Legarda helps anchor Ram success

PORTALES - Joel Legarda is Portales baseball's "Mr. Reliable," as he goes out everyday and gets it done both at - and behind, the plate for the Rams. The senior three-year starting catcher leads the team in batting average (.406), on-base percentage (.577), OPS (1.142) and has tossed out 18 runners on 50 attempts (36 percent) - on par with the major leagues.

"He shows up every day ready to play. He does a good job, defensively, every game. I think he's got two errors on the whole season. That's big time when you have someone touching the ball every pitch, (because) there's a lot of opportunities for errors, and he doesn't do that," Rams coach Dusty Nusser said.

"He's kind of the anchor, he hits three-hole for us, and it has been good, because when he struggles, the rest of the guys have been able to pick him up when they need to. It's been a total team effort, but he's been the middle part of that."

Legarda's contributions have certainly been a big reason for Portales' recent stretch of success, as the Rams currently sit at 15-8 (as of Thursday), following a 4-6 start. Not surprisingly, part of the team's recent luck has been tied to Legarda getting into more of a groove, as he slumped in the early going of the 2018 campaign.

Nusser attributes that to Legarda putting extra pressure on himself, but as time has worn on, Legarda has been able to perform at his usual high level, once again. When asked about when he realized that he needed to stay more relaxed at the plate this year, the mild-mannered Legarda smiled and said, "Once it started getting too far where I couldn't hit the ball."

Legarda has certainly been a calming presence for his pitching staff, as well. Josiah Lucero is 5-1 with a 1.12 ERA, while Jordan Garcia is 4-1 with a 0.90 ERA. Not to mention, Legarda makes it risky to steal bases, as he recently threw out four runners in a tight game at Moriarty.

According to Nusser, Legarda shuts the run game down, as opposing base stealers are less inclined to press their luck after their first encounter with the senior. Nusser, a catcher himself when he played for the Rams, said that piece is big for the team dynamic.

"They say really good baseball teams are good up the middle. And so, that means your catcher, your pitcher, your two middle infielders and your center fielder," Nusser explained. "He's the anchor of that for us, and having a guy back there that is a three-year starter, who's kinda been there, done that (is great)."

Legarda has always been passionate about the game, having grown up playing baseball with his brothers. In fact, Legarda passionately says that it's the only game he's ever played, and needless to say, he's pretty darn good at it.

The senior says that he'd like to play baseball in college, but is still awaiting offers. In the meantime, his experiences the past three years have allowed him to develop a new appreciation for the game he loves.

"At first, my attitude was like, 'I don't really care.' But now that it matters and everything, once I became a starter, I said to myself, 'I gotta focus up now,'" Legarda explained. "Sophomore year when I first started, I was batting in the eight-hole. But now it feels good to be three-hole, be relied on."