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Joseph Messina derives pride from consummately committing himself to his academic responsibilities and athletic duties. The 13-year-old soon will tend to the former as an eighth grader at Our Lady of Hope Regional Catholic School, 1248 Jackson St., and looked after the latter Aug. 2 to 4 by pitching at the Yaphank, N.Y.-situated National Youth Baseball Championships.
“It was definitely an eye-opening experience,” the resident of the 2700 block of South Marvine Street said of the tournament that unites many of the nation’s top travel ball participants. “I see it as a reflection of putting my heart and soul into becoming better, which is something that my dad has really helped me to understand.”
His patriarch, Joe Messina, the pitching coach at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., learned of the honor late last month, with the teenager earning distinction as the lone Pennsylvanian on the East squad. The Marconi West dweller came to the attention of the showcase’s organizers through his Delaware Valley Youth Athletic Association district performances at 2840 S. 18th St. Those efforts saw the youth hurling howitzers from 46 feet as opposed to the standard 60-foot projectiles that he launches at the association’s larger field at Seventh Street and Packer Avenue.
“I felt very honored to be the only kid from the state to go,” Joseph said of making his second notable trip to the Empire State following last year’s DV involvement in the Cooperstown All-Star Village Tournament. “I think my parents were a lot more excited about the whole process. I just wanted to go out there with composure and confidence and do well.”
Confessing to having initial nerves, the right-hander quickly cast them off and thought of his Aug. 2 start versus the West club as being “like any other game.” Commenting for the CBS Sports Network, former big leaguer Jeff Nelson noted his calm demeanor, a boon that, along with a consistent 75-mile-per-hour fastball, helped him to whiff three batters in two innings and pick up a win for his outfit. He proved even more determined and devastating two days later against the top-seeded Central unit, yielding one earned run in a victorious complete game effort that included eight more strikeouts.
“It was amazing to put up those numbers against such great players,” Joseph said of his time in the limelight, which ended after his team’s championship loss to the South constituents. “I didn’t put any pressure on myself because when I go out, I want to focus on the good that can occur.”
The positive personality has honed knowledge of diamond-situated feats for most of his life, even mastering the Phillies’ starting lineup at 2. He took up T-ball nearly two years later through the Southeast Youth Athletic Association, Seventh and Bigler streets, and commenced his DV journey at 5.
“Early on, he would watch games and be in a trance,” Messina said of his son. “He showed such great enthusiasm for observing that I had a feeling would translate into a passion for playing.”
With the success of others surrounding him, Joseph proved a proficient pupil in learning how to master opportunities and began to excel in his main role as a pitcher. He eventually teamed up with other local devotees of diamond distinction to form a formidable DV Senators incarnation whose successes include a ninth-place finish in the aforementioned 32-team Cooperstown event, two Kingsway Knights Tournament conquests and April’s run to the Swedesboro, N.J.-based Spring Fling Tournament crown.
“I think my evolution all comes down to being able to play with the same guys,” Joseph said. “That really helps me to be better at going out there and applying myself.”
He especially benefited from those bonds this season, as DV competed in American Legion prep play. In 46 innings, he surrendered only two earned runs and 14 hits and registered an astounding 76 strikeouts in compiling an 8-0 record. The local athletes finished fourth out of 12 teams in legion play, which Joseph and his father reasoned will set them up nicely for junior legion action.
“We’ve been at this for so long that we always expect so much from ourselves,” he said of how he and his teammates, who began fall ball preparation this week, use their achievements to aspire to add more merit.
As his New York adventure makes apparent, Joseph knows that though scouts and other observers, such as high schools hoping he will not look to add to Neumann-Goretti’s winning legacy, will likely continue to woo him, he must retain his humility and maximize his talent not only for his glory but for that of whoever wears the same jersey as he. That notion especially registers with him when he ponders his present peers.
“It’s great to play in showcases and all that,” Joseph said. “However, you have to think back to where you started from. I’m proud to represent this area because so many great players have come out of here. I would love to play college ball, too. Wherever my skill set will take me, I’ll be happy.”
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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