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It was the middle of March and the Ursinus College baseball team was playing in their final series, a two-game set vs Suffolk University down in Sanford, Florida.  The news of the season being canceled due to COVID-19 was first released to the seniors a day before this final series.  A feeling that couldn’t be described, but one that quickly sank in.  Heartbroken and distraught, they were helpless, nothing could be done.  

A feeling that Michael Stanziale describes as something he still cannot put into words two months after the fact. Stanziale was one of five seniors for the Ursinus College Bears and was named captain a few months before this whole mess began.  When asked if he was happy on how his final at bat went, he gave me a look of disgust that brothers often give to one another and said, “hell no.” 

Stanziale stepped to the plate already two for three on the day, those totals were complimented by two RBIs and one run scored. It was the bottom of the sixth inning – as per division III rules, teams that face-off in non-conference competition only play seven innings during double headers as opposed to the usual nine – and Stanziale was coming to the plate. In the back of his mind he didn’t know when his true last at bat would be.

Every time he stepped to the plate it was the only thing he could think of, nothing was different here. Although there was another seven innings to be played after game one, Stanziale was unsure if he would crack the lineup for game two – he ended up not playing – after all, nothing in sports is guaranteed.  

He watches ball four go by, the 21st time in his college career that he reached base due to base on balls. He takes his trot to first base, only thinking about one thing.  “Don’t take me out.”  This was something he often thought throughout his career.  Although he knew he wasn’t the best baseball player, he always gave it his all and just wanted to be on the diamond with his “brothers”. 

His playing days started in his hometown of North Haledon, New Jersey, where he says he is now “trapped” until “who knows when.”  

Stanziale’s career started the same way any other ambitious player who wants to play professional sports did. He was part of every sport his town had to offer.  He was a part of the town’s baseball, basketball and soccer programs. He was a natural star and usually the best on all of those teams. Like any other competitor, he did not like losing. “Find me a good loser, you can’t,” he told me for what seemed like the billionth time in my life.  

A natural athlete, nobody knew what sport Stanziale was going to choose when he went to high school. It was between Soccer and Baseball. Everybody within his family thought soccer was the choice, but after his first soccer practice at Don Bosco Preparatory High School, he knew it was time to give up the foot sport and stick with the hand sport. 

He knew this decision would have ripple effects for the rest of his life, it was a gamble, but one that he calls, “the best decision I’ve ever made.”  

His time at Bosco was almost abruptly cut short as he was found himself quickly struggling after making the choice to quit soccer. He was the lone wolf in his graduating middle school class of 150 students that attended Don Bosco. He was missing his friends and finding it hard to fit in at his new school.

Baseball was his last hope.  

“If I was cut from the baseball team at Bosco, I would have transferred.”  This was information he revealed before his graduation from the high school.  At the time, no one in his family knew how Stanziale felt and as his final freshmen year tryouts ended, he thought to himself, “is this it, or am I staying?”  

“Awaiting those results was the most nerve-wracking thing,” his mother Gina Stanziale said as if she had some PTSD from the tryouts. Stanziale made the team and stayed at Bosco. The rest was history.  

At Bosco, Stanziale had quite the resume. He played baseball all four years and was the first in his class to be called up to Varsity. That happened when he was just a sophomore. Although it was only a game, he remembers it as a “unique experience”.  

His junior year, the team won the county title and followed that up with the sectional state championship, their first since before Stanziale was attending the school. They finished as the runner up in the total state championship to Jersey’s best high school baseball team that year, Christian Brother’s Academy. It was their only loss that year, a total record of 29 – 1.  

On September 30, 2015, months before the start of his senior campaign, he made the announcement that he would attend Ursinus College, located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He made it official and signed his letter of intent on November 11.  

With his college decision over, he just focused on baseball his senior year.  “A much simpler time in my life,” he recalled. His senior year didn’t quite follow the same path as the season past, but Bosco finished with a respectable record of 19 – 10.  

After doing research, I was only able to find 14 at bats throughout his high school career.  When asked to guess how many hits he accrued during those at bats the natural jokester said, “Probably 0.”  He wasn’t too far off; the actual number was three.  

With high school in the rearview mirror, it was time to embark on a new journey. Although a new journey, one that had a similar beginning. Just like in high school, Stanziale wanted to transfer out of Ursinus his freshmen year. This time, he revealed the information to his family.  His usually understanding parents would not allow their middle son to transfer right away. 

“We told him he had to give it one year, if he didn’t like it, he could transfer wherever he liked,” his father David Stanziale said with an expression on his face as if he could recall the whole conversation word for word.  

Once again, he made the right decision and decided to stay. Another decision that will have ripple effects, another gamble, but another right choice. 

His freshmen year, he appeared in 19 games and Ursinus made it to the conference championship game, where they lost 4 – 3 to Johns Hopkins. “I wish we got that series back; we should’ve beaten them.”  

During his sophomore and junior season, the Bears failed to qualify for the conference tournament, but Stanziale made major improvements in his game. Especially his sophomore season. “That was probably the best season I ever played,” he said with the biggest smile on his face.  

“His best season ever” started with the scariest moment ever. A few weeks before the scheduled spring training trip to California, Stanziale fell face-first in his dorm room.  He broke his front four teeth, his jaw, and had a minor concussion. He missed his California trip simply because – in his words – “I broke my face.” “I’ll never forget that drive from Jersey to Pennsylvania,” said his oldest brother Christopher.  

Following the “broken face”, came what he described as “the best season I ever played.”  He’s not wrong either. Stanziale appeared in 26 games, had a batting average of .300, totaled 26 RBIs, and hit his first ever home run. The confident 22-year-old said, “I crushed that ball.” 

Stanziale made sure I made note of when Ursinus swept Johns Hopkins for the first time in school history. This happened his junior year. He confidently said, “I won the game on a pinch-hit triple. Hit it off someone who is now in the Mets’ organization.”

He wasn’t lying. 

That year finished with a chance to qualify for the conference tournament. With four games left in the season, they needed to win all four, instead, in a bold move, they lost all four. He couldn’t believe the stats I was throwing his way. “We were that good last year,” he questioned.

Following that came the most promising year, his senior year. It was one that began with excitement. “We came into this year thinking we would win it all. This was the most talented team I had ever been a part of.” The Bears got off to a hot start. They started 7 – 3 and were on a three-game win streak when the news broke. Well, you know how the rest of his senior year went.

Unfortunately, so does he. 

Stanziale watches ball four go by.  As he is thinking whether or not this is his final at bat ever, his parents knew it was. David and Gina made the trip to Florida from Jersey and they had a view of Ursinus head coach Stan Exeter. Gina knew it was over when Exeter made his way through the dugout and to the top of the steps. The tears started coming from her immediately and I’m not sure they have stopped yet. “I’m just glad his final at bat wasn’t a strike out,” she not so jokingly said. 

Stanziale did not want to come out, but he couldn’t defy the head coach. Sophomore Dan Icaza grabbed his helmet and made his way to first to relieve Stanziale from his playing duties. Stanziale got the standing ovation, cheers, and hugs from his teammates that resemble the likes of Derek Jeter saying goodbye. Maybe an exaggeration, but that’s how proud of my brother I am, he’s my Derek Jeter. 

Stanziale knew it was over and that he had to say goodbye to the sport he loved. Not the fairy tale he expected, but one he has to live with. He did agree with his mother that he was glad it was his 21st career walk instead of his 50th career strikeout.  

As we throw the baseball together, Stanziale ends our conversation the only way he knows how to, with a joke. “Maybe that wasn’t my last at bat, I’m still waiting for the Yankees to give me a call.”