When right-handed pitcher Ian McCole transferred to St. Joe’s last fall, he worried about fitting in.
Twenty-three-year-old McCole is a graduate student in the MBA program with junior eligibility on the team. He came to St. Joe’s from Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, where he played Division III ball from 2018 to 2020.
“When I committed here, I was terrified,” McCole said. “I was out of my comfort zone. Everyone knew me from my old school, and when I first came here, I felt like I didn’t know anyone.”
But McCole said he soon felt at home.
“My roommates accepted me from day one and made me feel like I wasn’t the new kid,” McCole said. “It felt like I had been here before. It didn’t take as much adjusting as I thought it would, which felt good.”
The St. Joe’s baseball team’s 2020 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The team struggled through their 2019 and 2018 seasons, finishing 13-11 and 12-12, respectively.
“I came from a real winning program at Misericordia,” McCole said. “From what I have been told, the last few years have been a little rough here, but from the fall and the first few games, things have completely turned around.”
Junior catcher Andrew Cossetti said McCole is a great addition to the team.
“We have a mature group of guys on the team,” Cossetti said. “Ian [McCole] coming into the team is huge in solidifying our pitching. With him and the rest of the guys staying healthy, I think we have a great shot at making the tournament and going on a run.”
McCole currently stands with a record of 1-2, managing 29 strikeouts and just four walks across a team leading 31 innings pitched, securing himself a save in the process.
Head Coach Fritz Hamburg said he recruited McCole because he’s a “tough, hard-nosed competitor.”
Hamburg also liked McCole’s pitchability—the range and versatility of his pitches—and durability during games.
“He’s got good sink in his fastball and throws his breaking ball for strikes,” Hamburg said.
As in the MLB, college pitchers do not often pitch an entire game. According to Hamburg, that has not been the case for McCole in his first few outings.
“In my time here, I might be able to count the number of nine inning complete games on one hand,” Hamburg said. “Last week he went for a complete game against UMass and gave up an early homerun in the first inning. After that, Ian [McCole] just went in there and did his thing and did a great job.”
St. Joe’s went on to beat the University of Massachusetts 5-1 that game.
Hamburg added that he likes McCole’s attitude and appetite for the game.
“He’s very coachable,” Hamburg said. “He wants to learn and get better. I love the fact that he does what we want our pitchers to do so well and he leads by example and he just gets it done.”
Hamburg has high expectations for his team, whose record sits at 11-8 overall and 6-2 in the conference. The team split their most recent series with St. Bonaventure 2-2, losing the first two games by scores of 3-8 and 0-6 but came back with a 9-7 victory and a dominant 11-3 win led by five RBIs on three hits from senior outfielder Brendan Hueth to round off the series.
“If we can avoid another hiccup with COVID, I think this team can do some great things,” Hamburg said. “This team wants to win an A-10 championship.”
Cossetti said McCole’s presence in the dugout helps their chances of winning the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship.
“There is a different presence on the field this year,” Cossetti said. “Our expectation is always the A-10 tournament and making a run for the championship. This year we actually feel confident in saying that.”
That is what McCole would like, too.
“The goal is always to win the championship, no matter what level you play at,” McCole said. “We are going to compete and win some games, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”
