It’s the last season ever for St. Mary High School baseball, but veteran head coach Pat Laguerre isn’t on some emotional roller coaster or a sentimental journey.
“We addressed that all a while back,” said Laguerre, whose school will close at the end of the current scholastic year. “We have a couple kids enrolled in other schools for next year already. Everything else is in order. We’re not going into this season with some sentimental attitude. We know what’s going to happen. It’s not something we bring up anymore.”
Laguerre is more concerned with the physical condition of his team. At least three of his expected pitchers, including last year’s Hudson Reporter All-Area standout Angel Paulino, are unable to take the mound right now because of an assortment of arm injuries. Two pitchers, like Paulino, who won eight games last season, are bothered with elbow woes. Another has a shoulder ailment.
“Angel has not been cleared to throw yet,” Laguerre said of his senior standout, who has been a steady varsity contributor on the mound and with the bat since he was a freshman. “We’re going to use him as a designated hitter and a first baseman. We’re not counting on him as a pitcher. He’s had an elbow issue since last summer and we’ve had to scale it back with him. Our biggest concern is getting him healthy.”
Senior Cesar Storm is another proven hurler who cannot throw because of a shoulder injury. Storm will be relegated to left field duties. The third anticipated pitcher is senior Danny Mirabel, another winning pitcher with varsity experience who cannot throw due to an elbow injury. Mirabel’s contributions will solely be from second base.
So what was going to be a grand final go-round for the Ramblers has turned into one giant question mark.
“The kids’ roles have changed,” Laguerre said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we have a good team right now. I think we have a chance to be pretty good. I would agree that once we thought we had a chance to be pretty good. But I don’t know. We’re not going to have the same team in May that we have now.”
That’s because come May, the Ramblers will get two players eligible who transferred to St. Mary’s after the Hudson County Schools of Technology dropped their athletic programs last spring.
Angel Pena is a catcher and outfielder who was a fine player at High Tech. Eliezer Rivera was a standout pitcher/third baseman at County Prep. Because they transferred to St. Mary after their respective schools dropped athletics, they must sit out the mandated 30 days, as per the NJSIAA’s transfer rules.
Yes, those rules do apply to kids who left the respective schools like High Tech and County Prep, even if they had no place to play. The NJSIAA believes that the student/athletes could have remained as matriculating students in their respective schools and played for their home district squads. If there was a transfer, the students must sit – so Pena and Rivera will miss the month of April and will become eligible May 1.
“I don’t think our season will be determined by the first week of April,” Laguerre said. “We’ll be better later on.”
Junior right-hander Quilvio Ventura will headline the Ramblers’ pitching staff, joined by fellow junior righty Mark Peralta. Both have varsity experience and should do fine jobs anchoring the Rambler rotation. Senior Jordan Caban is another capable hurler.
“We’re going to be pitching-by-committee,” Laguerre said. “We’re not missing just one quality arm, but eventually, we’ll be okay.”
Senior Caban, a left-hander, will man first base when he’s not on the mound. Mirabel will be the second baseman. When healthy, Mirabel is one of the best all-around players around.
Senior Brandon Torres is a super talented middle infielder who will hold down the fort at shortstop.
“I think he’s an All-County-type of shortstop,” Laguerre said of Torres. “I never have to worry about him. He’s solid.”
Peralta will be the regular third baseman, but watch for freshman Sergio Fuentes, who has earned his way into the Ramblers’ varsity roster.
Storm and senior Devin Mir will share left field responsibilities.
The centerfielder is returning Hudson Reporter All-Area honoree Miguel Aviles, who batted .375 with 22 RBI last year.
“Defensively, he’s fabulous,” Laguerre said of Aviles. “He’s very unselfish at the plate, but he can hit and hit for power. He also runs well. He doesn’t do much wrong.”
Ventura will be in right field when he’s not pitching.
The catcher will be junior D.J. Wilson, who saw a lot of action behind the plate last year.
The Ramblers were slated to begin the 2011 season against Union City, but the early spring storm postponed that plan. They have games against Emerson Borough of Bergen County and Bayonne on tap for next week.
It has the makings of being a magical final campaign for the Ramblers, if their talented pitching staff can somehow find a way to get healthy before Memorial Day.
“I feel confident about our chances,” Laguerre said. “I would have agreed that we would be one of the better teams if we were healthier. We’ll see what happens.” – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.