Rivera sparked Panthers

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Rivera sparked Panthers

Sports

Friday, 22 July 2011 14:35

Senior’s impromptu switch to catcher key to OBC title

By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer
Juan Rivera got to play varsity baseball at Gateway High as a freshman, but he struggled to hit .200.
His sophomore (.325) and junior years (.329) were respectable. His senior year?
Huge.

Rivera batted .466 this past season, with 41 hits and 33 RBI in 27 games. In 107 plate appearances, he struck out three times.
This all happened during a year where he changed positions, and we’re not talking about going from second base to first. Pegged to be an infielder, he stepped into the catcher’s role when the Panthers’ original starting backstop proved ineffective.
He was very viable behind the plate, throwing out 10 of 22 (45 percent) would-be base stealers.
As the main cog in a Panthers’ lineup that won the Orange Belt Conference title for the first time since 2004, Rivera is this year’s Osceola News-Gazette Baseball Player of the Year.
So, how did Rivera improve so much offensively in his senior year? Another year of experience was a small part. A bigger part was practice.
And more practice, and still more practice.
“I took a lot of BP at home,” he said. “I built a cage and just hit all the time.”
GHS Coach Rob Hammond said that his ability to put the ball in play constantly from a high spot in the order helped the entire offense.
“That’s what impressed me this year. He learned patience and took his walks, and gave the guy behind him (often DH Jon Maldonado) a chance to look good,” he said.
Penciled in to be the starting second baseman, where he began a regular season-opening tournament in Winter Park, he left the tournament as the starting catcher.
“He didn’t want to do it, but he’s a great team guy,” Hammond said. “We had a need and he stepped up.”
His work ethic made Rivera the team’s prime
candidate to swap positions, Hammond said.
“Nobody works as hard as he does. He played with a travel team out of Tampa and that cost him some money, but that showed his level of commitment,” he said.
Rivera didn’t even mind the change as much as his coach led on.
“Switching positions was just a chance to do something for the team,” he said.
After a handful of seasons playing as also-rans in the county to programs like Osceola, Harmony and St. Cloud, the Panthers were a mild surprise to win the OBC.
“We came out with a chip on our shoulder every game, like we had a point to prove, Rivera said. “We were kind of under the radar and I liked that.
“Winning OBC were something great. We wanted the district, too, but it was a great season and perfect timing for me being a senior.”
His catching had a hand in two of the Panthers’ biggest games this year, both pitched by Anthony Lupa, a senior but a first-year varsity starter.
Rivera had to talk Lupa through a no-hitter against East River, Gateway’s first under its new ballpark lights, and a 1-0 win at Osceola which was the team’s first at OHS since 2004.
“I had to keep Anthony calm and cool at Osceola, winning there was big for all of us,” he said. “The no-hitter, what a great way to start an era.”