SLAM Seeking To Build Winning Tradition In Second Year

In the shadow of Marlins Park, a winning tradition is taking shape at SLAM.

This is the second year of existence for the Titans and the first under new Manager Alfonso Otero, who takes over the position from legendary coach Rich Hofman. Otero has plans to continue what Hofman started, building another winning program.

Otero, who has been an assistant coach since 1995, said taking over for Hofman “is no easy task,” but Otero knows a thing or two about what it takes to put together a championship team. He was an assistant to Hofman at Westminster Christian from 1996 to 1998, a span in which the Warriors were named national champions (1996, 36-0 season) and twice were state champions (1997 and 1998).

“This is where my high school coaching career really took off. I was able to be around a great group of talented and hungry baseball players that wanted to play together and win,” Otero said. “I was able to learn a lot from Coach Hofman in all aspects of coaching. I model my practices and the way that I have prepared the team leading up to this point in the same way that coach Hofman would do with his teams in the past.”

Otero will rely on his strong group of assistant coaches in Pitching Coach Al Lopez, Robbie Moscoso, Nick Quintero and Rene Estrada.

One thing the Titans have going for them this season is familiarity, as all of the players from last year’s team have returned. Chief among them is senior pitcher Andrew Velez, who went 9-0 as a junior last year. Velez also was a force on offense, as he hit .306 with seven RBIs and posted a .468 on-base percentage.

“I am approaching this season with more confidence than last year, and I am planning on leading my team to a state championship,” Velez said.

Another impact player from last year’s team is shortstop Jeter Downs, who has been playing varsity Baseball since the eighth grade. Last year as a freshman he hit .345 with 16 RBIs and had a .468 one-base percentage. Otero said Downs is one of the top sophomores in his class. He participated in the Under Armour National Showcase and is projected to hit somewhere in the top of the order.

“He’s a very good player with great instincts and a desire to play the game,” Otero said.

Downs is ready to step up and do whatever his offense needs from him.

“I just want to do everything that I possibly can to help my team,” Downs said. “If I have to bunt, then that’s what I’ll be doing. At the end of the day, we are working towards one goal and that’s to win the last game of the season. Hitting as a team, we have a couple flaws, but if we play with confidence that the next person next will get the job done and play as one, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Center fielder Brian Frias is another key player returning. As a sophomore, he hit .339 with 17 RBIs and had a .488 on-base percentage.

“Brian has very good tools as a baseball player,” Otero said. “He runs a 6.7/6.6 60-yard dash and possesses a great throwing arm and can hit for power as well. He will be our lead-off hitter and has the potential of stealing a lot bases.”

SLAM catcher Adraina DelCastillo is a player whom Otero said reminds him a lot of Yasmani Grandal, who was a star catcher at Miami Springs, who had a great career with the Miami Hurricanes and now is the starting catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last year as an eighth-grader, DelCastillo hit .403 with 19 RBIs and had a .519 on-base percentage.

“Adrian is a great, young left-handed hitter who possesses a lot of power and also possesses a strong throwing arm behind the plate,” Otero said.
Otero said another player who will make an immediate impact on the team is sophomore Jose Garcia, who can catch and play first base. Otero projects him to hit third, fourth or fifth in the lineup.

With all of that talent coming back, SLAM certainly is feeling good about improving on last year’s 19-5-1 mark. Other returning starters are Paul Castillo (third base), Chauncey Nunez (pitcher/outfielder), Kevin Garcia (outfielder), Jonathan Fernandez (pitcher/first baseman), Javier Camacho (outfielder) and Alejandro Rodriguez (outfielder).

“One of my goals is to try to win at least 20 games,” Otero said. “One of my long-term goals is to eventually reach the state Final Four and try to win a state championship. My motto is to try to win the next game on your schedule and win the last game of the season.”

As the team tries to improve on its strong first season, there’s the fact that SLAM is now in a district and eligible to compete in the state series to factor in. The Titans will compete in 3A-15 against Hialeah Educational, Archbishop Curley, Westwood Christian, Dade Christian, Miami Country Day, Sagemont and Somerset Central Miramar.

Otero remains undaunted.

“I believe that with the all the players coming back from last year’s team and with our experience, I believe we can contend for the district title and move on and play into regionals,” Otero said. “Another one of my goals this year in being my first year as the head coach is to try to develop my young players and as they get older, try to get them a college scholarship so that they can continue to pursue a baseball career while getting an education as well.”

Otero said he has a group of kids who are hungry to win, and players such as Velez portray confidence as the season gets underway.

“As a new school we face many challenges like a field, however we have made the best with what we have,” Velez said. “We are not to be taken lightly, and we will set the tone for SLAM baseball’s future.”

Velez said he feels secure with the coaches in place and believes the team is “still learning that same winning legacy Hofman carried now led by new coaches”.

Downs also said the team faces adversity in its infancy, but he, like Velez, exudes confidence and enthusiasm. It’s a grind having to get into their school bus in order to get to practice everyday after school since they don’t have a field in their back yard like most programs. But he wouldn’t change it for anything else. He knows they have great coaches that know the game inside and out and an outstanding administration that supports us in every way.

“Hofman was a great coach. I personally learned so many different parts of the game I didn’t know existed. Yes, I believe his presence is still in the air,” Downs said. “because he was so good at drilling the importance on how the little things mattered so much like baserunning, bunt defense, and so on. He was a firm believer that you can have the most amazing team full of studs, but if those little parts of the game aren’t executed, the game will find a way to come back and beat you. We may be young but we are hungry, and hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”

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