When Jersey City native Alberto Vasquez left Hudson Catholic for Rutgers University on a baseball scholarship four years ago, it was believed that the standout catcher was destined for a career of greatness in collegiate baseball.
After all, Vasquez had all the tools – a cannon for an arm, the ability to pounce on and pick balls out of the dirt, the know-how and leadership qualities of a 20-year veteran, and the love of the game matched by no one. He was simply going to be a star at Rutgers. There was nothing that was going to deny that fact.
However, college baseball life didn’t exactly come easy for Vasquez. A funny thing happened along the road to college baseball stardom. Vasquez forgot how to hit the ball. Sure, his defensive skills never wavered, but he was nowhere near the power hitter he was in high school.
"I knew I had to hit better," Vasquez said. "I felt I belonged, but I had to hit the ball. It was tough for me. I knew I could do it, but I was under so much pressure to do well that every time I got up, I felt like I had to hit a 900-foot home run."
As a freshman in 2000, Vasquez played in just 10 games and batted a robust .143. Talk about culture shock.
"It wasn’t fun," Vasquez said.
As a sophomore in 2001, Vasquez improved a little, hitting .183. Still, those numbers are not going to allow anyone to play every day, not even a defensive-minded catcher with unlimited defensive skills.
Last year, as a junior, Vasquez again showed some improvement, batting .259 as the Scarlet Knights’ primary starter at catcher.
Still, he wasn’t the consistent hitter that he wanted to be. He simply had to bash the ball, especially if Vasquez had hopes of playing professionally and especially if Rutgers wanted to make another appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"I worked hard to improve my hitting," said Vasquez, who said he began the improvement by going to play summer league baseball last year in the famed Cape Cod Collegiate League, catching for the Falmouth Commodores.
The league has been a stepping stone for many future major leaguers and was made famous last year with the theatrical release of "Summer Catch," the movie featuring Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Brian Dennehy.
"I saw the movie and definitely could relate to it," Vasquez said. "Going to play in the Cape was a great thing for me. It definitely got me ready for this season, playing with and against some of the best players in the country. It was exciting to play there, with all the people."
The experience last summer enabled Vasquez to return to Rutgers with a newfound confidence.
"I was much more confident and much more comfortable at the plate," Vasquez said. "I got my hands up higher and just started to mash the ball. By the beginning of the season, I knew I was ready. I was finally settled in, finally hitting the ball. I knew I couldn’t walk in and do the same things I did in the past. I had to hit the ball. I had to prove that I could right now."
Vasquez was a totally changed player from the start of the season. He was hitting with confidence, with authority and with consistency. And the Scarlet Knights were winning, all the way to the regular season Big East championship.
With the NCAA Tournament beginning this weekend, Rutgers, ranked No. 23 in the nation by Baseball America, heads to Florida State University to take on the University of South Alabama in the first round, with a showdown against the No. 1 team in the nation (Florida State) looming.
And Rutgers will have Alberto Vasquez, complete with his .308 batting average and 18 RBI, as its starting catcher.
"It’s an awesome feeling," Vasquez said. "We didn’t make the tournament last year, so we felt we had a good shot this year, winning the Big East championship and being ranked. We were kind of confident, but not overconfident. I remember how it felt two years ago when we went to Nebraska to play. It’s a totally different world. We were treated like rock stars."
Vasquez said that the Scarlet Knights don’t feel slighted that they were given the third seed in the regional where the No. 1 team in the country resides, playing on Florida State’s home field.
"That’s fine with us," Vasquez said. "It doesn’t bother us. We could care less where and who we were playing. It doesn’t mean anything. The only thing going to Florida means is that we’ll get some warm weather to play in. But it really feels great."
It’s even more rewarding because Vasquez has been a major part of the Scarlet Knights’ success this season. He has salvaged his baseball career and can actually point to the future.
"It would have been horrible if I didn’t get the shot," Vasquez said. "I always felt like I could play, but if I didn’t get that shot, I don’t know what I would have done. Baseball is my life, my heart. Not being able to prove myself would have been brutal. Coach (Fred) Hill brought me to Rutgers to do something, so I had to prove that I could do it. He had faith in me."
Vasquez, who recently graduated with a degree in criminal justice, said that he cannot comprehend that his collegiate career is drawing to a close.
"I can’t believe I’m a senior," Vasquez said. "It feels like I just left Hudson Catholic. Time just flies. I can’t believe it."
But he’s ready for the next chapter of his baseball career, which is professional baseball. Vasquez firmly believes he may receive a phone call Tuesday or Wednesday, which will inform him that he has been drafted in the Major League Baseball free agent amateur draft.
"I heard from a couple of scouts that I could be drafted," Vasquez said. "But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. It’s definitely the furthest thing from my mind right now. I just want to win this weekend."
But the possibility is there now. It wasn’t three years ago. Vasquez has made the most of his collegiate opportunity, making a career out of what was nothing.
"Now, after games, people come up to me and tell me that I’ve done a good job," Vasquez said. "I love hearing that. It makes me feel like I’m finally doing something good."