Julius Sanchez de La Salle-Peru – Shaw Local

La Salle-Peru senior Julius Sanchez has been a dominant force on the mound and home plate this season.

He was strong 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 while hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning against Ottawa.

He also took the win on the mound against Morris, allowing two unearned runs on four hits while striking out 11 and walking two in six innings.

“I think he’s had an outstanding week,” LP coach Matt Glupczynski said. “Against Morris he pitched against their No. 1 which is a Tennessee commit and Julius took the chance and pretty much stopped them which gave our offense the opportunity to score and add. We turned around the next night and played our rival, Ottawa, who at the time had a better overall and conference record than us. Going down 5-2, scratching and coming back in extra innings and getting Julius to land a two-run bomb was a great feeling. It gives a better feeling when it’s your rival.

“He’s been a great leader for us, not only by his example, but he’s played a good vocal role in keeping the guys accountable and focused. It was really great to see him mature and take his game to a new level and it’s great to see him rewarded for it.

For Sanchez’s performance, he was voted Athlete of the Week by NewsTribune, sponsored by Central Bank, Witek Wealth Management and Spring Valley, Mendota and Princeton McDonalds.

Sanchez answered some questions from NewsTribune sports editor Kevin Chlum.

When and how did you get into baseball?

My mother enrolled me when I was 8 years old.

What do you like about playing baseball?

My favorite thing about baseball is being able to compete on any court.

What makes you a good baseball player?

My hard work and my mental strength.

What is your best pitch and why?

My fastball because I’m ready to spot it and throw it past the batters and then follow it with any speed.

What is your favorite sports memory?

My favorite memory is pitching at Jupiter, Florida against Five Star and going 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 best ). And my departure hit against Ottawa.

Do you have any nicknames?

Juju.

If you could get advice from a professional athlete, who would it be and why?

Gerrit Cole because he’s a pitcher and our mechanics are quite similar.

What’s a movie you’ll never get tired of watching?

The Lord of the Rings series.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Italy because I want to explore a totally different culture.

What do you think of your individual performance last week?

I felt I stepped in at the right time when my team needed me and did my best in stressful situations.