Miami Northwestern baseball players energized by chance to play in Marlins’ ballpark
Miami Northwestern right-hander Jah’syi Narcisse has seen the movie “42” dozens of times.
That makes him the perfect starting pitcher to take the mound this coming Monday in the Jackie Robinson high school baseball Classic at loanDepot Park (the Miami Marlins’ home stadium). The game will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
“I’m excited, thrilled and ready to play on a big-league field,” Narcisse said of the game against North Miami Beach. “When (Northwestern coach Darrell Pender) told me that I was going to start, I said, ‘I’m going to be on that mound the whole game. I got you’.”
Pender said Northwestern was selected for the game because the Marlins wanted an inner-city school.
It doesn’t hurt that Pender – who is Black – has worn No. 42 since the Bulls hired him in time for the 2019 season.
Pender, a 43-year-old Miami native, grew up in the Liberty City neighborhood and attended Northwestern. After high school, he was drafted in the 12th round by the Detroit Tigers.
And although he never got past two seasons of Rookie League ball – where he hit .235 in a total of 75 games – Pender is making an impact as a coach.
When he was hired at Northwestern in October of 2018, the program – which once helped produce an MLB All-Star and two-time World Series champ in Mickey Rivers – had been dormant for seven years.
The first thing Pender did after getting the Bulls job was to fix the field. Pender said he did the work by himself, and about 85 percent of the money needed to complete the job – including the purchase of a $3,500 John Deere tractor – came out of his pocket.
“The field was terrible,” Pender said. “It was just one big plot of grass. I had to get the dirt for the infield …”
Pender’s next task was to bring in players, many of whom came from his baseball academy.
It hasn’t been easy.
Including this season’s 4-6 record, the Bulls are 21-21 since he took over. That’s a mediocre record in the traditional sense, but it’s virtually a miracle considering that the entire program had to be rebuilt.
It helps that the coach has his son on the field. Darrell Pender Jr., who made third-team All-County last season, hits leadoff and plays center field and shortstop. As a sophomore last season, Pender Jr. – who also plays wide receiver in football -- stole 28 bases and hit .487.
But besides Pender Jr., there’s also improved depth at Northwestern. This year, the Bulls have a junior varsity for the first time, Pender said. There are 17 players on the varsity and 15 on JV.
The next big challenge for the Bulls is to play well against NMB at the Marlins’ loanDepot Park.
Pender said the Marlins approached him about the game in February, and his players have been excited ever since the invitation was extended.
In addition to the game, NIKE surprised the Northwestern team with special edition Jackie Robinson cleats on Wednesday afternoon at the school.
“They are so happy,” Pender said. “Since they got the news, they have been inspired. They wake up for practice every day with a boost of energy.”
Alonza Ward, a sophomore outfielder and first baseman for the Bulls, said his team is out to prove that Northwestern is more than just a football school.
“This game is a great opportunity for me not just as a player but also to show how I carry myself,” Ward said.
“I’m grateful to Jackie Robinson. If not for him, I don’t think I would be playing baseball.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 9:55 AM.