Q&A with Theo Kim
5/30/2026
Theo Kim recently finished his second season as a member of the UC Irvine baseball team. Kim played in 16 games and made six starts at second base. He had his best offensive outing of the year in a win over Cal State Bakersfield where he went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.
Kim, who is South Korean, recently took some time to talk about his heritage and what it means to him to represent the AANHPI community at the NCAA Division I level.
How do you celebrate your heritage?
Every New Year, my extended family and my family get together and eat traditional food called rice cake soup. It symbolizes a fresh start, good luck, and getting one year older. After, the elders give money to the kids and the kids give thanks by wishing them good health and a good future.
Are there any AAPI athletes, past or present, who have inspired you?
Shohei Ohtani and Ha Seong Kim. These two athletes have been great influences to me as they are Asian standouts on the baseball field. There are only a small number of Asian MLB players so having them to look up to has been great.
Have you faced any challenges as an AAPI student-athlete, and if so, how have you overcome them?
There was a lot of doubt as I was always looked at differently because I was smaller and skinnier. I overcame that by just working hard and not letting other people’s opinions get to me. I had confidence in myself and my abilities to keep me going.
What does it mean to you to be part of a small percentage of student-athletes representing the AAPI community in NCAA Division I baseball?
It means a lot to me to represent my culture on the field. I always looked up to Asian athletes that played at a high level so being a part of that community now is truly a blessing.