By Melissa Wallace '12
It's an ache –a constant pain submerged throughout what seems like a lifetime of ups and downs, wins and losses. It's a longing to return to something you were once so passionate about, a game that fueled your energy and life. And it's a regret, a regret for renouncing a sport that was once the epitome of who you are.
For Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy), regret is what rendered his comeback to baseball. After having played for nearly 12 years, Galeotafiore decided to quit playing when he entered his freshman year of college in August of 2007. But after realizing how much he truly missed the game that spring, Galeotafiore returned to the diamond for his sophomore year academically, and has assumed a leadership role both on and off the field.
Last season, Galeotafiore hit a solid .333 on the season and was just as valuable behind the plate starting 44 games. The catcher also hit for power as he drilled 15 doubles and tied for second on the team with five homers. He had a tremendous .983 fielding percentage and was selected for the All-NJAC First Team. He also threw out 16-of-35 runners attempting to steal. That 45 percent success rate is incredibly high for a catcher.
“The truth is I couldn't have done anything without the other eight guys on the field with me,” said Galeotafiore on his success. “It's easy for a runner to steal a base if the pitcher isn't quick enough to deliver a ball; it's easy for a runner to steal second base if the shortstop or second basemen fails to catch the ball and tag the runner. But without those other eight guys, none of the success I had last year would have been accomplished.”
And with the help of his teammates, Galeotafiore continues to flourish. This season he was honored for his achievements with the American Baseball Coaches Association-Rawlings Gold Glove Award. He was the first player in the program's rich history to win this award. Galeotafiore was also the lone catcher selected for this award in 2009 out of 404 Division III baseball teams (and catchers) around the country.
Galeotafiore is currently ranked third in the NJAC with a batting average of .430 and is first with an on-base percentage of .539. For 26 games, he held the longest hitting streak in the nation out of Division III schools. That streak encompassed the final 12 games from 2009 and the first 14 of this season. He continues contributing greatly to the recent success of the Lions' baseball team and helping to push them on top of the NJAC in pursuit of another championship title.
An intense and powerful player, Galeotafiore epitomizes the heart and soul of the sport. His outgoing personality contributes greatly to how he plays the game, committing himself to always playing at 100 percent, no matter who the team is. He wants to play with no regrets and make up for time lost from not playing his freshman year.
Playing with such a strict and demanding schedule, both in terms of practice and games is rough on any athlete. Mentally, you're broken. The amount of time you put in eats away at you. And then a loss comes and the whole team is disheartened.
It's Galeotafiore's positive and persevering attitude that keeps him in a good mindset, especially when times get tough, which he shares with the rest of his teammates.
“In my two years playing here,” Galeotafiore noted, “I have learned that a true team comes together in times of struggle, both mentally and physically.”
He argues that last year's team could have quit when they had all the talent in the world and were losing, but they persevered and overcame those losses to become conference champions.
“This year's team is in the same situation,” he explains, “The only difference is we have new faces. The best part is we have guys that were there last year, and it is up to those guys to get us through this bump we are currently in.”
After a rough start to their season, the Lion's bounced back and have won four of their last five games, defeating nationally-ranked Kean University on their own turf. With the help of Galeotafiore and other veterans, it looks to be a promising end of the season for the TCNJ baseball team, with a NJAC championship title envisioned within the heads of each player.
