Edward Kensik, Correspondent / Record Sports
— St. Mary’s Joey Castellanos is happy with plan C in terms of his college future.
The All-Bergen County and all-state shortstop had a couple of college plans that started with Stony Brook University in New York and a college in the South.
But neither of those plans came to fruition so he has opted for the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, in the Boston metropolitan area.
“When I first started my recruiting process my dream school was Stony Brook University,” said Castellanos. “I did a showcase at their campus in front of their coaching staff, but nothing came about it. I also wanted to go down south and play ball in the warm weather, like any other kid. That didn’t pan out as well.”
For this past season Castellanos was named to the All-Bergen first team and all-state third team. He helped lead St. Mary to a 22-8 record and a NJIC Meadowlands Division title, as well as a trip to the North Non-Public B final and the quarterfinals of the Bergen County tournament.
The senior had a .537 batting average with 43 runs and 32 RBI. Castellanos also collected 15 stolen bases, six doubles, three triples and two home runs.
“Joey is exactly what has been written about him, a senior leader, a ton of hits, great defensively,” said St. Mary coach Dennis Hulse. “Joey learned how to become a leader this year because of his remarkable junior year younger kids automatically looked up to him.”
Ken Harring, coach at UMass-Lowell, said that Castellanos’ love of the game as well as his talent on the field especially, in big games like the state and county tournaments, showed that he was right for his program.
“He plays the game with passion,” said Harring. “He is a really good middle infielder, has soft hands and has a really good arm. He is a very advanced hitter who has proven that over the past two years, hitting over .500 in his junior and senior years. He loves to be up in the big situation.”
Before he heads to school Castellanos has been playing in the New York Collegiate Baseball League for the Rome Generals, where he was hitting .348 at the end of last week. Castellanos said he is adjusting to the way pitchers are throwing against him in the summer league.
“When I first got here, they didn’t have a scouting report on me so the first two and half weeks, I was succeeding a lot,” said Castellanos. “Then pitchers started to point out my flaws at the plate. Ever since then, I’ve been working everyday to become a better all-around player at the plate and on defense.”
And in this summer league it has hit the St. Mary graduate that he is entering a new phase in his life.
“It’s hit me a little bit that high school is over,” said Castellanos. “When I look at the roster card and see next to my name that it says UMass-Lowell freshman. It’s like, wow. My time at St. Mary is done. The seniors always tell you the four years fly by fast and to cherish every moment. But it doesn’t hit you how fast time flies until your time is done. And that’s what is happening to me now.”
And looking back at his years at St. Mary, he points to his final game, a 6-4 loss to Newark Academy in the North Non-Public B final at Nutley High School, as well as the 8-6 win over Morristown-Beard for the 2016 sectional title and the 2-0 loss to Holy Cross in the state championship.
“That game (loss to Newark Academy) ended a chapter in my life, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” said Castellanos. “My time at St. Mary was perfect and I will always remember the state sectional title game and state championship game. The state sectional game was one of the best games I’ve ever played in Morristown-Beard was a really good team and for the team to play the way we did, it was awesome. The team clicked on all cylinders.”
The most difficult loss for Castellanos came in this year’s Bergen County tournament quarterfinals, where St. Mary held a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning. That’s when St. Joseph scored four runs to end the Gaels’ drive for a county title, a 5-4 devastating defeat. It was especially hard for the St. Mary shortstop, who committed an error in the crucial seventh.
“I felt like I let the team down,” admitted Castellanos. “The entire season the boys looked up to me as a leader and for me to let them down in one of our biggest moments it sucked. It was my toughest loss and still stings every time, I think about it. If I could go back and change that play I would because Kenny Quijano deserved that win, he earned it and I let him, the team, the coaches and the fans down.”
While his days at St. Mary are over and he has thousands of memories in his four years, he is looking forward to his days in college.
“My time at St. Mary may be over but a new chapter is beginning with me attending and playing at UMass,” said Castellanos.
