While the Cincinnati Bearcats are off to a slow start, losing six of its first seven games, former Waynesboro infielder Joey Bellini is doing his best, knocking 13 hits in his first 32 at-bats of this young college baseball season.

A General in 2017 and 2018, Bellini is currently a grad student at Cincy, and is slashing .406/.394/.438 in those 32 at-bats, with one double (his OBP is lower than his average because he hasn’t walked yet, and has one sacrifice fly).

In his college career, Bellini has had sustained success at the plate. After a freshman year at Kentucky in 2017 in which he batted twice, he transferred to St. Johns River, where he hit .377/.424/.469 in 207 at-bats in 2018. In 2019, at Cincinnati, he hit .289/.367/.385 in 218 at-bats, along with 15 doubles and 20 walks. In 2020, he went 10-23 until the worst March of our lives happened, and now he’s 10-27 in 2021.

For Waynesboro in 2017, Bellini hit .258/.347/.382 in 89 at-bats, along with two home runs. The next summer, in 68 at-bats, he hit .294/.410/.412 with two triples.