The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Marrero a difference maker for Governors
It had been nearly two decades since the Wilbur Cross baseball team last won a CIAC state tournament contest. If Cross senior Andrew Marrero had any say, this year was going to be different.
Marrero did just that as he let his play do the talking in leading the Governors to their first state tournament victory since 2002.
Not only did Wilbur Cross play in the postseason, the Governors hosted a firstround game in which they topped Westhill in extra innings, before falling on the road in the second round against eventual Class LL state champion Staples.
“I felt we were very successful as a group,” Marrero said. “We put in the hard work and did all the extra we needed to do to win the close games. A lot of practices we worked on situations. We had to do our jobs as individuals. We worked on small ball and that made us think about what we needed to do.”
The senior pitcher and infielder was on top of his game throughout the 2019 season and has been named the GameTimeCT/Register Area Most Valuable Player.
“I was a different player this year,” Marrero said. “I really focused on my offseason workouts. I was able to get my velocity from that.”
Marrero did it all for the Governors at the plate, on the mound, and in the infield. Wherever he played, Marrero was a difference maker.
With a laser fastball and a nice mix of off speed, Marrero constantly baffled opposing hitters. In 521⁄3 innings, the senior struck out 88, had a 1.60 earned run
average, and finished with a 63 record.
“In the field, I was able to keep it simple,” Marrero said. “With my pitching, I wanted to attack with my fastball and set them up for the breaking ball. I wanted to mix it up on them a little bit.”
Said West Haven coach Ron Luneau of Marrero, “He was a fabulous overall player and a talented kid. He could hit, field, and most importantly throw the ball close to 90 miles per hour. Plus, he had a very good off speed pitch and curve. To me, he is definitely a Division I player and just a nice kid.
“I think what really stood out was how good his velocity was with the location of his fast ball, and his curve and offspeed pitches were always around the plate.”
Marrero was just as good at the plate. Helping to set the tone offensively, he hit .328, had an on base percentage of .443, and an OPS of .908. Marrero also stole 10 bases.
“Hittingwise, we focused on doing our jobs,” Marrero said. “We wanted to put the ball in play. It was all about hard work. It was the most time I have put in. That helped me a lot. It got me stronger individually.”
For his career, Marrero, a threetime AllSouthern Connecticut Conference selection, finished with a school record 242 strikeouts.
Marrero, who is a high honors student, will play at UConn next season. A credit to his hard work, Marrero is already up at Storrs taking classes and getting adjusted to college life as a studentathlete.
“UConn is amazing,” Marrero said. “It is like a dream come true here when you see all the things provided like the facilities and the nice fields. It is a blessing.”
The college process was one which saw Marrero get offers from other schools, but Connecticut was the ultimate choice.
“A few other colleges reached out,” Marrero said. “UConn felt like home to me. Everyone made me feel comfortable here.”
Marrero has already shown he can perform outside of his comfort level. Now he gets to do that on a Division I stage.