HSBN Game Of The Week: Hialeah At Coral Gables

When Nestor Cortez found out his Hialeah team was set to play in the HSBN Game of the Week at Coral Gables this week, he made sure to check with his coach and let him know he wanted the chance to start on the mound.

It is just one example of how excited both teams are to play in this game.

Friday afternoon’s contest pits two of Miami’s powerhouses, with the Cavaliers (11-7) getting their first chance at a rematch with the team that ended their season last year.

The Thoroughbreds (13-4) got a three-run home run in the fifth inning to earn a 3-0 victory over Coral Gables in an 8A regional semifinal last season.

“It’s a fun rivalry. They’re a great, storied program and they are always a top team,” Cavaliers Manager Phil Wisser said. “Last year was a great game and it was tough. We’re excited to be the Game of the Week and it’s a neat situation. It’s a big test for us and it will be a fun game.”

Adding to the excitement is the relationship between their two managers, who both formerly coached together at Miami Springs before each returned to take the head position at their respective alma mater.

Wisser’s team beat them three times in 2010, their first year going against one another, but the Thoroughbreds and Manager Jonathan Hernandez have won every game since.

“I joke around that we have had the last laugh, and that we won when it counted the most,” Hernandez joked. “Honestly, Phil is my mentor and I took the system I learned from him, and then added my own stuff when I brought it over here to Hialeah. It’s not personal for us, and when it is over we go back to our routine.”

One thing both managers agree on is how much this spotlight game will benefit the kids.

“The kids are stoked and they know what it means, not just the opportunity for the coverage, but that it benefits the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Foundation,” said Hernandez. “It’s an attribute to their hard work and dedication and we are excited what we can do as a team.”

Hialeah comes into this week having had a strong showing this Spring by earning the runner up trophy in the elite Sunshine Classic Tournament, after falling to national powerhouse Charlotte Christian 2-1 in the tournament championship.

“We’re turning that corner and playing really well right now,” said Hernandez, while being quick to point out that his team knows better than to overlook a dangerous opponent such as the Cavaliers. “We’re on a good run now, but we don’t take it for granted. Phil is going to have his team prepared. We know each other so well, and it will be a chess match. We know they will bring their ‘A’ game.”

Coral Gables went 1-3 over their Spring Break, falling at Port St. Lucie before going 1-2 on a trip to Alabama that included contests against a pair of teams who faced one another last year in the Alabama state finals.

When the Cavaliers finally take the field on their home turf Friday afternoon, they will have gone 17 days and seven games since they last hosted one.

“There aren’t many home games for us, so it will be nice,” admitted Wisser, who admits he enjoys taking the team on road trips each spring to play games in new places, while also taking visits to colleges in those areas.

Senior Orlando Rodriguez is scheduled to get the home start for the Cavaliers, although those plans could change depending on the team’s needs in their two games leading up to Friday’s showdown.

Rodriguez has gone 3-2 this season with 20 strikeouts in his first season with the team after coming to the school last year from Cuba.

Across the diamond, Nestor Cortez looks to continue his recent hot streak in which he has averaged two strikeouts per inning over his past three starts.

The senior left-hander has a 1.50 ERA and a team-leading 51 strikeouts, despite a deceiving 2-3 record on the year.

“Nestor is our catalyst; he’s a gamer and just a pure baseball player,” said Hernandez.

Hialeah is a program well known for its glut of pitching depth, which also leaves the team able to turn to junior Alexis Herrera, who pitched a three-hit shutout in their regional victory last season.

“They have good arms and we know it will be a big challenge for us,” said Wisser.

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