Norwalk Native Excels as Hard-of-Hearing Catcher
- A Norwalk native is thriving as a hard-of-hearing catcher and captain for SUNY Canton’s baseball team. - He uses vibration-based tech to communicate pitches and has earned conference honors with strong statistics. - His success highlights inclusive tech and community pride for Norwalk amid national attention (canton.edu).
Sal Diaz, a hard-of-hearing catcher from Norwalk, California, is starting and serving as a captain for the State University of New York at Canton baseball team this spring. (canton.edu) SUNY Canton said Diaz transferred from Gallaudet University after that school shut down its baseball program, and he now plays catcher while majoring in Health and Fitness Promotion. His roster bio lists him as a senior from Norwalk and a four-year varsity player at La Mirada High School. (canton.edu) (rooathletics.com) Catching is the position that usually handles pitch calls and defensive signals, and SUNY Canton said Diaz uses a vibration-based system to get those calls from the dugout and relay them on the field. Head coach Ryan Stevens said the setup has helped three hard-of-hearing players communicate inside a sport built around spoken cues and hand signs. (canton.edu) The results have shown up in the box score. Through SUNY Canton’s posted 2026 cumulative stats, Diaz was batting.346 with a 1.112 OPS, five home runs, 16 runs batted in, 16 walks and just eight strikeouts in 23 games. (rooathletics.com) He also picked up conference recognition on March 23, when SUNY Canton announced he had been named State University of New York Athletic Conference Baseball Athlete of the Week after hitting.636 with three homers, a double and seven runs batted in over four games. (rooathletics.com) Diaz arrived at Canton with a long record of production. His player bio says he hit.362 in 2025 for the Roos and earned D3baseball.com and American Baseball Coaches Association third-team All-Region honors, after earlier all-region and all-conference seasons at Gallaudet in 2022 and 2023. (rooathletics.com) SUNY Canton published Diaz’s story on April 21 alongside two other hard-of-hearing players, framing the team’s communication system as part of a broader accessibility effort under Stevens. The college said the group’s success has drawn attention beyond campus as the season moves through late April. (canton.edu) For Norwalk, the thread runs from a local high school player to a college captain handling one of baseball’s most communication-heavy jobs with assistive tech and production at the plate. Diaz told SUNY Canton that baseball at the school gave him “a sense of belonging” and helped him understand “that I am no different from anyone.” (canton.edu)
