Senior salute
RIC-bound Latrell Lopez is excited for what awaits him on the diamond, but wishes WHS had one last crack.
WOONSOCKET – When Latrell Lopez discovered that not only Woonsocket High’s but the entire state’s varsity baseball campaigns this spring had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his heart sank.
“I was so upset; I knew my team could go really far this year,” offered the strapping, 6-1, 175-pound senior pitcher/ first baseman/shortstop stated recently. “We had something a lot of other teams didn’t have – a lot of depth at pitcher. We had me, Tyler Violette, Mikey Laboy and Nick Strojny, plus we had a few freshmen who could get on the bump as relievers.
“We were looking pretty solid in that area,” he added. “I really thought we’d have a great season because of that depth, and also because we had been working hard since the beginning. Ever since the early winter, a group of us got together in the weight room to get bigger and stronger.
“We had made the playoffs the year before, but we lost to Tolman in a tight one at Slater Park in a D-II first-round game, so we wanted to build on that, too. We had a lot going for us, and then, suddenly, it all disappeared.”
According to the powerful righthander, who last year led the Villa Novans in both pitching (6-3) and hitting (.611, over 40 RBI) and captured All-Division first-team honors two years in a row, he switched his disappointment to hope as he began focusing on preparing for the upcoming American Legion season with Woonsocket/Navigant Post 85.
That, however, immediately morphed into anger and frustration when he found out that campaign also had been erased for this summer.
“I was really upset about the high school season at first, but that slowly began to fade away the more I thought about Legion,” he said. “But when I got a text (on Thursday) from (Navigant coach) Derek Carignan saying there would be no legion season, that’s when I just said, ‘That’s it. It’s out of my hands. I can’t do anything about it. I’m just going to have to live with it.’”
Therein lies the key, and when Lopez was reminded of that, he responded, “Makes sense.”
When asked how he’s living with such a major crush to his athletic career, he just shrugged, “Right now, I’m in the process of shifting gears and thinking about playing in the Sunset League in Newport (one that caters to talented high school seniors and college freshman to keep the fresh during the summer).
“According to the college coaches in charge, they’re still hoping to have a season later this year,” stated Lopez, who will attend Rhode Island College and fulfill his childhood dream of playing collegiate ball. “The RIC head coach, Frank Holbrook, told me about a week ago that if there is no Legion season, that would be another option for me, and I have to say it made me feel better.
“I mean, I couldn’t imagine going a whole spring and summer without playing – that’s a life I wouldn’t want to live in; it’s unimaginable. The other good news is I’m excited to go to college; that will be another big step in my near future.”
Tommy Brien, the Villa Novans’ coach, claimed his ace couldn’t have been more distraught about losing his interscholastic campaign, and understood why.
“Latrell was absolutely my top pitcher, and also threw a no-hitter against Classical last spring,” he noted. “He led the team in hitting as well, and the other players looked up to him. That’s because he worked so hard on improving his craft. He genuinely wants to be the best player on the field every time he takes it.
“You know, I read your stuff in The Call about how St. Ray’s believed they were going to win the state (Division II) championship this year, but with Latrell at the helm, I felt we’d be knocking on the door; we’d be right there with them. In fact, I truly believe he would have been the best pitcher in all of D-II.
“When he was on the mound last year, he took command of that bump and never relinquished it,” he added. “The reason? Let’s put it this way, I’m a stickler for pitch counts for our guys, and during his ‘no-no’ against Classical, he went over by 15. I don’t like that, but when I went out there, he said, ‘Coach, don’t bother taking me out because I’m not going. I won’t go.’ It’s that kind of attitude that stands out to all the kids, and us as coaches.
“I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve known him for nine years, since he played for Woonsocket Little League and the R.I. Outlaws AAU team, and I consider him one of the top three players I’ve ever coached.
“His mannerisms on and off the field are testaments to him and his family; it’s the way he carries himself. He’s so respectful of the game, others, even his opponents. The kid defines sportsmanship and class, aka George Nasuti, who always said, ‘Give respect, get respect.’ Latrell lives that.”
Lopez admitted he’s coping with life day by day by trying to remain active.
“Every day, I do my schoolwork in the morning, and when that’s done, I go to the baseball field and hit and throw with Nick Strojny,” he said. “We’ll spend a couple of hours down there practicing and running, then I come home and do some workouts I have in a packet. I’ll use weights and stretch brands, and just try to stay loose.
“At this point, I’m in training possibly for the Sunset League but definitely for RIC; that’s why I’m spending so much time at the field and staying in shape, to keep my mind off the disappointments.”
If anything helps, it’s the idea of going to college and playing the sport he loves.
“That is pretty exciting; I’ve always hoped for that,” he offered. “I want to study physical therapy because I think it would be something I enjoy – I’d still be around athletes and sports, but I also want to help people who have been injured.
“I remember when I had to go to physical therapy as a sophojmore after I suffered a partially-torn rotator cuff, I saw how much they can help you heal, how they can positively affect an individual’s life. It also feels good because I’m the first one in my family to go to college. Now I feel like a role model to my two younger brothers (Mariano and K.J.).
“They’ve told me they want to play in college like me. That’s an amazing feeling.”