This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
08/23/2018 12:00 AMJulian Banerji learned a lot about what it takes to lead a team by working with a great group of seniors while competing for Hand’s football and baseball squads during his recent junior year. As he enters his final year at the high school, Julian plans on using what he learned to lead both teams as a senior captain.
Julian started playing football and baseball after moving to Madison in the 6th grade. He continued to play both sports in town, developing a network of friends along the way. Last fall, Julian played safety and was a kick returner for a Hand football team that claimed the Class L state championship. In the spring, he batted .347 with a .449 on-base percentage, 23 runs scored, and 22 RBI to help the baseball squad reach the SCC Tournament final for the first time. Julian was also named the Tigers’ Defensive Most Valuable Player after committing no errors and making 38 putouts in center field.
It means a lot to Julian that he’s helping Hand continue its winning tradition in multiple arenas. He has high hopes for what the Tigers can achieve as he dons the captain’s hat for his senior season.
“We had great senior leaders last year, and I’m hoping to follow in their footsteps,” Julian says. “Nineteen wins for the baseball team was awesome. It was all of our hard work finally coming into fruition. We showed the rest of the state that Hand could hang when it came to baseball. In football, we had a tough season two years ago and knew we had to get back on top.”
Julian looks to provide some power for the Tigers whenever he steps into the batter’s box. Last spring, Julian clubbed a walk-off three-run homer to give Hand a 6-3 victory versus Branford in the SCC Tournament semifinals.
“When I get up there, I am trying to hit the ball as hard as I can,” says Julian. “I try to crush the ball, but I make sure I don’t swing out of my shoes.”
Julian says that patrolling center field comes with some ups and downs, but in the end, he likes playing the position. Julian believes that spending time in the secondary under those Friday night lights during football season proves beneficial when it’s time to reel in fly balls on a sunny afternoon.
“Playing center is tough, but it can be the most fun position in sports if you play it right. I love tracking down balls, and I make it a competition with myself,” he says. “The hardest part of the position can also be tracking down those balls, but it’s a lot like playing safety in football in just reading the ball as it comes in.”
Julian earned a seat in the varsity dugout right from the get-go as a freshman at Hand. As a result, he was afforded the opportunity to learn from a wide variety of teammates who helped him develop his style on the diamond. Julian adds that Head Coach Travis LaPointe had a heavy hand in his progression as a ballplayer.
“I started my freshman year, so I was around a lot of different guys and got to see so many different playing styles,” says Julian. “I was able to pick a little from each and incorporate them into my game. Coach LaPointe was also an instrumental part of my growth.”
LaPointe says that Julian earned his captaincy by bringing a professional approach to the Tigers on a daily basis. LaPointe praises Julian for his athlete’s dedication to sports, school, and the community.
“Julian is everything that is great about high-school athletics. He is an incredible student-athlete. His performance in the classroom is just as impressive as his performance on the field,” LaPointe says. “He has been a three-year starter for our baseball team. He is the best defensive center fielder in the state. He makes the toughest plays look routine, and he just glides to the ball and makes it look effortless. He is clutch at the plate and hits for average and power. He also makes an incredible impact in the community. He volunteers at Buddy Baseball and has a special skillset for working with children. We are lucky to have him on our team and in our community.”
Julian feels that much of the Tigers’ success from last year stemmed from their chemistry and everyone’s willingness to do whatever was best for the greater good of the team. Now a senior captain, Julian wants to see that same attitude on the field this year, so Hand can continue traveling a path to prosperity.
“We had a lot of guys that had been playing together for a long time, so they knew each other well,” says Julian. “We knew we had to win for each other, put our own goals aside, and play for the team.”