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| Photo credit: Adelphi Athletics |
Prior to his first collegiate start on March 9, 2013, Jonathon Mulford was sitting in the dugout preparing himself to face a St. Thomas Aquinas team that is a perennial powerhouse.
Starting a freshman against them could be a risky move, you would think.
It’s easy to tell when they’re overwhelmed–you can see the deer-in-the-headlights look or lots of pacing around. This freshman didn’t look that way, but just to make sure Head Coach Dom Scala figured he would ask.
“You nervous?” he inquired.
“Coach, he’s a ‘Pequa boy, he will be fine,” said catcher Kevin Hutzel.
True to his word, Mulford went out that day and shut down the Spartans lineup, throwing five shutout innings with seven strikeouts against zero walks and three hits to record his first win.
This was a start he was prepared to make due to all those outings he made in the spotlight of Massapequa HS.
“I was lucky enough to play for a team that always competed for county championships alongside guys who would also play collegiate baseball,” said the junior right hander. “That being said, playing at Massapequa definitely prepared me for higher-level play in college,” he added.
In the three following seasons, Mulford has proven that it is hard to hit him–let alone fluster him. In 2014, as a sophomore, he started the elimination game against No. 1 ranked Southern New Hampshire. He allowed two ER in six innings but was tagged with the loss. That’s just about the most anyone mustered off him that season.
And yet, he found a way to take his game to the next level in 2015 and that came from offseason workouts with Adelphi graduate Keith Couch.
Being that Keith is a former Adelphi baseball player and now plays with the Red Sox’s AAA team, it was awesome to have someone so successful to look up to and guide me. Keith and I worked out this year at the Professional Athletic Performance Center in Garden City where I had the opportunity to train with other professional baseball players like Jose Reyes. After working out with these professionals, I realized what it takes to get to the next level. It was eye opening experience.
It paid immediate dividends. Mulford came out of the gate hot in 2015 and there was never really a time he stumbled. He did not allowed more than three runs in any outing this season. In fact, he allowed zero runs in a start more times (four) than he allowed three runs in an outing (two).
While Mulford was never involved in any #DeflateGate type of scandals involving doctoring the ball, he does feel he had one huge advantage over the opposing batters and that was due to the freezing weather.
“There’s nothing like pitching in late February/early March in freezing temperatures while facing a hitter with a wood bat. It’s a total advantage as a pitcher knowing you have them.
He went one step further when acknowledging that “all of college baseball should be played with wood bats because it gives a more natural feel to the game.”
“I’m glad I chose this conference,” he added.
Adelphi is glad to have a pitcher like him on the mound. The team went 7-1 in his starts and 13-20 with anyone else on the mound.
Unfortunately, after their season came to an end that means there is a chance he may have thrown his last collegiate pitch, being that he is eligible for the Rule IV draft next month.
If that is the case, Mulford will have fond memories of his time donning the brown and gold.
If I’m lucky enough to have my name called during the draft, I will miss being with my 35 brothers everyday. There is no greater feeling than fighting a battle alongside guys that will give anything for you just to pull out a win. On and off the field, I can always count on them for a laugh. My college coaches have also become role models for me, in the event that this was my last season, I will also miss them. One other thing that I will also definitely miss is being on road trips and spending time in the hotels goofing around with my team.
