The first start of Joey Giordano’s high school career was a little rocky.
The second one was historic.
On Saturday, the unassuming lefty from Pascack Hills joined one of baseball’s most honored fraternities. The Broncos’ sophomore threw a no-hitter and struck out 16 batters in the season-opener against No. 3 Ramapo.
It was the first game under new head coach Nick Evans.
“The adrenaline was going,” Giordano said. “My heart was beating so fast. I wanted to strike him out so badly so I tried to blow one by him and it worked.”
Giordano worked his way through the order with little resistance, allowing only four balls in play. But Giordano had to “empty the tank” in the final inning with the heart of the Raider lineup due up for a third time. His bid for a perfect game ended with a one-out walk.
“It was deflating when I walked him but seconds after, I realized it’s not about me,” Giordano said. “Let’s go win the game.”
Pascack Hills had its closer warmed up with Giordano nearing the state limit of 110 pitches. The call to the bullpen never came, as Giordano induced a grounder and threw a high fastball by the Raiders’ clean-up hitter to complete a 3-0 win.
It was, undoubtedly, the biggest moment of his baseball career.
“The dugout was electric,” said Evans, who spent the last four years as a Broncos assistant. “They all knew what was going on but they understood the unwritten rule in baseball that you don’t talk about it. You could just feel it and as soon as he got that last strikeout, No. 16, they stormed the field. It was a great way to open the year.”
By now, Giordano is used to nailing down the last few outs of the game. He worked out of the bullpen last year as the Broncos’ closer and hit at the top of the order. While it’s an unusual role for a freshman, Evans said his slow heartbeat and plus velocity made him the right guy for the job.
This year, Giordano moved into the rotation and was expected to slot behind senior ace Kevin Scully. The plan all changed, though, with the veteran righty still working his way back from knee surgery. Instead, the Opening Day start went to the soft-spoken southpaw better known as “Rook”. It’s a nickname he once earned by being the team’s only freshman.
“This year, I feel I’m a lot better,” said Giordano, who now throws in the mid-80’s. “I’ve really gotten command of the change-up a lot more. My fastball velocity has gone up about five miles per hour. So I feel better this year.”
Giordano describes himself as someone who’s always had a baseball in his hand. He tried football and basketball for some time, but gave them up in middle school to focus more on pitching. His dad, Charlie used to be the baseball coach at Cresskill, so Giordano grew up around the game.
“It was awesome to see the high school atmosphere at a young age,” Giordano said. “Now I’m living it. It’s awesome.”
Giordano can laugh now about getting a rude welcome to the high school game last year, when he allowed two home runs against Ramsey in his first start.
Now he has a different story to tell and a special baseball to store in his bedroom.
“I can’t emphasize enough how special this young man is,” Evans said. “He has such a bright future. Every time you add something to his plate, he doesn’t hesitate. It’s a mentality that I rarely see, especially in high school sports.”
Joe Giordano
Sport: Baseball
School: Pascack Hills
Class: Sophomore. Age: 15
Accomplishment: Giordano struck out 16 and gave up one walk in a no-hitter on Saturday against Ramapo.
Also nominated: Anthony Holtje of DePaul for baseball; Will Consoli of Glen Rock for lacrosse; and Benjamin Shue of Bergen Catholic for track and field.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/high-school/athlete-of-the-week/2022/04/07/bergen-record-male-athlete-week-joe-giordano-pascack-hills/7259680001/
