Tate Ballestero

Height:
6-4
Class:
Graduate Student
Hometown:
Morristown, NJ

Graduate (2024)
Made 29 appearances, starting in 23 games... Recorded 15 hits to go along with 15 runs and 11 RBIs... Hit seven doubles and two homeruns... Posted a .132/.314/.283 slash line... Tallied three multi-RBI games... Recorded a hit in each of his first nine games... Recorded 128 putouts and seven assists on a .985 fielding percentage... Drove in two runs in the opening game of the season on a single against Fordham (Feb. 16)... Hit an RBI double in a losing effort against UNCG (Feb. 20)... Rattled off five hits in the series against Dayton (Feb. 23-25), including five doubles to help the Demon Deacons earn the sweep... Recorded an RBI double against Elon (March 3)... Belted his first home run of the season on a two-run home run to give the Demon Deacons a 5-4 lead against Virginia (March 17)... Recorded an RBI and caught a runner stealing against Louisville (March 21)... Drove in a run against North Carolina A&T (May 8)... Tallied an RBI against Pitt in the ACC Tournament (May 22)... Recorded a pinch-hit solo home run against Florida State in the semifinal of the ACC Tournament (May 25).

Prior to Wake Forest
2023 (at St John's)
Made 52 appearances, starting in 51 games … compiled a team-best 45 RBIs to go with 55 hits and 43 runs scored … ranked second on the team with 10 home runs while logging 11 doubles … posted a .288/.413/.513 slash line … two-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll selection (March 13, April 10) … tallied 13 multi-RBI performances while adding 13 outings with two or more base knocks … rattled off one hit in each of the team’s first three contests (Feb. 17-19) against Old Dominion, including a two-RBI performance in game two … helped knock off Southeastern Louisiana with a two-run homer, part of a three-RBI day at the dish (Feb. 27) … followed up with another two-run shot in the team's 8-4 win at Marshall (March 4) … knocked in the eventual game-winning run on an RBI double to take the weekend series against the Herd (March 6) … compiled nine hits and five runs scored in three contests against UAlbany (March 10-12), including a two-homer, four-RBI showing in the Red Storm’s 11-2 victory in game two … went 2-for-3 against both LIU (March 15) and Quinnipiac (March 17) … knocked in a pair of runs at Quinnipiac (March 18) before scoring three times in the final matchup against the Bobcats (March 19) … plated two runs in back-to-back games against Richmond (March 26) and William & Mary (March 31) … recorded three RBIs and a home run against the Tribe (April 1) … opened BIG EAST play with a 4-for-5 showing against UConn (April 6), falling a triple of the cycle, smacking two homers and driving in four runs … doubled twice with two runs scored and an RBI against Seton Hall (April 16) … crossed home plate two times and drove in a pair of runs against Iona (May 3) … knocked in two runs against Villanova (May 6) … went 2-for-6 at the dish with a trio of RBIs and two tallies at Butler (May 18) … plated two runners in game two against the Bulldogs (May 19) … BIG EAST Academic Honor Roll.

2022 (at St John's)
Second Team All-BIG EAST… hit a team-high .333 with 35 RBIs, 18 doubles, two triples and three home runs…reached base at a .427 clip and slugged .483 in 55 games… named to BIG EAST Honor Roll on May 9… picked up first hit and RBI of the season against Middle Tennessee State (Feb. 18)… tallied three hits and two runs scored in the win over the Blue Raiders (Feb. 19)… went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs at the University of San Francisco (March 3)… tallied eight hits, seven runs scored and four RBIs, including his first home run of the season, in the series sweep of Sacred Heart (March 18-20)… went 5-for-9 with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs in the midweek victories over Hofstra and Wagner (March 22 and 23)… notched three hits in four at-bats with a home run and two RBIs in the series opener against Quinnipiac (March 25)… recorded back-to-back multi-hit efforts against Hofstra and Creighton (April 14 and 16-Game 1)… posted first three-RBI game of the season in the 12-12 tie against Butler (April 24)… slugged his third round tripper of the 2022 campaign, a two-run shot, against Marist (May 3)… went 4-for-4 in game two of the doubleheader at Seton Hall, notching two doubles and two runs scored (May 8)… logged his second three-RBI effort of the season, going 3-for-5 with three doubles, in the resounding win over Iona (May 11).

2020-2021 (at Virginia)
Appeared in 27 games, making 10 starts (nine at DH and one in RF) in two seasons… hit .219 in 2021 in 32 at-bats… reached base at a .375 clip with six walks and two hit-by-pitches… helped the Cavaliers reach the College World Series in 2021.

Background
Four-year letter winner and two-time captain at Morristown High School… helped the Colonials to a Morris County championship as a freshman and a sectional championship as a junior.

Personal
Son of Mark and Julie Ballestero… has two older siblings, Maddie and Mitch… a member of the Morris County All-Academic Team in high school.