Belleville HS baseball team hopes to bounce back; gears up for GNT

BELLEVILLE – The Belleville High School varsity baseball team endured a tough week, losing all three games.

The Bucs lost to Livingston, 13-2, April 25, at home; Caldwell, 9-5, April 27 on the road; and Nutley, 10-3, Friday, April 29, at home to move to a 2-12 record.

It’s been a tough season for head coach Joe Sorce’s Bucs, but the team is looking forward to the Greater Newark Tournament. On Saturday, the 11th-seeded Bucs will visit sixth-seeded Newark Academy in the first round at 3 p.m. Brayan Villar will get the start on the mound.

Sorce has been proud of his team’s work ethic despite the tough  season.

“I have to credit my players because they are playing hard everyday despite our record,” he said. “I’ve explained to the team that when we take the field on Saturday, our record means nothing. The only thing that matters is how we play that day.”

If the Bucs win, they will advance to the quarterfinals against the winner between third-seeded Nutley and 14th-seeded Glen Ridge.

For the Bucs, senior captains and twin brothers Dylan and Dustin Walicky are having strong seasons. Dustin is batting .375 while Dylan is hitting .345 and doing an outstanding job behind the plate, said Sorce.

The Bucs also had a nice turnout of former players in attendance for honoring George Zanfini, the late Bucs head baseball coach, on Friday against Nutley. “It was a very nice night,” said Sorce.

BHS schedule:

Monday,May 2, at Seton Hall Prep

Tuesday, May 3, at Livingston

Wednesday, May 4, vs. Columbia, 7 p.m., at BHS

Thursday, May 5, vs. West Essex

The pitching rotation is still up in the air.