The game of baseball is littered with stories of players that peaked at a young age and gradually fizzled out as their peers caught up with their size and ultimately were never the same.
It is a breath of fresh air when a player is the inverse of that, somebody that was constantly overlooked and always outworked the competition.
Big Congratulations to 2021 Titan, Nick Roselli on being drafted in the 11th round by the New York Mets! Nick is a kid that never gets out worked. He truly deserved this! Go crush it at the Pro Level!! @nickroselli2021 @axcessbaseball #TitanNation pic.twitter.com/m2HrksJCsn
— Titans (@TitansBsb) July 16, 2024
Enter Nick Roselli.
I first watched him play at Sal Agostinelli’s Northeast Elite when he hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 9th at Baseball Heaven in arguably the best amateur game I’ve ever seen. Tommy Ventimiglia and Brendan Williams went toe-to-toe dominating for 8 innings apiece. Ventimiglia struck out 17 over 9 innings and Williams struck out 15 over 8 innings against a very tough BodyArmor team. Roselli came up in the bottom of the 9th against a lefty reliever and promptly destroyed one to right field for a walk-off hit.
The sentiment in that moment was that this was a kid that was underrated and was about to make a name for himself.
Boy did he ever.
Roselli wound up winning the Nassau A-III MVP, compiling a school-record .619 AVG with 20 extra-base hits for Division, one of the true baseball powerhouses on Long Island.
Roselli had been committed to Sacred Heart University, but after his monster season he opted to attend SUNY Binghamton. The decision certainly paid off as he put together an outstanding three-year career for the Bearcats. He improved his average all three season (.307, .357, .388). During his junior year, he broke a bone in his hand and missed a little over a month. He promptly returned and homered in the first AB he saw. That power is what really separated him from the average Division-I middle infielder as he compiled a .608 SLG over his collegiate career including 26 bombs. Teams put an emphasis on plate discipline and he drew 70 walks against only 74 strikeouts.
It is no surprise that he heard his name on draft day, but it is even more exciting for him and his family that he was selected by the team he grew up rooting for – the New York Mets. While most kids grow up attending baseball games with their dads, only a select few will ever play on a Major League field let alone by the team they grew up rooting for.
There’s still a long road ahead to reach the big leagues, but if one thing is for certain – never bet against a kid like Nick Roselli. He’s overcame a lot to just get to this point, and the smart money is on him to continue to excel.
I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…
What were the emotions like of draft day?
Honestly, I was pretty calm up until my name was about to be announced and then my heart went through the roof. It’s been a crazy couple of days and emotions are high. I’m still trying to process all of it; it still really hasn’t sunk in yet. Then during the draft I had a pretty good idea of where I would fall and what teams were in play for me but you obviously never really know or fully trust anything until your name is on TV. But weeks before the draft, I heard that the Mets were one of the teams very high on me and my name fell to them in a spot where they were willing to take me and it all worked out on draft day.
Who are some people that helped you get to where you are today?
I credit my family, close friends, coaches and teammates who always believed in me and were there for me at all times making sure I was being a good teammate and an even better person. Then a couple of coaches that stand out are Gregg Downing, Travis Quattrini and my high school coaches, Coach Tuttle and Coach Robins. There are many other coaches throughout the years that I’ve dealt with and I credit them all just as much. Every coach I’ve had has made an impact on my career in some way. I believe every situation I’ve been in and the decisions I’ve made on and off the field got me to the point where I am today.
Can you explain what your time at Binghamton was like?
Binghamton University was great for me. The coaching staff was awesome and they understood me as a player early on. The coaches alway pushed me to be better and always made sure I knew that they trusted my abilities. I have a close relationship with the coaches that will continue for years to come.
What are your goals for the rest of the year?
The goals for the rest of this year are just to continue to develop and adjust to baseball at the professional level. I am not sure what the rest of the calendar year will look like for me right now but I will do what I’m asked to do to the best of my ability.
