Barbara Goleman High baseball coach Jose Lopez didn’t plan on using center fielder and pitcher John Urena during the 2017 season following one year of playing junior varsity.
But the injury-ravaged Gators team needed someone to literally step up to the plate and Urena was their guy.
“We didn’t have any plans to play him at the varsity level but due to injuries, he was given a chance at center field and became the go to guy when the game was on the line,” said Lopez said. “He also pitched for us and did a good job.”
For the first time in Gators’ baseball history, Urena became the first sophomore to win the team’s MVP award for his stellar performance during the 2017 season.
Urena also was named to The Miami Herald All-Dade Third Team, batting .441, hit two home runs and RBI, and as a pitcher, recorded a 4-1-1 record and striked out 43 batters with a 0.98 ERA.
Lopez said Urena was superb during the postseason, as the Gators captured the district championship for the third consecutive season and upset Broward’s American Heritage in the regional quarterfinal.
Lopez said Urena shutdown Miami Springs in the district title game with two players on base representing the winning run.
Urena also closed out American Heritage, pitching four solid innings to seal the victory for his team.
The Gators, however, fell to No. 13 ranked Archbishop McCarthy in the regional semifinal.
“He’s pitched as a closer in our main games last season,” Lopez said.