Highlands Christian Ready To Mix It Up

From time to time Knights manager Bruce Charlebois likes to sit outside the cafeteria and have lunch with some of his players. The coach will sit with any select guy and talk to him about life, school, family, and of course, baseball. These moments allow them to focus on their main goal, which is best exhibited at their home field where there is a sign that says ‘step up to the plate and play the game of life’. Coach Charlebois encourages his guys to honor God with the gifts they have been given and translate that into something that they love in baseball.

The players know their coach has all the confidence in them, and they appreciate that he does not hesitate to show it.

“Some people will wait around until somebody does something good and then say that they did a good job,” said Charlebois. “I don’t allow baseball to define them as human beings; I want them to win at the game of life. When it comes to their character they are always going to be blessed, loved and encouraged. They feel like they are solid human beings and it transitions onto the field.”

The Knights certainly exuded the confidence to win despite staggering odds against them a year ago. With a team of 12 total players that included three freshmen and an eight-grader in the starting unit, they made a run into the regional playoffs. The team finished at 10-12-1 overall after their season-ending loss to Pope John Paul II in the regional quarterfinals, but the way they finished the season helped restore pride to the young group now adding to the program’s legacy.

“Coach has always held us to a higher standard, since day one,” said senior veteran Saul Valez. “He’s always gotten it through to our heads that we are a lot better team than we think we are. It’s a swagger with Coach Bruce and he believes in us as a team and as a family. Everybody is bringing more confidence to the plate, on the mound, everything. We’re just getting ready to go.”

The Knights have outplayed themselves and their overall record before. They made a run to the state tournament in 2008 with an even .500 record, and also advanced to the state tournament in 2010. Both times their run ended in the state semifinals, and this current team whispers often about the desire to go back for unfinished business.

Coach Charlebois reminds guys not to look too far ahead, but at the same time he appreciates and encourages them to be a goal-setting team. He knows every squad has a goal of a state title when they lace up their cleats for the first time each new season. This club has played in four regional championships in Charlebois’ nine seasons at the helm, and the current regime has the talent and belief that they can make a run to complete their unfinished business.

On top of the glut of talent that returns to the team in 2014, they also welcome a strong starting pitcher in junior Taravella transfer Alex Bertot, as well as an excitable group of talented ballplayers all from the nation of Caracao in Quinsley Balentien, Brendly Martina, Drexler Macaay, Ayrton Barbolina, Xeno Daal, Argiomon Nark and Raygelo Melfor. With an international pipeline the school has built over the years, the team already has an incredibly talented leader in longtime veteran Kirvin Moesquit, who is an MLB prospect and an important team leader. The new transfers are passionate and play the game at a high level, and it has added an extra jolt of energy to everything the Knights do.

Even amongst the new guys, the goal remains the same for everyone.

“Everybody wants to go back to states, even the new kids from another country want to go after a championship already,” said Valez, who jokes that he has to mentor them to understand fall baseball is more developmental and they have not even begun to chase after a state title yet. “We’re just trying to take it day by day and game by game, and then once spring comes we will put the pedal to the medal and all forces will be a go. Our goal is to make it to states and win it. We know we have the talent, the pitching, the hitting and the defense that can do it. We just have to bond together as a family and believe in it.”

Valez has taken it upon himself to be a leader as much as he can, even though it is a unique and interesting challenge to instruct a bunch of guys who are fluent in another language. They are finding ways to work and bond together, and everyone listens well. Everybody is real excited for the season and they are all working hard together in the cages, in the weight room and on the field.

“It’s a special thing and it’s not always going to be easy; we’re always going to have ups and downs,” said Valez. “But you can tell there is a buzz around here when we see the talent on display.”

Moesquit headlines the talent pool as a five-tool, blue chip prospect that is already committed to the University of Miami and may end up being a high draft pick in the June Amateur Draft. The senior plays multiple positions, which includes an impressive presence on the mound in which he covers the entire infield grass defensively and mows batters down. Last year the right-hander posted a 4-2 record with 34 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched, while hitting .468 with 32 runs, four doubles, two triples and two home runs. He also swiped 31 bases and simply wrecked havoc every time he got on base.

“Kirvin’s a big part of this team if not the biggest part,” said assistant coach Kyle Halloway. “He’s very, very talented and he’s one of our leaders. Fortunately he also can communicate very well with the new guys that have come in. He’s an anchor to the middle infield and the anchor to our lineup. He’s going to perform well for us this year.”

Meanwhile, Moesquit will not be alone in the outside attention that he receives this season. His new teammate Quinsley Balentien is also a well-regarded prospect who was on many scouts’ radar well before he came to the country for his senior year. Presumably the pressure will be lessened as the players can lean on one another along the way, which should help to keep the club’s big producers better focused on the team’s goals. Both guys also benefit from a coach who himself was a third round pick by the New York Yankees.

The formula remains the same even with the wave of possibilities that are opened in the speedy, energetic and hungry baseball players that have emigrated from Caracao. With so little time to integrate everyone onto the same page, coaches appreciate how easily the players have bonded together on their own. The guys all share the same intense passion for the game.

“It’s been a blessing to get kids from a country that loves baseball so much,” said Halloway. “They’ve come from playing on subpar fields to a facility that we are lucky to have, and they just come out everyday and eat it up. All they want to do is take ground balls and hit more. It’s not something you normally get with this age group, to want to play defense so much. These guys want to run drills and make plays.”

The defense has certainly benefitted from the new additions, as Charlebos teases them for how the fielders all love to move the ball around and play with it like it is a toy. Their attention and ability on defense allows the coaches to integrate more complicated systems and alignments. The team played in a lot of close, one-run games last year, particularly at the end of the year when they mattered most, so they know what a difference a strong defense will make.

Coaches are focused to make sure players do the little things right, to always be in the right spots to make a play. They want guys to know their approach at the plate, whether it is to drop down a bunt or hit the ball to the right side to move a runner over when there are less then two outs. The Knights look to execute on those little things to help turn them into big innings the likes of which they know they will need.

The team knows it can put the bat on the ball and score runs, and the addition of so much team speed makes them that much more dangerous. Surrounding Moesquit in the lineup last year, Valez hit .309 with 13 RBIs, Joseph Ortiz tallied a .333 average and scored 19 runs thanks in large part to his 15 stolen bases, and Mitchell Carroll hit a solid .297 with 15 RBIs.

Michell Carroll is also the workhorse for a talented pitching staff. The right-hander threw in 14 of the team’s 23 games a season ago, and coaches figure he may seem the same kind of action. His velocity has increased and coaches have introduced a slider to his arsenal, and he goes after it pretty hard. Although Moesquit will get his turns on the mound simply because of his ability to dominate there, the team is also more than comfortable with the other guys on the staff. Barbolina is another solid hurler with lots of raw talent, and Bertot has quickly come into his own as the team’s number two starter behind Carroll.

The former Trojan is happy with his move to Highlands Christian, where he enjoys the academics and the closeness that he sees coming from a school of roughly 3,000 students to one with around 300 total students. Most of all he loves the baseball program he is now on.

“It’s been easy to adjust since all these new guys from Caracao all came in at the same time I did, so everyone was open to everyone who was new,” Bertot said. “It’s made it easy to adjust to everything, especially to the baseball. I think we’ve got the right chemistry together and this can be our year. We have a lot of seniors and we play great defense. I’m not afraid to throw strikes because I know for a fact that everyone on the field can make a play.”

The coaches also agree that the team has the ability to make another run even against the tough district competition they face. They have a team laden with hungry and motivated seniors who realize this is their last chance for a championship, they are coachable and focused, and they know what is at stake. The team set the tone last year, and now they have an explosion of talented players join the effort.

“God does his recruiting for me. He gives them to me and I shepherd them,” said Charlebois. “I tell the guys to control the things you can control, your preparation, your effort and your attitude. Prepare well, bring your best attitude to the field everyday and make sure your effort is a high effort.”

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