After the 2020 season ending just 15 games in, the St. Joe’s baseball team has returned with momentum, touting a 5-2 record. Off to their best start in over 10 seasons, the Hawks are led by some power hitters at the plate, managing 11 home runs in their first seven games.
The Hawks started their 2021 season exactly one year after their previous one was canceled. Taking on Towson University, the Hawks secured a 12-3 win, including six home runs. Those six home runs broke the program’s single game home run record, previously held by the 2016 team with five home runs.
Last year, the team struggled early on, carrying a 5-10 record before the season’s cancellation. Although disappointing, players like sophomore right handed pitcher/first baseman Brandon Drapeau said they used this time to learn from their mistakes.
“We’ve all been working really hard, especially during the pandemic,” Drapeau said. “Guys really reflected on what they’ve been doing wrong, what they needed to work on to get better and what we can do as a team to get off on a hot start.”
Drapeau’s season is off to a strong start, with a home run against George Washington University and holding the No. 4 spot on the team with 5 RBIs.
Among the sluggers was Luca Trigiani, a sophomore infielder who hit two home runs and added five RBIs in the matchup. Trigiani, a native of Brooklyn, New York, played with Regis High School, where he hit .402 and won the Mayor’s Cup MVP as a senior. Philadelphia Baseball Review named Trigiani a Player of the Week after finishing his first four games going seven for 18 with 12 RBIs.
“It felt pretty awesome,” Trigiani said. “Obviously, it’s only for one week. We have a lot more ahead of us and I’m trying to stay focused on the rest of the season.”
The team has faced its fair share of adversity during the offseason, including following NCAA and SJU Athletics COVID-19 guidelines. Junior catcher Andrew Cossetti said the team had to jump through many hoops to succeed.
“We weren’t able to get inside and lift a lot because of social distancing,” Cossetti said. “Not only that, but our field was covered in snow up until two weeks ago, so we’ve been doing what we can to practice and only trying to control what we can control.”
The Hawks will look to continue steamrolling through the season. Although losing a close 6-4 battle to University of Connecticut on March 19, the team quickly bounced back with a 9-8 win over the Huskies the next day.
According to Cossetti, the outlook among the team is high for the remainder of the season, but the team is still taking things one game at a time.
“We want to win,” Cossetti said. “We have the ability right now to make it further than years past. The team has caught on to that, and we’re doing what we can to win each game.”
