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La Salle-Peru senior Julius Sanchez has been a dominant force on the mound and at the plate this season.
He came through in both areas last week to help the Cavaliers to a 2-1 record with wins over Morris and Ottawa.
Sanchez went 4 for 10 with four RBIs and four runs scored and blasted a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against Ottawa.
He also earned the win on the mound against Morris, allowing two unearned runs on four hits while striking out 11 batters and walking two in six innings.
“I thought he had an outstanding week,” L-P coach Matt Glupczynski said. “Against Morris, he threw against their No. 1 who is a Tennessee commit, and Julius rose to the occasion and pretty much shut them down, which gave our offensive an opportunity to score and add on.
“We turned around the next night and played our rival, Ottawa, which at the time had a better overall and conference record than us. To go down 5-2, scratch and claw our way back into extra innings and have Julius come through with a two-run walk-off bomb was a great feeling. It makes it a better feeling when it’s your rival.
“He’s been a great leader for us not only by example, but he’s taken on a good vocal role keeping guys accountable and focused. It’s been really great to see him mature and take his game to a new level and it’s great to see him rewarded for that.”
For Sanchez’s performance, he was voted the NewsTribune Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Central Bank, Witek Wealth Management and the Spring Valley, Mendota and Princeton McDonalds.
Sanchez answered a few questions from NewsTribune sports editor Kevin Chlum.
When and how did you get into baseball:
Sanchez: My mother signed me up when I was 8 years old.
What do you like about playing baseball?
Sanchez: My favorite thing about baseball is being able to compete every pitch.
What makes you a good baseball player?
Sanchez: My hard work and my mental toughness.
What is your best pitch and why?
Sanchez: My fastball because I am able to spot it up and throw it past hitters then follow it up with any offspeed [pitch].
What is your favorite sports memory?
Sanchez: My favorite memory is pitching in Jupiter (Fla.) against Five Star and coming into the seventh inning with the bases loaded in a 1-0 game, and I got the win and hit my 96 mph fastball [personal record]. And my walk-off hit against Ottawa.
Do you have any nicknames?
Sanchez: “Juju.”
If you could get advice from any professional athlete, who would it be and why?
Sanchez: Gerrit Cole because he is a pitcher and our mechanics are pretty similar.
What is a movie you never get tired of watching?
Sanchez: The Lord of the Rings series.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Sanchez: Italy because I want to explore a totally different culture.
What are your thoughts on your individual performance last week?
Sanchez: I felt I stepped up in the right times when my team needed me and did my best during stressful situations.