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| Photo Credit: Molloy Athletics |
It’s rare that a player can make as much noise with his voice as his bat when he’s hitting .349 with a .433 OBP, 23 RBI and 23 runs scored through 35 games in the East Coast Conference.
Molloy’s John Galanoudis is one of those rare cases. He has released two country albums on iTunes; “Between the Sound and Sea” and “Fire Still Burning”.
Music has always been a big part of my life. My entire Greek side of the family is musical and I pretty much grew up around it. I taught myself how to play guitar when I was 12 years old and it has been my side thing ever since. I am blessed to have released two country album on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and other digital stores. It is always something I can go to in order to unwind or relax after a tough day at the plate or long day.
Galanoudis is hardly a one-trick pony. He has been a force at the plate this season for the Molloy Lions. He was recently named ECC Player of the Week but his season-long hot-streak certainly puts him in line for postseason accolades. He has been the most dangerous bat for the Lions, who are hitting .290 as a team and have averaged 6.4 runs per game.
Where does does style of play derive from?
“I look up to David Wright, Derek Jeter, and Dustin Pedroia,” said Galanoudis. “I am a Mets fan but I have always admired the way Jeter played the game and how he carried himself. Dustin Pedroia is my favorite baseball player because–similar to myself–he isn’t exactly the tallest guy in the world but loves proving people wrong and playing as hard as he can every single day,” he added.
The 5’8″ outfielder had quite a high school career at Farmingdale prior to coming to Molloy. He had a few other options of schools to attend but he claims that he “wouldn’t have wanted to play anywhere else and for anybody else.”
He was a two-time All-Conference player at Farmingdale, but he feels he has taken his game to the next level since getting to Molloy.
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| Photo Credit: Molloy Athletics |
“I absolutely feel that I have improved a tremendous amount since I stepped foot on campus September of 2010. As a freshman, I would just look up to the older guys who at the time included 2011 ECC Player of the Year Rob Larusso and 2011 ECC Pitcher of the Year Chuck Fontana. I would watch how these guys handled their business on and off the field. Being able to come into that type of environment really taught me a lot about adjusting to college baseball. I also wouldn’t be the player I am today without the guidance and motivation I have received over the years from my head coach Joe Fucarino along with the rest of the coaching staff throughout my career.
He is a two-time All-ECC second team member and will now have younger guys looking up to him for guidance–including his younger brother, Anthony, who is a sophomore outfielder for the Lions as well.
The Lions are in the midst of a playoff run and Galanoudis has high hopes for his team.
“Expectations for the rest of the season is to keep grinding it out with my 27 brothers,” he said. “We’re a good team with a lot of guys who really get after it once they get on the field. We’ve been working incredibly hard since September and I’m excited to rise to the challenge and make a run with these guys. If we continue to hit, pitch, and play good defense, we’re a tough team to beat. In the back part of this conference season now, we just need to make sure all three of those components of the game are where we need them to be,” he added.
If they keep receiving contributions from players like Galanoudis, it shouldn’t be a problem.
