His time with Bellevue University lasted just one season, but Ulysses Roque made it count.
Roque was named Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and helped lead the Bruins to an MCAC tournament championship, their second in as many years.
"Ulysses knows how to win," Bellevue coach Mike Evans said. "He's a great competitor, and he's the kind of kid that, when he was pitching, we felt we had a chance to win against anyone in the country."
Roque, an honorable mention All-American, is the honorary captain of The World-Herald's All-Nebraska NAIA team. The squad is chosen by NAIA coaches in the state.
The 6-foot, 220-pound Roque fooled hitters with his one-seam fastball, which Evans said was a rare pitch to see. It dove to the hitter's feet at nearly 85 mph.
But after suffering a loss in his first start, the pitcher from Florida also showed his resourcefulness and guile.
Roque won 12 in a row before being handed his second loss to Embry-Riddle University in the NAIA World Series, finishing 12-2 overall and 9-1 in conference play.
"When he walked out there, you could never tell if he was going good or bad," Evans said. "But you knew he was going to go out there and be as tough as nails."
Roque's 12 wins ranked fourth among all NAIA Division I. He ranked 17th with a 2.20 ERA, and he led the MCAC in conference games with a 1.50 ERA.
"After that first game, he said that it's not going to happen again," Evans said. "And it's neat to have a guy on your team like that. I just wish I could have had him for more than one year."
Roque recently signed with the Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League to replace closer Travis Hope, who suffered a rotator cuff injury. In his debut, Roque went six innings, allowing seven hits, giving up two earned runs and striking out two.
Evans said he knows Roque will do well for the Miners.
"He will compete just like he did for us," he said. "He's not going to be intimidated."
On a journey that took Roque through family hardships in Coral Gables, Fla., Evans said, the pitcher found a life of simplicity and camaraderie through baseball in Nebraska.
"Everybody on the team just loved his personality and being his teammate," Evans said. "Everything he did was for the team and not for himself."
World-Herald All-Nebraska NAIA baseball team
Psn: Name, school.........................Record/Avg.
P: Zane Cascini, Nebraska Wesleyan.........................6-1
P: Ulysses Roque, Bellevue.........................12-2
C: Joe Jeanjaquet, Hastings..........................370
1B: Matt Huggins, Midland Lutheran.......................321
2B: Tim Jacoby, Midland Lutheran..........................361
3B: Nolan Koehn, Midland Lutheran..........................372
SS: Bret Compliment, Hastings..........................336
OF: John Richards, York College..........................426
OF: Mike Mendenhall, Doane..........................429
OF: BJ Juelfs, Concordia..........................357
OF: Nick Damas, Bellevue..........................420
DH: John Rust, Nebraska Wesleyan..........................382
U: Pat Morey, Hastings..........................256
Honorary captain: Ulysses Roque, Bellevue.
Honorable mention: Drew Farley, Dave Powell, Matt Anderson, Josh Northrup, Brett Scarpetta, Bellevue; Jack Holmberg, Casey Rodriguez, Concordia; Quentin Connealy, Austin Lunn, Robert Riggs, Dana; Bryan Dutcher, Tim Engelhaupt, Chris Williams, Doane; Leigh Jochimsen, Hastings College; Mike Burdine, Adam White, Midland Lutheran; Andy McGowan, Jared Meays, Corey Petersen, Steve Schaffer, Nebraska Wesleyan; Gary Hall, Jonathan Harder, Will Hays, Mark Houck, Peru State; Nick Jones, Kellen Love, Dylan Connolly, York College.
Roque was named Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and helped lead the Bruins to an MCAC tournament championship, their second in as many years.
"Ulysses knows how to win," Bellevue coach Mike Evans said. "He's a great competitor, and he's the kind of kid that, when he was pitching, we felt we had a chance to win against anyone in the country."
Roque, an honorable mention All-American, is the honorary captain of The World-Herald's All-Nebraska NAIA team. The squad is chosen by NAIA coaches in the state.
The 6-foot, 220-pound Roque fooled hitters with his one-seam fastball, which Evans said was a rare pitch to see. It dove to the hitter's feet at nearly 85 mph.
But after suffering a loss in his first start, the pitcher from Florida also showed his resourcefulness and guile.
Roque won 12 in a row before being handed his second loss to Embry-Riddle University in the NAIA World Series, finishing 12-2 overall and 9-1 in conference play.
"When he walked out there, you could never tell if he was going good or bad," Evans said. "But you knew he was going to go out there and be as tough as nails."
Roque's 12 wins ranked fourth among all NAIA Division I. He ranked 17th with a 2.20 ERA, and he led the MCAC in conference games with a 1.50 ERA.
"After that first game, he said that it's not going to happen again," Evans said. "And it's neat to have a guy on your team like that. I just wish I could have had him for more than one year."
Roque recently signed with the Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League to replace closer Travis Hope, who suffered a rotator cuff injury. In his debut, Roque went six innings, allowing seven hits, giving up two earned runs and striking out two.
Evans said he knows Roque will do well for the Miners.
"He will compete just like he did for us," he said. "He's not going to be intimidated."
On a journey that took Roque through family hardships in Coral Gables, Fla., Evans said, the pitcher found a life of simplicity and camaraderie through baseball in Nebraska.
"Everybody on the team just loved his personality and being his teammate," Evans said. "Everything he did was for the team and not for himself."
World-Herald All-Nebraska NAIA baseball team
Psn: Name, school.........................Record/Avg.
P: Zane Cascini, Nebraska Wesleyan.........................6-1
P: Ulysses Roque, Bellevue.........................12-2
C: Joe Jeanjaquet, Hastings..........................370
1B: Matt Huggins, Midland Lutheran.......................321
2B: Tim Jacoby, Midland Lutheran..........................361
3B: Nolan Koehn, Midland Lutheran..........................372
SS: Bret Compliment, Hastings..........................336
OF: John Richards, York College..........................426
OF: Mike Mendenhall, Doane..........................429
OF: BJ Juelfs, Concordia..........................357
OF: Nick Damas, Bellevue..........................420
DH: John Rust, Nebraska Wesleyan..........................382
U: Pat Morey, Hastings..........................256
Honorary captain: Ulysses Roque, Bellevue.
Honorable mention: Drew Farley, Dave Powell, Matt Anderson, Josh Northrup, Brett Scarpetta, Bellevue; Jack Holmberg, Casey Rodriguez, Concordia; Quentin Connealy, Austin Lunn, Robert Riggs, Dana; Bryan Dutcher, Tim Engelhaupt, Chris Williams, Doane; Leigh Jochimsen, Hastings College; Mike Burdine, Adam White, Midland Lutheran; Andy McGowan, Jared Meays, Corey Petersen, Steve Schaffer, Nebraska Wesleyan; Gary Hall, Jonathan Harder, Will Hays, Mark Houck, Peru State; Nick Jones, Kellen Love, Dylan Connolly, York College.
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