Xander Velez-Gov. Mifflin

Ja Morant was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player on Monday. On the same day, Xander Velez improved to (6-0) and increased his batting average to .524. If there was a Most Improved Player award in the Berks Baseball League, Velez would garner strong consideration. The junior right-hander played a key role in Governor Mifflin’s 12-4 victory over previously unbeaten Muhlenberg. Despite not having his best command, Velez held a dangerous Muhls’ lineup to two runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out five, walked six, and hit a batter. Velez entered Monday’s marquee matchup with a 0.86 ERA. He features a fastball in the high-80s along with a good changeup. As a sophomore, Velez didn’t see much time on the mound. The Mustangs relied on Connor Maryniak (13-0, 1.13), Matt Gehris, and Tyler Minick. Maryniak and Gehris combined to throw 134 innings. Velez had an 8.59 ERA in just 7.1 innings. He’s transformed into one of the top arms in the county and some Division II colleges have taken notice. Velez has also made tremendous strides at the plate, raising his batting average more than 300 points from .205 in 2021. He said, “Last year I couldn’t hit [anything].” Velez leads the (14-0, 7-0) Mustangs with 21 RBI. He has five doubles, two triples, and seven stolen bases. He’s already driven in twice as many runs as a season ago. The No. 3 hitter went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI against Muhlenberg. Velez reached base in three of his four plate appearances. I asked Velez how he would pitch to himself. We also discussed what happened when he faced Minick, a UConn commit, during an intrasquad scrimmage. Minick launched two home runs and a double on Monday in Shillington. The all-county selection knocked in four runs and scored three times. Velez has a lot of confidence in their offense. Gov. Mifflin is averaging 8.9 runs per game. He said they don’t really talk much about their undefeated record. Velez revealed his favorite college baseball team. He also told me about his favorite classes at Gov. Mifflin. The Mustangs are on the road Wednesday afternoon when they battle rival Wilson. Gov. Mifflin took the first meeting with the Bulldogs 3-1 on April 5th. Velez was the winning pitcher for that one. While he certainly wasn’t thrilled with his performance versus Muhlenberg, Velez has a lot to be proud of this season.