Pete is the son of John and Regina Belyea. Along with his brother, Rick, he grew up in Bayshore, NY where baseball was his sport of choice at Brentwood High School. In his junior year, Pete was named an all league player. As a senior co-captain, Pete went on to help his team to a 27-0 undefeated season while leading the county in runs batted in and hitting for an outstanding .513 average. That year, he would be named All-League, All-County, All-Long Island, and a Daily News All-Star.
Pete came to Dowling in the fall of 1986 after a brief stint at C.W. Post University. After talking to then head coach John Davide, Peter knew he had found the right place for him. He would man the “hot corner” and play third base for the Golden Lions for the next 4 years.
In 1987, his first year as a Golden Lion, Pete compiled a .404 batting average while smashing 8 homeruns and driving in 40 runs. With those stats and his 55 hits on the season, Belyea earned a spot on the Knickerbocker Conference All-Star First Team roster. On Dowling’s annual Florida spring break tournament trip, Pete earned MVP honors, hitting .613, banging 3 homers while knocking in 14 runs.
With his rookie season behind him, Pete would continue to excel in his sophomore year as his 38 runs batted in helped the Golden Lions become ECAC finalists in 1988.
His junior year was a season to remember as Peter helped lead Dowling to the program’s first ECAC Championship win. That season, he would compile a .315 average, knocking in 9 homeruns and 40 runs. Pete’s best game came against Manhattanville College his senior year. In a 7 inning Dowling victory, he went 4 for 4 with 3 home runs and a double while knocking in an astounding 11 runs.
Belyea would set many records during his time at Dowling and, to this day, still holds the record for most career homeruns with 34. He also ranks in the top ten with 166 career RBI’s, 42 doubles, and 89 walks. In his time as a Golden Lion, many awards and recognitions would be bestowed upon Pete as he would be named a Knickerbocker Conference All-Star four times, an All New York State selection in 1988, and a New York State College Baseball Association Downstate All-Star in 1989.
Peter earned a Bachelors Degree in Social Science from Dowling in January of 1991.
Return to List