Newsday Athlete of the Week is Plainedge baseball's Jaxson Torres
Plainedge baseball player Jaxson Torres. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Jaxson Torres delivered a back-to-back performance that he will never forget.
Torres threw a no-hitter on 82 pitches, walking one and striking out 15 to lead Plainedge to an 8-0 win over Locust Valley on April 28.
The 6-4 junior pitcher, who clocks in an 89-92 mph fastball, then followed up with another dominating performance on the mound. He tossed his second consecutive no-hitter, striking out 13 batters in seven innings on 106 pitches against Wantagh in a 6-0 win on Monday.
"I felt good those days when I was on the mound," Torres said. "I felt very comfortable. I always mentally prepare, so there are no negative thoughts about losing. I go into every game as confident as I can be."
"Everybody from the coaching staff to his teammates is confident in him," coach Colin Fratrik said. "They know he's been in these situations before, and they trust him."
Fratrik praised Newsday's Athlete of the Week for his composure on the mound and has no doubt that his star pitcher will deliver at a high level.
"I always knew Jaxson would be this great," Fratrik said. "Jaxson had an incredible season last year, you know he's going to give you a chance to win every single game."
He added, "He's got a really high ceiling. The good thing about him is that he takes it one day at a time, and he wants to get better every day."
Torres is 6-0 in 35 innings, allowing seven hits, posting a 1.40 ERA, and 69 strikeouts. He is batting .432, with 19 hits, three home runs, 22 RBIs, and 12 runs for the season.
Torres isn't the only one who is dominant on the mound for the Red Devils, who are currently 17-0. Taylor Nitsch is having a tremendous season as well, and Torres says having a player like Nitsch makes the game a lot easier.
"Taylor has been one of my closest friends ever since we were little kids," Torres said. "We have a great connection whether we're playing baseball or football."
During the fall season, Torres is also a quarterback for Plainedge, and this past season, he threw for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns. He says that playing quarterback helps him prepare for the baseball season.
"It keeps my arm fresh for the baseball season," Torres said. "It keeps my body moving, and football hits muscles that you wouldn't think to hit. It keeps me stronger in ways many people wouldn't think."
In addition to his performances on the field, Torres works at Pappalardo's Pizza Cove and is a referee at the youth flag football league.
Torres says throwing a no-hitter is fun, but he is looking to pitch a perfect game before his high school career is over and bring Plainedge a Long Island championship.
"I haven't thrown a (perfect game) yet, so I want that to come," Torres said. "But I really want our team to win, no matter if I let up 15 runs or throw a no-hitter, I want us to win."
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
