HAWK TAKES FLIGHT
PHILADELPHIA — Saint Joseph’s University pitcher Jordan DiValerio makes certain he eats a burrito the night before a game and strictly chews on four pieces of Orbit sweet mint gum when he’s on the mound.
Superstitious? Certainly. What baseball player isn’t? But he isn’t about to stop feeding the superstitions, either — not when he’s knocking on the door of professional baseball.
DiValerio, a 2016 Berwick graduate, was on track to have his name called during this summer’s MLB Draft. That is until the coronavirus pandemic put an abrupt end to all NCAA spring sports, and potentially DiValerio’s collegiate career.
There remains some uncertainty about what his next step could be, but there’s one thing DiValerio is sure of: He wants to open the door to the pros.
“Playing professional baseball is my main goal. It’s been my goal since high school,” he said. “If it doesn’t work out, I’m definitely willing to come back (to St. Joseph’s) and play my last year.”
That goal is undoubtably achievable for the hurler.
DiValerio has a four-pitch arsenal — fastball, changeup, splitter and curveball — that range in speeds from 75 mph with his splitter to 94 mph with his fastball, disrupting hitters’ timing and keeping them off balance.
And it shows.
DiValerio had a standout junior season, leading the Hawks in starts (12), wins (5), opponents’ batting average (.241), innings pitched (73.1) and strikeouts (67). That success landed him a spot on the 2019 Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball All-Big 5 team.
He not only carried that success over into this season, but showed even more promising results.
DiValerio posted a 3-1 record and 2.38 ERA in four starts this year. He also had nearly a 7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, striking out 33 batters while issuing five free passes in 22.2 innings pitched. He kept most lineups at bay, averaging 0.9459 walks and hits in innings pitched.
“I didn’t really do anything different (preparing for this season). I think it was mainly the confidence I had coming off last season,” he said. “I had a pretty good season and knew I could get guys out. I trusted my stuff more.”
DiValerio picked up wins against Ohio State, one-hitting the Buckeyes, and North Carolina Central. However, it was the win over Coastal Carolina, a perennial powerhouse, in February on the Chanticleers’ field, that he will remember fondly.
“Coastal is typically one of the better teams in the country,” he said. “We went out and put together a really good game offensively and made great plays defensively. We kept them on their toes, and came away with a big win.”
MLB or NCAA?
Since that memorable win, things have changed dramatically, forcing DiValerio to treat the typical baseball season months as the offseason.
“I’m just maintaining my pitches and preparing for either summer ball, if that doesn’t get canceled, or the possibility of getting picked up or signed (by an MLB team) and competing right away,” he said.
After a mandatory quiet period, DiValerio said league scouts, mostly from the East Coast, have again picked up discussions with the pitcher. None of the scouts has mentioned if teams plan to have him use DiValerio as a starter or reliever.
Due to the pandemic, MLB has made drastic changes to its annual draft, saying it will go from its typical 40-round marathon to having as few as five.
If not selected by a team, DiValerio will have the option to sign with any club as an undrafted free agent.
He also has the option to play for St. Joseph’s after the NCAA recently announced it will allow spring sports athletes to return without losing a year of eligibility.
If DiValerio chooses that route, he would have the chance to end his collegiate career on a brighter note.
The Hawks were 5-10 and on a six-game losing skid — with each of the last five being by two or fewer runs — when the season came to a halt. They also played no home games.
It would also allow DiValerio to create a possible ending he foresaw up until he heard the news the season was over after 15 games.
“It was definitely sad to hear,” he said. “I understood why they did it, because of the safety for all the players and fans, but it’s not the way I wanted my college career to come to a potential end.
“I thought it would come down to a fight and being in the A10 invitational. It was definitely an emotional time for me and all the other seniors.”
No matter what course of action DiValerio takes, he’s going to explore all options and choose what’s best for him.
After all, we’re talking about someone who pitched his best in a game against the University of Kansas after eating a burrito from Qdoba the night before, and went through his options of gum before landing on one that made him feel as if he was out of this world.
Link to story: https://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/daily/page/story/hawk-takes-flight
