See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Santo Duran was a singles hitter who batted eighth in a loaded Grand Street Campus baseball lineup last season as a junior. That fact, along with him being a singles hitter, was good enough then, but wasn’t going to be enough this year if the Wolves were to repeat as Public School Athletic League Class A champs.
So before his senior year, he hit the weight room looking to add 10 to 15 pounds while strengthening his forearms and triceps in hopes of increasing his power and production.
And the results have been noticeable this season.
“Last year the majority of my hits were singles,” Duran said. “Looking at this year I have been hitting a lot of triples and doubles and some homer runs.”
The right fielder and No. 3 hitter is having the best all-round year at he plate of any player in the league and has led Grand Street (15–1) to a Brooklyn A East title. Duran topped the league in RBIs with 36, is second in triples with five, is third in hits at 27, and is tied for third with four home runs. He is batting .540 and is second in the league in slugging at 1.100.
“I think the extra strength and good conditioning really catapulted him to having a great year,” Wolves coach Melvin Martinez said.
He is just one part of speed and power duo that has made Grand Street go. Leadoff hitter and center-fielder Basael McDonald has used his blazing speed to be second in the league in runs scored and its leader in stolen bases with 45, giving Duran plenty of chances to drive in runs.
“My job is to get on first my first at bat and try to get second and third if I can put my team ahead and get that first run in,” said McDonald, who can run a 60-yard dash in a blazing 6.3 seconds.
That formula was on display in a 10–0 win over James Madison on May 15. McDonald was on base all four times, scored three runs and drove in one. Duran was 2-for-3 and drove in three runs.
The Wolves has also gotten strong pitching from ace Alex Cuas, Miguel Rodriguez, and Jason Aponte, giving up just 18 runs combined in 16 games.
Grand Street is eyeing a repeat as city champions and, with everything clicking heading into the post-season they have a good shot of doing just that.
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.