When Alec Mendoza transferred from Brother Rice to Kennedy last year, he had to adjust to a different level of competition.
Rice plays in the Catholic League Blue, one of the state’s elite baseball conferences. Kennedy was in the American South, a second-tier Public League division it has dominated in recent seasons.
After going 14-0 in the lower-level league in 2025, Mendoza and the Crusaders have moved up to the top-tier Jackie Robinson South, and they’re still finding their way.
“Our schedule last year obviously wasn’t what it is this year,” Kennedy coach Mario Silva said after an 8-2 conference loss to Simeon April 17 at Wentworth Park. “And so it was for (Mendoza), I’m sure, probably, like, ‘Oh, my goodness, what am I getting myself into?'”
“In the Catholic League, it’s just more competition,” Mendoza said. “… Especially coming in the first year, like (Silva) was saying, the conference was a lot lower. So we had to — I wouldn’t say play down to the level — but (I) for sure had to change a few things for my game.
“But for this year, just stepping up a conference is a big thing.”
Mendoza, a senior pitcher/first baseman, looks up to the challenge. A Triton recruit, he was 1-for-3 with a walk against Simeon.
His offseason work — “just trying to put the ball on ball, just trying to be a tough out every at-bat” — seems to be paying off. Heading into this week, Mendoza was batting .308 for the Crusaders, who were 5-8 overall and 1-4 in the Jackie Robinson South.
“I just told (the team) we were showing spurts,” Silva said. “But it’s a different ballgame from what they’re used to, to be honest. I mean, coming from the American South, no offense to our regional neighbors, it’s different baseball. You know, 60 mph (pitching) is standard, lobbing it in there. … Twenty-to-zero lopsided games or 10-0 lopsided games definitely is not helping us here. …
“We’ve got the talent, we’ve got the skill. But again, the mindset is not quite there yet.”
The talent includes Mendoza and hard-throwing junior Mason Rychetseky, who is one of the city’s top pitchers.
Why was Triton the right choice for Mendoza?
“The coaches, they just welcomed me,” he said. “I wanted to go to a two-year (college). It’s just close to home, a nice facility. … I feel like it’s definitely better for me, especially coming from a smaller school — not a big school anymore — I’ll get more eyes (on me) from a two-year college.”