Sophomore Michael Ghiorsi finally takes the mound for Hamilton College following a COVID-19 delay.
CLINTON, N.Y. (BVM) — 鈥淓veryone was starved. Not even for sports, not even for competition, just for some semblance of normalcy.鈥� said Hamilton College pitcher Michael Ghiorsi.
A Division III school known more for its academics, Hamilton College isn鈥檛 the most fervent of schools when it comes to sports, Ghiorsi explained.聽
But one year into the global devastation of COVID-19, the campus was ecstatic for a reason to go out to a public event again.
鈥淲e have a great fanbase of people who love to come to games, but even people who aren鈥檛 normally enthusiastic about sports were there,鈥� Ghiorsi said. 鈥淚 think it was important for people to realize things were kind of getting better.鈥�
The road back to the field was a hard one for all the players on Hamilton鈥檚 roster, but especially so for relief pitcher Michael Ghiorsi.
College baseball was a new experience for the young pitcher. Ghiorsi began his time at Hamilton College in 2019, joining the upstate New York school after finishing his high school career in Ramsey, N.J..
This made his first season at Hamilton 2020, a year infamously cut short by the Coronavirus.聽
Fall training in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is far different than at other schools, and far less involved, meaning the already short 2019-2020 baseball season was even shorter for Hamilton College.
鈥淣ESCAC has specific rules for fall, captains practices and could scrimmage each other, but coach couldn鈥檛 be there, and guys were abroad.鈥� Ghiorsi explained.聽 鈥淭he team wasn鈥檛 complete, and pitchers had to play positions.鈥�
Barely having played any baseball by the time the spring semester came around, Ghiorsi was ready to take the mound in collegiate competition.
Sadly, just three games into their season, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the shutdown of NESCAC and eventually all college sports. This came just three days prior to what was set to be Ghiorsi鈥檚 first collegiate start.
Left with just a taste of what college baseball was like, Ghiorsi was sent home for the rest of the spring semester, and was forced to put the massive life changes into perspective.聽
鈥淚t was a weird feeling.鈥� Ghiorsi said 鈥淚 was bummed, and kind of mad, but I understood it was bigger than this.鈥�
In the July following the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he found himself surprised to have the opportunity to play summer baseball in the Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League.
However, due to the unexpected nature of the summer play, Ghiorsi was physically unprepared for the rigors of a season.聽
Early in July, Ghiorsi tore his labrum in his throwing arm for the second time in his career, sidelining him for the summer.
What followed was a long, hard summer of physical therapy, cortisone shots and rehabilitation in order to return to the sport he loves.
Eventually, Ghiorsi was able to rehab from his injury and return to scrimmage play at Hamilton in the fall. However, the sport he returned to was not the same as when he left.
The pandemic had changed how the sport was played, and how they were allowed to practice.
鈥淭hroughout the fall there was so much uncertainty,鈥� Ghiorsi said. 鈥淔all restrictions. Baseball is lucky where it鈥檚 spaced out, but there鈥檚 moments where there鈥檚 three to four people in the same space. We weren鈥檛 allowed to have a catcher behind the plate, since the batter was also going to be there. Tag plays were tough.鈥�
Through all the restrictions, and the shoulder injury, Ghiorsi and the Continentals still continued to prepare themselves for the 2021 season.
Two years removed from his last competitive game in the 2019 high school season, and over a year removed from the game that was supposed to start his college career, Ghiorsi finally took the mound in Hamilton鈥檚 first game of the season.
Ghiorsi took the mound completely unsure of what it would be like to play in a pandemic, or even how well he could throw after his second labrum tear.聽
鈥淚 don鈥檛 throw very hard healthy, I throw at a very average speed,鈥� Ghiorsi said 鈥淏ut now I didn鈥檛 know how fast I was going to be throwing. I was very nervous that I would be throwing just 77 miles per hour this whole season.鈥澛�
Entering in the fifth inning at home against Williams, Ghiorsi finally got his chance to pitch and struck out the first batter he faced. He made his debut, and proved that he still has the stuff to perform at the collegiate level.
Hamilton would fall to Williams College 4-10, but spirits were still high in the Continentals dugout following the loss.
鈥淏eing out there with everyone else there, it was an amazing feeling.鈥� said Ghiorsi.聽
Hamilton finished 5-7 in a shortened season, and now looks to return even stronger in 2022.
