A year ago, Elijah Pereira suddenly emerged as one of the best pitchers in Hudson County. As a junior, Pereira took on most of the top teams in the county and was highly successful.
But having a year under his belt and establishing a reputation in the process wasn’t good enough for Pereira. He worked extremely hard at improving his skills, both as a pitcher and a shortstop.
“Coming into this year, I wanted to get a little more pop on the ball,” Pereira said. “I also wanted to hit the ball better. I was going to give it my all and try to carry the team.”
So Pereira was diligent with his offseason preparation. He spent countless hours in the weight room, trying to get bigger and stronger, adding just a little extra to his 5-foot-7 and 175-pound frame.
“I did a little more conditioning,” Pereira said. “I worked on my arm strength to keep my arm in good shape. I did a lot of abdominal conditioning because I knew that it would help my leg strength. That’s where I get my power from, my legs. All the work helped, because I could tell with my velocity.”
Veteran Ferris head baseball coach Mike Hogan, still recovering from recent surgery, agreed.
“I think he has a little more velocity than he had last year,” said Hogan, who is still unable to coach on the field, but plans to shortly. “He’s throwing a little harder and that helps. He also doesn’t walk anyone. He definitely spent his time well in the weight room and built himself up to become more powerful.”
The proof is in the pudding. Pereira has been a strikeout machine thus far, reaching double digits in strikeouts in all of his starts.
Pereira started off the season by firing a one-hitter against Dickinson, striking out 17 in the process. He then had 12 strikeouts against North Bergen, allowing just three hits. Last week against Hoboken, Pereira struck out 10 in a win against Hoboken, allowing just three hits and one earned run and he fanned 11 in a 5-1 win over Hudson Catholic, surrendering just two hits and one unearned run.
For the season, Pereira owns a 4-0 record, allowing just 10 hits in the four games with just six walks and an astounding 51 strikeouts.
For his efforts, Pereira has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week. Pereira was also chosen as an Athlete of the Week last season as well.
“He has been dominating at times,” said Hogan, who doesn’t throw superlatives around often. “He’s pitched as well as anyone in the county and is in the mix with the best pitchers. He has shut some good teams down. He’s been able to get ahead of hitters and put people away. His fastball is better. His breaking ball is hard. There haven’t been many balls that were hit hard against him. He throws strikes and has been effective.”
Pereira would also be the Bulldogs’ best hitter if not for a hamstring injury that limited his play of late.
“He’s our best shortstop and one of our better hitters,” Hogan said. “His hamstring has bothered him. We haven’t had him completely healthy all year.”
Still, in his limited appearances at the plate, Pereira is hitting .387. He had a double, triple and two RBI in the win over Hudson Catholic Momday.
“We want him to hit as well,” Hogan said. “He’s a good hitter. He’s a very good high school pitcher and a good shortstop who we need to be healthy.”
“I’ve tried to play with the pulled hamstring,” Pereira said. “Since I injured it, I’ve been the DH [designated hitter] or I’ve pinch-hit. I want to be able to get back on the field.”
The plan was to allow Pereira back at shortstop on Wednesday.
“I’ve just been determined and focused,” Pereira said. “My main focus has been to get ahead of batters. I only throw two pitches, a fastball and a curve, so I have to mix it up pretty well. I work the outside corner of the plate and I try to keep it down. I have to keep the batter guessing. That’s my goal every batter.”
Pereira said that he’s not surprised with his performance thus far.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Pereira said. “It’s all about preparation. I worked hard for it. I’ve put in the hard work. This is what I expect of myself. People say that I’m the best pitcher in the county, but I don’t want to think of that. I just want to keep winning and help my team.”
Pereira has already decided that he will attend New Jersey City University and play for coach Jerry Smith’s Gothic Knights next season.
“I’m real excited about that,” Pereira said. “I always dreamed about playing college baseball since I was a little boy. It’s a pretty humbling feeling to get the opportunity to play in college. In fact, it’s a blessing.”
Hogan knows that he has a true ace of his staff in Pereira.
“We can’t expect much more than this,” Hogan said. “He’s been throwing the ball real well.” – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.