Before the 2015 high school baseball season began two weeks ago, spirits were high at Memorial.
The Tigers finished the 2014 season on a high note, winning 15 games and advancing to the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV quarterfinals, losing in a heartbreaker to Bloomfield, 2-1. There were a lot of talented and young players returning. Everything looked great for a return to glory for a once-proud and perennially dominant baseball program.
“We had a lot of hope going into this year,” said Memorial head coach Danny Marroquin. “We had a lot of underclassmen step up over the last two years to help us out. We were trying to bring Memorial baseball back to where it once was.”
And the Tigers had their first big-time NCAA Division I recruit coming back in right-handed pitcher and infielder Steven Acosta, who signed a national letter of intent to attend Stony Brook University in the fall, becoming the first Memorial baseball player to go Division I since 1999. Acosta earned Hudson Reporter All-Area honors last spring as a utility player.
“We were always talking in practice that we had to bring Memorial baseball back to the way it was,” Marroquin said. “We had to look at it like we could play with anybody. We had high hopes to compete for the county and state sectional title.”
However, the Tigers’ huge hopes suffered a serious blow, when Acosta injured his elbow during a preseason workout, tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow, an injury that required the famed Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.
Acosta will miss the entire season and will now redshirt through his freshman year at Stony Brook.
“Steven was going to be our ace pitcher,” Marroquin said. “It was going to be tough not having him.”
The Tigers couldn’t bemoan the loss of their standout hurler. They still had a season to prepare for.
“We had to move on without Steven,” Marroquin said. “As tough as it was, we had to move on. When Steven first came in and told us about the surgery, you could see that the team was down for about 15 minutes or so. But then, they went to practice and just knew that they had to keep going. They had to step up and play baseball without him. They had to all work together and not play selfish baseball. We weren’t going to make excuses. Everyone had to do their jobs and pick up without Steven.”
Marroquin said that he liked the scrappy and feisty way that the Tigers played with after learning of Acosta’s injury.
“They became battlers,” Marroquin said. “Everyone just started to pick each other up.”
The results have been fine in the early portion of the season, as the Tigers have won their first three games against Bayonne, Kearny and defending county champion Marist.
“The three wins did nothing but build confidence in this team,” Marroquin said. “We’re playing a lot of sophomores and juniors who can play. They just needed to believe that they could play.”
One of the team’s seniors is talented shortstop/pitcher Victor Guzman.
“I don’t know if he’s accepted the role of being the ace pitcher yet, but he’s definitely the team leader,” Marroquin said of Guzman. “He’s the go-to guy now. He’s the one who encourages everyone. He gets us going.”
Guzman pitched five solid innings in the win over Marist and 4 2/3 innings in the win over Kearny.
Another solid pitcher is junior left-hander Kevin Mojica.
“He has all the tools to be a very good pitcher,” said Marroquin, who was a standout hurler for the Tigers during his playing days, eventually pitching for William Paterson in college. “He throws the ball very well. He has a good curveball and changeup. Sometimes, he gets a little whacky out there, so we have to calm him down. But when he’s good, he’s lights out.”
Junior Chris Rey is another right-hander that Marroquin can rely on, especially when the game is on the line.
“I’ve been using him as a closer to come in and close out games,” Marroquin said. “He already has stopped some rallies. He throws hard and throws strikes. He goes after batters.”
Sophomore Carlos Inoa is another hurler in the Memorial stable of pitchers.
“He has a lot of potential,” Marroquin said. “He has a lot of tools. He just needs to mature a little, grow up and become more consistent. He also needs to be smarter on the mound.”
There are three other sophomores that Marroquin could use, namely Jerry Rosado, Derek Fernandez and Lazaro Lopez. The young staff has to give Marroquin a lot of hope for the future.
“We’re going to be able to use them in key situations,” Marroquin said. “I’m not afraid to use them. I have confidence in them. They throw strikes. That’s the main thing.”
Senior Jose Baez rounds out the pitching staff.
“He doesn’t throw the ball hard, but he knows how to pitch,” Marroquin said. “He puts the ball in play. That’s what I stressed in practices. We just had to put the ball in play, then make the plays in the infield.”
Marroquin has been using two sophomores at catcher, namely Peter Perez and Albert Munoz.
“We have a little platoon going on,” Marroquin said. “One can catch, the other can be the DH [designated hitter] and can switch. They’re both good behind the plate.”
Junior Mario Palos, who was a standout in the outfield last year, has been moved to first base. Palos was a .400 hitter for the Tigers last year.
“We needed to get him accustomed to playing first base,” Marroquin said.
Sophomore Lopez is the second baseman.
“He’s a good fielder who has really impressed me,” Marroquin said. “I didn’t know he had that baseball savvy. This kid is really growing on me.”
Guzman is a staple at shortstop. When Guzman toes the rubber, then senior Adrian Gavalan moves in to play short.
Fernandez is the team’s third baseman who has also been stellar so far.
“He’s a pretty good all-around athlete,” Marroquin said.
Giovanni Palos, Mario’s twin brother, is the starter in left field. Like his brother, Giovanni Palos was a .400 hitter last season.
“The brothers bat 3-4 in the lineup,” Marroquin said.
Junior Chris Fernandez, Derek’s older brother, is the centerfielder and the team’s leadoff hitter. As you can see, there’s a lot of brotherly love going on with the Tigers.
“Chris had a good year as a freshman, then tailed off a little last year,” Marroquin said. “We expect big things from him this year.”
Senior Anthony Baez and sophomore Michael Hernandez are sharing right field duties.
The Tigers are going to be challenged to keep the winning ways going. They face St. Anthony, Hudson Catholic, Hoboken and Fort Lee upcoming on consecutive days.
“In my heart, I want us to play the best teams, because I believe we’re going to get better playing the best,” Marroquin said. “We have a young team that will learn as the season goes on. If we’re going to be good, we have to face the best.”
So far, so good, as the Tigers have three wins, including one over the defending county champ. Looks like Marroquin is working toward his goal of bringing Memorial back to prominence.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.
You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.