Game Of The Week: LaSalle vs. Belen Jesuit

Just how big is Saturday’s matchup between LaSalle and Belen Jesuit considering the schools are not in the same district much less the same class?

For starters, it’s the inaugural HSBN Miami-Dade Game of the Week. But for a matchup like this, that billing is only the cherry on top of the sundae.

“It’s the oldest rivalry in all of sports down here,” LaSalle Manager Oscar Benitez said. “They’ve been playing basically since the turn of the [20th] century.”

So there was little work the coaches had to do to get their players up for the game. Benitez said he told his players about it just last week, not wanting them to focus on it too early.

“They were pretty excited,” said Benitez, a Belen Jesuit graduate. “That rivalry is always a hot one. To have [HSBN] join in makes it that much better. We’re honored by the opportunity. Our kids are always on [the HSBN Miami-Dade] website.”

The Game of the Week concept was created by HSBN with two goals: raising money for the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation and bringing increased excitement to baseball in South Florida. Opening up with two rivals has accomplished those goals.

“I think it is great for us to get the featured game,” Belen Manager Jerry Albert said. “The fact that it’s for a good cause, that’s always a nice thing. Our school is big on charitable work. It’s about giving back to people.”

Albert said he knows the LaSalle team well this year after competing against them in the summer and fall.

“They have a good group of kids,” he said. “They have an excellent short stop who can hit. They have a very good coaching staff.”

There’s mutual respect between the teams and coaches.

“Jerry Albert does a great job with these kids,” Benitez said. “We’re expecting one heck of a ball game.”

The game coming early in the season gives the team another measuring stick to see how they’re progressing.

LaSalle, strong in pitching and defense, has been working to get its offense up to par as well as being more mentally tough. To help in the first area, Benitez changed the lineup last week, and the change allowed the team to put up 13 runs in two games.

Some of the players who have been leading the way for LaSalle so far this season include Javier Rodriguez, whom Benitez said is “such a good catcher that he makes the other team one-dimensional. It’s a lot easier to get through things if they can’t beat you in multiple ways. They have to beat you with their bats.”

Other top contributors include short stop Nick Canino, pitcher Sergio Miyares and center fielder Yordan Piedra.

LaSalle is off to a 3-3 start and has been in some close ballgames the past two weeks. Their games have been decided by three runs or fewer.

Belen is in a similar situation to LaSalle.

“The pitching has been consistent, but we need to improve offensively,” Albert said. “We just have to keep plugging away.”

Danny Parets is already 2-0 with 14 strikeouts in 12 innings. He has a 1.17 ERA. David Villa is 1-1 and has struck out eight in seven innings.

Offensively, short stop Alex Cabrera, the leadoff batter, “has done a terrific job getting on base,” Albert said.

Catcher David Guevara “has gotten some big hits for us and can swing the bat pretty good,” Albert said.

The Wolverines (4-1) got their first loss Thursday against Mater Academy, falling 5-1. Belen has been in two other tight ballgames this season, both of which the Wolverines won. They beat Mourning Senior 3-2 and Hialeah-Miami Lakes 2-1. Belen’s other two games were huge wins, 25-5 against Westland Hialeah and 19-2 against Norland.

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