Diamond Jacks first baseman Nehemiah Diaz digs out a throw to get Next Level’s Gavin Burger in time.
By Rich Bevensee
To say pitching depth is the strength of the Diamond Jacks Super 16U ballclub is a drastic understatement. Saying the team has a wealth of pitching doesn’t quite cut it, either.
It’s more like an embarrassment of riches.
Continuing a summer-long trend of pitching excellence, Diamond Jacks righties Liam Goyette and Myles Foster combined on a five-inning, 8-0 shutout of Next Level 2 in the 16U Blue Chip Prospects Tournament on Wednesday morning at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
The win not only allowed the Diamond Jacks to put the finishing touches on a 4-0 pool play week, it cemented the team as a sure-fire top seed after the pitching staff allowed just two runs in four games combined.
One observer who came away impressed with the week-long performance was Diamond Jacks pitching director Steve Schrenk, who pitched in the Major Leagues for two years and coached in the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.
“We have a lot of talent on this team,” Schrenck said. “I’m looking for some big things from this team in the next couple years.”
Against Next Level 2, Goyette, a rising junior at Hunterdon Central, pitched two perfect, three-up, three-down innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Foster, a rising junior at Nazareth Area High (Pa.), faced one batter over the minimum while pitching three scoreless frames. He walked one and struck out four.
Earlier in the week Landon Bolan, a rising junior at Morris Catholic, got the Diamond Jacks started when he went the distance in a 13-2 defeat of MVP 2027 Showcase. Chase Woodring (Southern Lehigh, Center Valley, Pa.) and Will Sassman (Hun School) combined on a 5-0 shutout of 9ers 2027 National.
And Chris Jerla, a rising junior at Don Bosco Prep, pitched a complete game one-hitter with 14 strikeouts in a 1-0 defeat of Northeast Pride ‘28 National.
“The biggest thing for me is they’re pounding the strike zone with strikes,” Schrenk said. “They’re using all of their off-speed pitches, not just their fastballs, and that’s what we’ve preached over the last few months. Let’s cut down the walks, let’s pitch to contact a little more, make them hit the first two or three pitches and put the ball in play.”
Goyette said the pitching staff usually takes a communal approach to sharing information and opinions when preparing for opposing lineups.
“I look at the other pitchers, I look at what they throw and what team they throw against and take note of that,” Goyette said. “All the pitchers are like that. We share what we’re thinking.”
That’s not to say the teammates aren’t trying to match or out-do the previous day’s performance.
Nick Do drills a two-run double in the second inning for Diamond Jacks Super 16U.
“We definitely do have a competitive nature,” Goyette said. “We love each other but I want to go out there and try to beat what the last guy did.”
While Goyette and Foster threw handcuffs on Next Level batters, leadoff hitter Nick Do shined as the team’s offensive star.
In his first at bat to lead off the game, he walked and stole second, then moments later he stole third and took home on an errant throw, all in a span of about two minutes. In his next at bat he doubled down the left field line to drive in two runs. Do walked a second time in his third at bat.
Being recognized as one of the most complete players in the Diamond Jacks organization is a label Do wears with pride. Early on in his career he caught coaches’ attention with his speed and defensive prowess.
But Do said he didn’t want to be known as just a speed guy and worked tirelessly on becoming an offensive threat.
“I take a lot of pride in not being a one-dimensional player. I try to hone in on every facet of the game,” said Do, a rising junior at Jefferson. “When I started here I struggled on being a consistent hitter. So after working on that for a long time, working on a focused approach, putting in hours of work and making sure my swing feels right, I feel like I’m a tough out now.”
Also for the Diamond Jacks, Elijah Dawes went 2-for-2 with an RBI, Jackson Staples doubled, Jerla and Justin Labrador each had an RBI single, and Nikolas Holot drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.