The state baseball tournament doesn’t officially begin for another two weeks. For the Belleville baseball team however, playoff mode begins right now.
At 6-10, the Bucs currently find themselves on the outside looking for a state playoff spot as it’s 17th place in power points for North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4. But with six games in the final six days before the May 17 cutoff, the opportunity is there for Belleville to play its way into the 16-team field.
“We had a talk about that at practice this weekend that we have to treat these games now as tournament games,” veteran head coach Joe Sorce Jr. said. “But we got to focus one day at a time and take care of business on Monday night and play great baseball at Bloomfield. Then move on to the next game.”
So far this season, starting pitching has been the strength for Belleville, beginning with junior three-year starter Sean Walsh, who has a 3.39 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. Senior Ayden Carrero, a three-year starter on the infield, has had a breakout year on the mound, pitching to a sparkling 1.86 ERA in 26.1 innings this spring. Rafael Matos is another longtime position player making his presence felt as a pitcher, posting a 1.37 ERA in 15.1 innings of work.
Others who have seen action on the mound this season and could play big roles in this final week include senior Jordan Rosario and Ariancy Paulino, as well as juniors Crismel Deleon, Edwin Velazquez and Marcos Atehortua.
Belleville’s pitching has kept its playoff hopes alive despite what Sorce admits has been an at times, frustrating year for the Bucs offensively. Despite several accomplished, veteran hitters, Belleville, as a team has hit just .235 as a team
While most of the lineup has struggled to get on track, one who hasn’t has been Deleon. The junior centerfielder currently leads the Bucs in hitting (.375), runs (14), hits (15), hit by pitches (five) and stolen bases (11).
A host of different options have flanked Deleon in the outfield. Matos, a three-year starter who’s hitting .262, sees extensive time in both left and right. Sophomore Alvin Montanez, Velazquez, Paulino and sophomore Chris Espejo have all seen time in the outfield as well with sophomore Mike Noboa providing additional depth.
Walsh, a three-year starter at first base when he isn’t pitching, has had a solid season at the plate, hitting. 326 while leading the team in RBI (nine) and walks (12). Matos takes over at the position when Walsh pitches.
Senior Derek Gonzalez starts at second base. Carrero is a three-year starter at shortstop, who despite some struggles this spring, has 62 career hits. Rosario at third base is another veteran hitter.
Atehortua does not have a set position, but starts virtually every day, usually at third or shortstop, depending on who is on the mound. Junior Gabe Guzman, sophomore Franklin Rosario and freshman Jake Gonzalez also vie for time on the infield.
Sophomore Nate Diaz has been a stellar defensive catcher this season and sees the bulk of the time behind the plate with Paulino and senior Esmerlyn Rodriguez also in the mix for time.
Belleville’s make or break week began with a road game at Bloomfield on Monday, followed by a home game on Tuesday against Glen Ridge, both of which were played after The Observer’s deadlines for this week.The critical stretch continues on Wednesday when it hosts Newark Academy, followed by a Thursday game at Kearny. Belleville then hosts Caldwell on Friday and rival Nutley on Saturday morning, the last day before the cutoff.
“This is a key week. This is it,” said Sorce. “We got to play good ball, we gotta win some games and go from there. The guys are working hard, the effort’s there, we just got to execute.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)