On April 17, junior Wade Middleton pitched a complete game shutout for the John Jay Jaguars against the Curtis Warriors. The final score was 3-0. 

Having the strength to pitch a whole game required Wade’s focus and dedication to be at its peak. Especially playing against a strong team such as the Curtis Warriors he had to remain in the zone while keeping his pace the whole game. He put his hard work to use and made sure to show off and out.

Senior Elias DeLeon also excelled with 2 amazing hits, which helped to give the team the extra support they needed.

Wade pairs both his mind with his skill and makes sure to execute to his best possibility as he can. The Jaguars have been through lots of hard challenges against great competitors but Wade wasn’t too worried about that.

Before games, Wade doesn’t really stress about how his games would go,due to his pregame routine. He made sure to always practice his pitching skills by getting his pitches in, as well as stretching to make sure he’s loose and flexible to be able to play to his fullest extent. He made sure to approach his games relaxed and laid back which allowed him to stay focused on his goal of carrying the Jaguars to a win.

When I asked Wade about what he thinks about on the pitching mound,  Wade answered,

“Just stay calm and trust the work that I put in.” 

His humble response set the tone for the type of player he is.

Wade likes to use a mixed set of pitches when playing. He usually goes for pitches such as the two-seam fastball, slider, and a changeup. His favorite pitch though is his slider as he feels most well set and confident when throwing it.

According to Wade, for the game on April 17, he felt as if “the team didn’t play as well as they should have” and that they weren’t as “locked in” as they should have been, but in the end they were starting to pick their pace back up and get back into the zone. 

This game would set the tone moving forward for the Jaguars , the game increased hopes, expectations, and set a standard for how they would be playing for the rest of the season.They didn’t come to play around, they made sure to strike their opponents with overwhelming power and gain the victory they came for.

The John Jay Jaguars have been on a winning streak since the game winning 6 times in a row. They’ve been performing amazingly and haven’t let up this streak dominating PSAL and making a name for themselves. They’ve faced many challenges but regardless of how big or small the opposing team was they could not be stopped.