinny and I lost my hair. I was tired and exhausted. Some days were better than others, but some days it really hit me hard. I just didn't have the energy some days to do anything."

But eventually, the energy came back. And late last spring, even though he wasn't quite finished with his chemotherapy treatments, Cueves was cleared to play baseball, as tolerated.

"It all depended on if my blood levels were OK," Cueves said. "I'd get my blood checked every week and every time I would ask if I could play baseball and almost every time the answer was no. But a few times, they said I could play."

Cueves played in three junior varsity games last year. The rest of the time, he hung out in the dugout and watched his teammates.

"It was like when you haven't had water in a really long time and you finally get a drink. It was just so refreshing to be back around the team," said Cueves, who must still get his blood checked every three months, and a CAT scan every six months. "It was fun when I got to play, but I definitely struggled. I didn't do too well. But I was just glad to be back."

Now, Cueves is really back.

After his chemotherapy ended, he started working out hard. He played a full schedule of baseball with his teammates last summer. And he got back into shape.

He was an example to his teammates.

"I wish I had a whole team of kids who work as hard as Angel does," Round Lake coach Ed Adamson said. "He's the hardest-working kid in the entire program. He was working out five times a week during the off-season, coming in early in the morning.

"I think this whole thing has been a wakeup call for him. It would be for any 15- or 16-year-old, not to take anything for granted. Angel has really embraced that. I think he feels like he wants to make the most of what he has, so he's worked really hard, and I feel confident in him as a leader and as an infielder. Angel can play any position in the infield."

Lately, Cueves has been playing a lot of third base.

He loves the infield, but he'd play anywhere. As long as he could play.

He is grateful for each moment, and no longer takes his health or his favorite sport for granted.

"I'm just so happy that I can play and be around my teammates," Cueves said. "And I think if there was something good to come out of this, it's that my mentality has changed, my focus has changed. I'm motivated to make things happen now, to work as hard as I can to be the best I can be. I feel a sense of urgency to do that.

"My whole thought process has changed about everything. I have a new attitude."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw