In the most recent issue of the New England Baseball Journal, Brandon Cipolla ’14 and Michael Ahmed ’14 discussed their future ambitions on the diamond. Currently juniors at the College, the two players have become serious major league prospects, and have proved to be key in leading the Holy Cross Crusaders to victory.
Also in the story, Head Coach Greg DiCenzo, explained that originally, he did not recruit either player based on athletic ability or prowess, but rather on an all-around basis, including a commitment to academics. Cipolla, the team’s center fielder, demonstrated such a commitment, saying, “I feel like I’ve had to work to get where I’m at…I chose this school because of its academic reputation.”
Ahmed, the team’s third baseman and pitcher, echoed these remarks, saying of Holy Cross, “I was looking for a good mix of academics and athletics.”
Now on the cusp of being drafted in the Major League Baseball (MLB) amateur draft in June, DiCenzo explained his faith in his players. “Both guys are undoubtedly pro prospects,” he said. “They will get a chance to play at the next level,” he continued.
This summer, both Cipolla and Ahmed are heading to Cape Cod, where they will play ball in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Before that, however, they will play Bucknell University in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament the weekend of May 11-12. With a record of 15-5, the Crusaders are the No. 1 seed in the tournament after claiming the 2013 Patriot League regular season title for the first time since the league began in 1991.
This ‘Holy Cross in the News’ item by David Cotrone ’13.
