Yomar Carreras singled, walked, drove in a run and scored twice for Warehouse Mariachis.
By Rich Bevensee
It’s an age-old argument. In the world of athletics, who should be viewed as a role model? Or should athletes be viewed that way at all?
Take the Warehouse Mariachis ‘24 Black baseball team, which boasts four players who have already made college commitments to Division 1 programs.
Warehouse coach Alejandro Diaz says the program takes in-house leadership very seriously and makes sure the elder players are setting the proper example.
“A lot of those older guys who are committed are role models to our younger guys who are still too young to have that college interest, and to the guys who are interested,” Diaz said. “We talk about guys being leaders, and not just on the field. These guys spend a lot of time together off the field, whether it’s in the weight room or hanging out after practice. Oh yeah, the leadership aspect is big.”
Yes, even with D-1 offers in hand, it appears those players still lead by example by keeping the gas pedal floored when it comes to effort. That was the visual message as the Mariachis topped previously unbeaten Spartan Baseball 2024, 9-1 in five innings, at the Super 17 Invitational Powered by Victus on Sunday morning at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
Rutgers commit Yomar Carreras, a rising senior at North Brunswick, singled, drove in a run and scored twice. Rutgers commit Julius Rosado, a rising junior at South River, singled and drove in two runs.
Seton Hall commit Carter Cumiskey, a rising junior at Spotswood, had an RBI single and pitched one-run ball over the first four innings. And Coastal Carolina commit Jaxon Appelman, a rising senior at Edison, posted one of six Mariachi base hits.
“I feel like we all play a part in it (being a role model), but I definitely try to be a friend and not always keep the game in their head because it’s good to relax off the field,” Carreras said. “When they get out of hand it’s part of the game – having fun – but the more focused we are the better we do.”
Cumiskey, who surrendered a solo home run to the game’s second batter, Zach Robinson, quickly settled down and allowed one run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Cumiskey is coming off a terrific high school campaign at Spotswood.
“I know some of them definitely look up to what I do,” Cumiskey said of his teammates. “It doesn’t really feel that way because of how close we are. We’re friends playing together and it’s been that way for the past couple years. A lot of them are really good and are gonna’ definitely find a home soon, probably every single one of them.”
The question was posed as to whether the pressure is off with a D-1 scholarship in hand. From coach and players alike, the answer was a resounding no.
“Just because you’re committed doesn’t mean your work has ended,” Diaz said. “Your work has just begun. In fact you have to start working even harder because, yeah, you have where you’re going, but you want to play well when you get there, too. It’s not just, ‘Okay, I got there, I’m good, I can sit back.’ Now it’s, ‘I gotta still play well. I gotta get better every time I show up on the field.’”
“If anything I play more aggressively and intelligently,” Carreras said. “I’m already at a level where I have to keep progressing and progressing. I can’t stay where I’m at. And intelligent in the fact that I cant get injured and I want to have a good career ahead of me.”
As stated earlier, the Mariachis were in a 1-0 hole early when Robinson drove a 1-0 Cumiskey pitch over the left field wall.
Zach Robinson is greeted by teammates after his first-inning solo HR for Spartan Baseball 2024.
“He got a lot of it,” Cumiskey said with a shrug. “It’s one pitch, nobody on, one run. I got it back together right after that.”
That Spartan lead was short-lived, as Warehouse claimed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Rosado drove in Jayden Alvarez with a sacrifice fly, and Cumiskey plated Carreras with an RBI single.
The Mariachis’ next at bat produced three more runs. Casey Chiola showed some hustle after getting hit with a pitch by stealing second and taking third and home on wild pitches. And Rosado drove in two runs with an infield chopper for a 5-1 lead.
Carreras contributed again in the third inning, pushing the Warehouse lead to 6-1 with a bases-loaded walk.
In the fifth, Warehouse catcher John Papaianni had an RBI single, and the game ended with a two-run error on a Jaxon Sevilla ground ball which squirted through the infield.
Jake Romanello relieved Cuminskey and pitched a scoreless fifth inning with two hits and one strikeout.
Warehouse Mariachis 24 Black and Spartan Baseball 2024 were two of only 19 teams – out of a 90-team field – to win three games this week.
The Mariachis beat NY Dynasty, 6-0, and Wladyka American, 3-0. Then they rebounded from a 2-1 loss to Out Of The Park Cyclones 17U to beat the Spartans.
The Spartans beat Out Of The Park Cyclones 17U, 6-1, Renegades AC, 7-1, and Complete Performance Baseball Academy 17U, 3-2, before bowing to the Mariachis.