Talerico terrorizing softball opponents
St. Dominic slugger enjoying immense improvement, season to remember
About three weeks ago, the St. Dominic Academy softball team had reached the breaking point in their season. The Blue Devils were a disappointing 3-9. Some of the members of the team were feeling sorry for themselves, hanging their collective heads. The senior leader didn’t want to hear anything about that.
"I just knew that we were a better team," said senior shortstop Jean Talerico. "I knew that we could come back and play better. We just had to get our focus. We had to do a better job mentally."
Talerico is not a vocal rah-rah type of person, but she made sure that her message was heard. And soon after, she took things upon herself to insure that the Blue Devils were going to come back in a big way.
Right after SDA hit the low point of the season, Talerico went on an absolute tear, hitting the ball with such authority that it even surprised coach Dave Majewski.
"I’ve never seen anything like it," Majewski said. "She just stepped up and energized the whole team."
In a two-week span, Talerico was an amazing 18-for-22 at the plate (.818), with six doubles, two triples, three homers and an astounding 25 RBI. She guided the Blue Devils to five straight wins over Memorial, Lincoln, Ferris, Emerson and Union Hill.
And last Saturday, when the cutoff date for qualifying for the NJSIAA Parochial A state playoffs arrived, the Blue Devils had the necessary .500 record (10-10) to qualify for the tournament. It didn’t seem likely three weeks ago, but Talerico made sure it was possible.
For her efforts, Talerico has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Talerico had no idea that she had accomplished such phenomenal statistics during the important stretch.
"I don’t know what happened," Talerico said. "I guess I’ve been eating my Wheaties. I really didn’t know how well I did until Mr. Majewski told me. I don’t pay attention much to it. But when he told me, I said, ‘Really?’ I guess it is impressive."
What’s even more impressive is the improvement that Talerico has shown over the past year. As a junior, she hit .340 with 22 RBI, but this year, she’s hitting at a clip better than .600 with six homers and 50 RBI.
"She had an up and down year last year," Majewski said. "We always knew she had the potential, but it never manifested."
"I was really hoping to make All-County last year, but I didn’t do it," Talerico said. "I was really disappointed that I didn’t make it. I made it a priority to do whatever I could to make it this year."
With numbers like she’s produced, Talerico is a virtual lock for post-season honors.
The reason for her improvement stems from dedication in the off-season.
At the end of last season, Talerico asked Majewski what was needed to get better.
Majewski recommended that she participate in some area softball leagues. Talerico also participated in the Garden State Games and went to the batting cages as often as possible.
Talerico credits Majewski for the turnaround.
"He made me feel more confident and told me that I had to be more aggressive," Talerico said. "He changed my swing a little and gave me a lot of support. I think confidence was the biggest key. I didn’t have confidence in myself, but now I do. That’s the biggest change."
Talerico has enjoyed her latest hot streak.
"It’s like your own little world," Talerico said. "I block everyone out and focus on hitting the ball hard. Then, I just do it. People are counting on me to get the job done, so I have to."
Talerico said that her older sister, Jill, who was a fine first baseman for SDA, graduating two years ago, inspired her to do well.
"Jill always told me to do my best and she would push me," Talerico said. "When she was playing, we always had this little competition as to who would do better. Now, I guess I have the bragging rights. She’s a little jealous."
Talerico’s spectacular senior season has not gone unnoticed. The softball coaching staff at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck has invited Talerico for an official recruiting visit this week.
"I’m pretty excited about that," said Talerico, who hopes to major in sports medicine in college.
Majewski said that he has enjoyed watching Talerico mature into a team leader.
"I think she embraced the idea that everyone looks to her to be a leader," Majewski said. "I don’t think she still understands the magnitude of just how important she is. But she’s definitely in command out there. She gets things done. If she tells everyone the sky is blue, then it’s blue. She’s just made the most of her opportunity and dedicated herself to become a better player."
Added Majewski, "And when she said that we could win, we were going to win. She kept on hitting, totally mashing the ball. And we kept on winning."
And the Blue Devils are headed to the state playoffs, thanks to the efforts of Jean Talerico.