Belleville provided a glimpse of what it’s capable of in last year’s state tournament when it defeated perennial sectional title contender Union City, 10-0, in the first round of the state tournament.
With several key players back from that team, including a deep senior class, this spring’s version of the Buccaneers believes it has the potential to accomplish far more this season when the playoff upset was the highlight of a 12-13 year.
“It’s really now or never,” senior co-captain Sean Walsh said. “For me and Crismel (Deleon) it’s our last year and we want to end on a high note like we did our freshman year, finishing 20-7.”
Headlining the group is Walsh, one of North Jersey’s most underrated two-way players. Walsh, who is committed to both pitch and play first base at Gwynedd Mercy College, hit .361, while also pitching to a 2.70 ERA with 55 strikeouts.
“Sean rolls with five pitches. He’s very crafty,” head coach Joe Sorce said. He’s not going to overpower you, but he throws a lot of strikes. He keeps you off balance. And coming from the left side, that’s really effective.
“When Sean is on the mound, anybody on our schedule, we could win that game.”
While Walsh is the only pitcher with notable varsity experience, Sorce has been pleased with the way the others have thrown this preseason.
Junior Deangelo Zuniga and senior Edwin Velazquez are currently projected to be the other two starters in the Belleville rotation.
Another arm that Sorce is high on is senior Jordan Armstrong. Armstrong, better known for his work as Belleville’s quarterback in the fall, missed all of his junior season of baseball due to injury.
Also expected to play key roles on the mound include Mike Noboa, Zach Gemino, Marcos Atehortua, Jake Gonzalez and Franklin Rosario.
Offensively, Belleville will once again count on senior centerfielder Crismel Deleon to set the tone from the top of the order.
A four-year starter in the outfield, Deleon hit .362 with 26 runs, 20 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .506 last year.
“He sets the tone because when he’s on base, he’s a threat on the bases. And if he’s on base, now you’re going to have him on base with Walsh up in the three spot,” Sorce said. “He’s been a tone setter for a couple years. Plus he’s got a lot of pop in the one spot. He’s a guy that’ll bang some doubles, can steal bases so we expect him to really be our table setter.”
Noboa as well Chris Espejo, who is a converted infielder, are expected to see extensive time in the corner outfield spots as well as Velazquez and promising sophomore Trey Wilkes.
Junior Nate Diaz is a returning starter at catcher and looks poised for a breakout season, while hitting near the top of the Bucs lineup.
Diaz is currently projected to hit in between Deleon and Walsh, who will play first base when not on the mound. Sophomore Andrew Grande is the backup behind the plate.
Sophomore Jake Gonzalez should see the bulk of the time at first base when Walsh is pitching, with senior Josue Fermin also in the mix. Gonzalez will also see games at third base along with Franklin Rosario and Armstrong.
Up the middle, Atehortua takes over as the fulltime shortstop after previously serving as the team’s utility infielder. Second base is currently up in the air as senior Gabe Guzman, Gemino and Armstrong all look to be in the mix as well as Zuniga and junior Jeury Delarosa.
With the Super Essex Conference adapting a home-and-home format, Belleville begins the season on Tuesday, March 31 against Newark Academy with two teams facing off again two days later in Livingston. The Bucs then have a home-and-home with Bloomfield, starting on Monday, April 6 in Bloomfield.
“I think we should get better every day,” said Deleon. “So far we’re not doing bad, but it’s a new team. But hopefully as more games progress, we’ll get better. “
“We have to just keep working, keep getting better,” Source said. “Right now, I think we’ve had a lot of productive days and we just have to keep working.
“We’ll be ready for the 31st, but our goal is to be much better on May 1st than we are on March 31st.”
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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.)