Spadaccino Ready To Bring Energy To St. John’s

Michael Spadaccino OF / 2B / Shelton, CT / 2025

SHELTON, Ct. - Even Michael Spadaccino admits to being surprised about making a commitment to St. John’s.

“I never thought I’d be playing Division I baseball,” the Shelton High School junior said. “It was a dream of mine and I accomplished it. It’s one of the greatest feelings of my life.”

Admittedly, the thought of going D-I was a bit far-fetched just a short time ago.

“Up until this year I was pretty small,” the 5-10 170-pounder reflected. “With my old program I got no exposure. I didn’t think I’d have a chance. That’s when I knew I needed to switch programs.”

The seventh-rated 2025 outfielder in Connecticut credited BBU with helping change his outlook on the future.

“It was a very stressful recruiting process,” Spadaccino explained. “Switching programs to BBU and the PBR Future Games are what really helped me a lot.

“I went to one PBR event when I was a freshman to try and get my name out there but I didn’t have the metrics,” Spadaccino continued. “I knew I had to get them up. I went to another PBR a year-and-a-half later and I had them up. After that I went to BBU and got my exposure up. Then I went to the Future Games and that really helped.”

Still, the left-handed hitting outfielder had some uncertainty when the Aug. 1 date allowing colleges to communicate with those in the 2025 class arrived.

“I wasn’t expecting much,” Spadaccino admitted. “But I woke up to a text from St. John’s that said ‘can I get on the phone with your parents?’ I’m like ‘dang, this is happening.’ I got on the phone with him and he offered.”

Spadaccino did not rush into it, however, going south to play while gaining more exposure.

“Schools started reaching out, but St. John’s was still number one,” Spadaccino said.

In mid-September, Spadaccino went on a visit to the university in Brooklyn and three weeks later accepted the offer.

“It felt like home,” Spadaccino noted. “I felt welcomed there.”

There were many other reasons that St. John’s was right for the 115th-ranked junior in New England, whose final three college choices were George Washington, Penn State and St. John’s.

“I wanted to go to a business school and they’re known to have one of the best,” Spadaccino explained. “Some of my BBU teammates are going there so that’s good, and the coaching staff there is great. They have a new hitting coach who I felt very comfortable with.”

St. John’s pointed to his competitive nature as a big selling point in the 16th-rated 2025 outfielder in New England.

“They like how I compete, they saw that I don’t  like to lose,” Spadaccino related. “They know I’ll go there and compete, that’s what I do. I like to win.”

That has always been the case, but size was a deterrent.

“Freshman year I was very tiny, I knew I needed to put on weight,” Spadaccino reflected. “So I’d go to the gym, eat a lot and I gained 25 pounds. I grew a lot. That changed the whole perspective on me.”

It was just a year prior that Spadaccino decided playing baseball at the next level was his desire.

“In eighth grade, covid year, that’s when I knew I wanted to play a sport in college but I wasn’t sure if it was basketball or baseball,” the 41st-ranked junior in Connecticut explained. “I liked them equally. But freshman year I decided on baseball. That motivated me. I stopped playing basketball and started to work on my craft. That really helped.”

A 3.3 student in the classroom at Shelton, Spadaccino is confident about making an impact at the Big East Conference university located a little less than 90 minutes from home.

“I think I’ll bring energy,” Spadaccino related. “I’ve always been a big energy guy. I like to cheer my teammates on. I’ll also bring my skills. But the main thing is my energy. I like to compete.”

The idea of being part of the St. John’s baseball program is exciting for Spadaccino, who turned 17 on Dec. 20.

“I’m looking forward to playing all four years, having a good career and getting a good job if I don’t make it to the pros,” Spadaccino concluded. “I’m ready to live out a good life.”