Monsignor Pace Pushing To Return To Playoffs

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Two seasons back most of the Monsignor Pace players were just getting started in the program and learning what the expectations are like. The team was coming off its second straight state appearance, but had also graduated nearly every member of the teams that had been a part of it. In their place were a group of youngsters who were getting their first chance to wear the Spartans uniform and play for legendary manager Tom Duffin.

“Two years ago they were all shell shocked and didn’t know what this crazy man had in store for them,” Duffin recalled with a grin. “Now they are like an old beat up dog that you can only beat so much. Now they know the ropes and they can just let their talents go and play relaxed. As long as they focus between the lines I like them relaxed.”

It is a nice balance of competition and looseness within the Pace clubhouse. The player’s chemistry is as tight as could be expected of a group that has been playing together for years now. Expectations have always been very high for the program, and this current group is being challenged even more this season to rise above their previous accomplishments and take this current group back into the regional playoffs. Yet the pressure is not overwhelming to this group.

“I have a really good feeling about this year. We had a camp in the summer and with all the guys we have I knew this year is going to be special,” junior ace Nick Fusco said. “It’s an absolute honor to wear this uniform. Going into high school I knew Pace is the place I wanted to be because it is a good school, but the biggest reason being their baseball. Playing under Coach Duffin, Coach Fausto, Coach Lyman, Coach De La Vega and Coach D, they are the best coaches I have ever had. There is no experience I can compare to this.”

Fusco is a key member of a building plan that started two seasons ago when the coaches made the decision to start five freshmen for the entire varsity season. Last year that group doubled their win totals but were unable to survive the district tournament and advance into regionals. Now the coaches are hoping they can play to their full potential and move into the playoffs.

Duffin and his staff have been together for a long time, and throughout their tenure they have cemented many legacies and traditions within the program. Almost all played either for Duffin or with him, and one of the major components they create is the accountability everyone takes for their role and their responsibilities. The combination of tradition and expectations is why they do not give them any slack with work ethic and the way to play the game.

“We all played at Pace in years when it was the top school in the state and country so we preach that type of tradition,” said Duffin. “At the same time we demand a certain style of play because we know that is what is going to take them to get where they want to get. Every program has to have those type of coaches if it is going to succeed, to have that type of tradition and pride for the program that helps to pass it down. The kids feed off of it and they know they have to live up to a certain standard. These kids know these coaches have been there and when they walk down those halls and see the banners and plaques, some of them are these coaches they have to play for.”

The Spartans return 12 seniors and 16 regular players to make it a very experienced group. Playing time will be tough to earn and everyone is eager to contribute. For as close of a group as they are, newcomers like Chris Rodriguez, Nick Leal and Lloyd Dominguez have felt completely welcome. Rodriguez admits he loves the competitive atmosphere and how everyone is focused on baseball, while also appreciating his new coaches.

“They don’t care who you are at all. You can be the best guy in Miami-Dade but they do not care and they will put you in your place,” Chris Rodriguez said. “Coach Duffin doesn’t take anything for granted. It gets us ready for college or if in the Majors, because it is going to be like that where the coaches don’t care and you have to come in and work hard and stay humble.”

Chris Rodriguez will compliment Fusco at the front of the pitching rotation. Behind them the club has a ton of depth with reliable hurlers like Dominguez, Mattew Darder, Brandon Cruz, Juan Rodriguez, Alex Aponte, Andrew Rodriguez, John Merrill and Manny Rodriguez. It is a lot of talent behind two worthy starters, and the coaches have shown their trust in Fusco by staying committed to him deep into big games.

“I have to thank our pitching coach, Coach Lyman,” Fusco said. “He has taught us all since our freshmen year and I feel like I have grown so much thanks to him and also the pitchers around me who I have learned from. When we have our bullpen sessions with each other we learn off each other’s mistakes and also what we all do well. Just as pitchers alone we are like a little team and we support each other and help each other.”

The lineup has slowly come along the last few years, and could break out this season. The team is strongest up the middle of the defense and at the top of the order, led by seniors Jorge Arenas, Jonathan Reyes-Diaz and Jordan Topps. The growth and development of veterans such as Peter Diaz and Jonathan and Justin Ledesma could provide the club with so much depth that another state run is possible.

But there are still a lot of things to figure out. Since the fall the team has been tinkering to get all the right pieces in all the right places. The kids are hungry, which is exactly what they want. Now it is about fueling that hunger leading up to the start of the season.

“They are a great group of kids,” said Duffin. “When you put so much time into it and they do not reach their goals of the postseason, it has hurt us as coaches. So this year we are trying to bring the energy and let them know that we have not given up on them and this is what we have been building for the last two years. It’s fun because of the expectations to come.”

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