BELLEVILLE – The Belleville High School varsity baseball team has been busy getting ready for the season that begins April 1.
“We have managed to play 10 scrimmages, which has been great,” said head coach Joe Sorce. “It’s allowed us to see guys in game action. Many of our players have had anywhere from 20 to 30 plate appearances.”
On Tuesday, March 22, the Bucs played at Scotch Plains. Leading the way for BHS was junior Branden Basantes, who had a big day with three hits. Senior Adrian Alarcon also pitched well, said Sorce.
On Wednesday, March 23, the Bucs traveled to Diamond Nation in Flemington to play Governor Livingston. Juniors Sam Abreu and Brayan Villar both hit triples to lead the offensive attack. Sophomore Danny Pinedo and junior Alex Luna both did a good job on the mound, Sorce said.
On Thursday, March 24, the Bucs played North Arlington at home. Freshmen Chris Amparo had three hits in his first varsity action. Junior righty Mark Cruz pitched three solid innings.
On Saturday, March 26, the Bucs played Mount Olive at home. Junior Brayan Villar pitched four innings and senior lefty Adrian Alarcon pitched three. The two combined for eight strikeouts and only allowed two earned runs.
“We have been getting solid pitching, good hitting, and good base-running,” said Sorce. “We need to tighten up our defense. We’ve been making way too many errors, but that’s why we schedule a lot of scrimmages. Our guys have had a productive March and I’m confident we’ll be just fine. We have very strong leadership. Captains Dylan and Dustin Walicky (twins) have been excellent. They are constantly helping younger players and have become an extension of the coaching staff. That should certainly help us throughout the season.”
This week, the Bucs will scrimmage Rutherford at home on Monday, March 28. The Bucs open the season Friday, April 1, at home against Millburn and play home Saturday, April 2, against Glen Ridge at 11 a.m. On Monday, April 4, the Bucs travel to Livingston.
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