Photo: @BonniesBaseball/Twitter
BY WILL POLADIAN, MANAGING EDITOR
This offseason, second-year head coach Jason Rathbun made major changes to St. Bonaventure University’s baseball program, adding 21 newcomers to the roster.
Before his time at Bonaventure, Rathbun led Division III Herkimer Community College to a 556-180 record, making the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association World Series eight times.
He earned NJCAA Coach of the Year honors four times before winning his first National Championship in 2022. He earned Coach of the National Tournament, the award for best coach of the NJCAA World Series, following the championship win.
After 17 seasons at the junior-college level, Rathbun led the Bonnies to an 8-40 record in his first season, finishing last place in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Now this offseason, Rathbun hit the recruiting trail hard, adding 13 transfers from across the country alongside eight freshmen.
“The recruiting process for me was very smooth and straightforward,” said junior pitcher Kade Walker, who transferred from Cuesta College and is a Chicago, Illinois native. “Coach Razz made it clear to me what his program consisted of and the goals he had set for not only the team but himself as well. After visiting the campus this past June and meeting the coach and feeling his vibe in person, I knew [Bonaventure] was the place for me.”
Junior pitcher Tristan Ciampa transferred from Northern Essex Community College, using his junior-college connection to pair up with Rathbun.
“It got pretty late in the season, and I still didn’t have a home,” said Ciampa. “Then I got on the phone with him and right away it took one phone call for me to know that this place was going to be a good fit and I was gonna end up a Bonnie. Hearing what he had to say about the school athletically and academically, what his future plans were for the team, everything just made sense. It didn’t take long for me to make a decision.”
Walker and Ciampa are part of a class mixed with other transfers and freshmen from across the country.
“My time on the team so far has been great,” said Walker. “This group of guys has a wide variety of ages, and there is a lot of baseball knowledge and experience within this group.”
Ciampa said he is still adjusting to his new home.
“It’s been a good time so far,” said Ciampa. “Still making an adjustment because I’m in a new situation, new scene, new team. It’s a lot different from where I was the last 3 years, but it’s been good so far.”
Walker sees the team building a connection together.
“The older guys look out for the younger ones,” said Walker. “I can already tell we will be a family that will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Ciampa said he thinks that the team has a winning mindset.
“The culture is great here,” Ciampa said. “Lotta good players here that wanna go out there and win.”
Walker believes the team has a set goal in mind.
“The team culture seems like a group of guys who are hungry to win,” said Walker. “The returners who endured a tough season are eager for another chance, and the new talent we have brought in is dead set on one thing only, which is to win and bring an A-10 championship back to [Bonaventure].”
Ciampa believes in the success of the team.
“If we go out there and execute, play hard and play the game the right way, this team will be incredibly successful this season,” said Ciampa.
As fall practices are in full swing, Walker and the team look ahead to the upcoming season.
“As a team, we need to just understand and realize it is a slow grind,” said Walker. “It isn’t going to happen overnight, but if we all continue to buy in, the sky is truly the limit.”
poladiwj20@bonaventure.edu
