NOTES: Three-year starter and four-year letterman for the Raiders… career .327 hitter with 162 hits, 97 RBI, 90 runs, 28 doubles, 13 triples and 10 home runs… ranks second in R-N history in triples and seventh in hits.
PROFILE OF THE WEEK (March 2011)
SENIOR (2012): ABCA Mid-Atlantic third team and second team All-NJAC and All-NJCBA in his first season center field after having played at first base for his first three seasons… led Raiders in batting average (.362), hits (55), runs (29), triples (5), home runs (3), extra-base hits (17), slugging percentage (.546), on-base percentage (.449) while playing errorless baseball in centerfield with 98 putouts and an assists… second on the squad with 23 walks… the only Raider to start all 39 games during the 15-24 campaign… five triples tied him for the seventh most in a season by a Raider… hit safely in 33 games with 17 multi-hit efforts… went five four 11 with six RBI, two doubles and a home run in a doubleheader split with TCNJ (4/47/12)… went three for three with a home run, a triple, three RBI, three runs scored and two walks in a 7-4 win over Baruch (3/27/12).
JUNIOR (2011): All-NJCBA third team and Honorable Mention All-NJAC after hitting .311 with a team-high 42 RBIs for the 23-19 Scarlet Raiders who shared the ECAC Metro Championship… named NJAC Player of the Week twice (3/6/11 & 3/27/11)… notched a team-high 17 extra-base hits with eight doubles, a NJAC best six triples and three home runs… drew 15 walks to push his on-base percentage to .372… second on the team with 50 hits and 79 total bases while also ranking second in batting average… tied for the NJAC lead in 2-out RBIs with 20… also posted NJAC rankings of fourth in RBIs (42), sixth in total bases (79), tied for ninth in home runs (3), 10th in slugging percentage (.491), tied for 16th in runs (22) and tied for 20th in doubles (8)… six triples tied the seventh highest single season total in R-N record books… fielded .979 with just eight errors in 386 chances while helping turn 24 double plays… hit safely in 31 of 42 games while collecting multiple hits 13 times… drove in five runs while going two for three with a grand slam in a 12-2 win over Wesleyan (3/26/11)… went three for four with a double, a triple and four RBIs in an 11-0 win over Mount St. Mary (3/1/11)… went three for five with three RBIs and a triple in a 20-5 win over New Jersey City (4/2/11)… went three for five with a double and three RBIs in a 16-7 win over William Paterson (4/29/11)… belted two home runs, going three for five with three RBIs, in a 10-7 win over Penn State Abington (3/2/11).
SOPHOMORE (2010): Hit .310 with 14 RBIs while starting in 33 games, primarily in right field, for the 22-21 Raiders… had five doubles, a triple and a home run to finish with a .398 slugging percentage… drew 15 walks to up his on-base percentage to .386… stole two bases in as many tries and added three sacrifice flies… was flawless in the outfield with no errors in 48 chances... hit safely in 21 of 37 games, posting multiple hits 13 times… carried an 8-game hitting streak into the final game of the season… went three for five and scored three times in a 22-12 win over Cal Lutheran (3/19)… belted a home run in a heart-breaking 2-1 loss to Scranton (3/27)… went two for three, tripled, walked, stole a base and scored twice in a 9-8 loss to New Jersey City (4/23)… went two for four with a 2-run single and scored twice in a 22-10 win over Ramapo (4/30)… went two for three with a walk and a run scored in an 11-9 loss to TCNJ (5/4) in the NJAC tournament… went two for three with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly in a 7-5 loss to Rutgers-Camden (4/3).
FRESHMAN (2009): NJCBA All-Rookie Team…top rookie for the Scarlet Raiders, earning 18 starts by hitting .314 with a .557 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage… saw action in the outfield, at third and as the designated hitter… drove in 22 runs showing power with six double, a triple and three home runs… stole five bases in seven attempts… made just one error in 33 chances… hit safely in 15 of the 22 games in which he appeared… had five multiple-hit games… drove in seven runs with two doubles and a home run while going three for four and scoring three times in a 14-5 win over St. Joseph’s LI (4/17)… capped a 7-game hitting streak by going three for four with a triple and four RBIs in a 21-6 win over Staten Island (4/27)… went two for four with a solo home run, a double and two runs scored in an 8-6 loss to Kean (4/24)… belted a two-run homer, going two for five, in a 14-6 win over Stevens (3/9).
HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered three times in baseball, earning team MVP honors as a junior, at Freehold Township HS... helped Patriots to a 12-10 mark as a junior... played for Frank Gualtieri and Todd Smith... also participated in basketball as a junior and senior.
PERSONAL: Son of Nancy and Samuel Ballester... has one younger brother, Drew... majoring in criminal justice.
