Despite failing to advance to the Super Regional this past Sunday, the Miami Hurricanes baseball program is trending in the right direction. Head coach J.D. Arteaga led the team to its most wins in a season (39-20) since taking over in 2023. His achievements included bringing junior catcher Alex Sosa back home to South Florida from North Carolina State.
The Viera native has a family background in sports: his father played basketball at Florida International University and his mom competed in volleyball at Florida State University. However, Sosa attended Hurricanes baseball games with his family and it became his passion. Football wasn’t a strong interest.
“I was very baseball-oriented,” he said.
He was an infielder at Viera High School and played basketball and flag football as well. One thing held him back: height.
Sosa entered high school at 5-5.
“I talked to a lot of schools, but they all said, ‘You’re too small,” Sosa added. “They weren’t saying I wasn’t good enough.”
At Viera, Sosa batted .388, 92 hits in 237 at-bats, 24 doubles, two triples, 69 runs batted in, and five home runs in 90 games over four seasons, according to MaxPreps.He grew to be 6-1. Sosa wound up with a “handful” of offers, including from FIU, but committed to North Carolina State University as a freshman.
Moving to a different state wasn’t a bother. Sosa’s experience in travel ball, sleeping in countless hotels across the country, made the transition to college smooth.
As a freshman, Sosa played a role in the Wolfpack’s 38-23 season, including a trip to the College World Series at Omaha, Nebraska. He started in all eight NCAA Tournament games, batting .273 in 33 at-bats, including nine hits, a double, three runs batted in, and a home run.
“My parents always said, ‘Give me a reason to go to Omaha’,” Sosa said. “For anybody in college baseball, that’s the goal. It was a ton of fun.”
After two seasons with the Wolfpack, Sosa entered the transfer portal as one of the top players on the open market. However, before deciding to join the Hurricanes, he didn’t want to fall under the usual narrative.
“I didn’t want to be viewed as going after NIL money,” Sosa said. “I was chasing a place that was going to be home for me.”
After evaluating all options, a full-circle moment came to fruition, joining the team he grew up watching. In a full season with the Hurricanes, Sosa finished with new career highs: batting .338 in 222 at-bats, including 75 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, and 71 runs batted in. He led the team with 18 home runs and earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference Second Team honors.
Sosa is eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft, which takes place in July, but has the choice to return to college for a senior season.
What will he choose? Sosa hasn’t decided.
“My dream is to play in the bigs,” he said. “I love Miami–I’m definitely coming back regardless of what happens–if it’s time for me to take the next step, then it’s time.”
