In-depth with our sports seniors

Steven DeSantis: Filling a spot on the banner
Derek Gibbons

In his final season of high school baseball, Steven DeSantis had gone without a home run his entire career. He looked to change that in the first round of the tournament against Commerece High School, and he would, but in an unconventional way.

With perfect weather conditions, the sun shining bright, not too cold and not too hot, DeSantis looked to lead his high school team, Sabis, to the next round of the tournament. Playing at Blunt Park, they had an unusual playing field, as it did not possess a fence, so a home run seemed impossible or out of the question for most players, but DeSantis was up to the challenge.

With a fastball on the outer half of the plate, he would keep his hands back to the last second and drive the ball down the right field line, forcing the right fielder to chase it endlessly into the outfield. Sprinting out of the box, he knew he would certainly have a stand up triple, but, as he rounded second and headed towards third, he found himself being waved around third and chugging home.
With a close play at the plate, DeSantis was called safe and had legged out his first ever homerun.

“Not two steps after I crossed home plate, I was mugged by teammates,” he said. “Even my mom started crying because she knew how much it meant to me.”

Believe it or not, DeSantis didn’t even play the game until eighth grade. However, he had great knowledge of the game as a kid, since he and his grandfather spent time together watching the Yankees.

When the Yankees won the World Series in 1996, DeSantis had become a fan. His grandfather would help explain the aspects of the game, so he would have a better understanding of the game.

“My grandfather taught me the game of baseball on paper,” said DeSantis. “He taught me how to do the box scores and the other basics of the game.”

The Yankees are DeSantis’s favorite team because they were his grandfather’s favorite team. His grandfather loved them because his friend, Vic Raschi, “The Springfield Rifle,” made it to the majors and won five World Series with the Yankees.

Having always loved the game and knowing it very well on paper, DeSantis finally decided to give playing a shot in eighth grade, calling it a “trial and error.”

He did not play much his first year, but he knew a lot of the guys on the team, so it worked out well and he still had fun just being part of the team. He needed to work hard to prove to the coaches throughout high school, and that is just what he did. In his junior and senior season, he was named captain of the team.

For someone who didn’t start playing baseball until the eighth grade, DeSantis made a name for himself at Sabis, collecting 96 hits and holding the school record until last season, when it was finally broken. When DeSantis goes back to Sabis, he always laughs as his record breaker teases him, pointing at the banner that announces his victory.

DeSantis was also a soccer phenomenon, scoring 21 goals. In the long run, though, it was his passion for baseball that made him want to play it in college over soccer.
“Honestly, I got more college attention for soccer than I did for baseball,” said DeSantis.

Wanting to be far enough from home to feel like he was away, but close enough to go home and back to school in the same day, DeSantis decided to attend MCLA. Only emailing Head Coach Jeff Puleri a few times about playing baseball, DeSantis was considered a walk on. Though he had proved himself to be apart of the team, he underestimated the level of play.

“Freshman year was much different than I expected,” said DeSantis, “I didn’t expect the level of competition to be so high.”
According to DeSantis, up until now, his freshman year was the best team he played with since being at the College. However, with great expectations from himself and the team, he is confident that this year’s team can win the MASCAC Championship.

“For four years I have looked at that banner and I have wanted to put a championship up there,” said DeSantis. “I want to come back here years later and look up at the banner, knowing that I was a part of the team that won that championship that year.”

As for his own expectations, he wishes to do whatever it takes to help contribute to the team and keep the team at championship level.

“I want to contribute to the team anyway I can,” said DeSantis. “Even if I am last the person on the bench — whatever it takes.”

Only seeing limited time in his college career, DeSantis is still looking for his first college career hit and compares it to his goal of hitting a homerun in high school. He wishes once again to get that feeling of reaching and hitting that goal.

DeSantis wishes to reach this goal as a way of thanking his parents and four brothers for their ongoing support for him during his life and his baseball career.

With all expecations now in place, DeSantis’s only focus is on that banner. With the saddest memory of his college career coming against Mass Maritime last year, when they knocked the Trailblazers out of playoff contention, he looks to get revenge this Saturday when the team heads down to Mass Maritime for a showdown and prove once and for all that MCLA is the better team.