NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Alex Mauricio left his mark on the Norfolk State baseball program, becoming the first ever Spartan to claim MEAC Player of the Year. Now he's looking to leave his mark at the professional level.
Mauricio is back at Harbor Park this week as a member of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. It's fitting, because the Yanks are the team the former Spartan rooted for growing up outside of Richmond.
"My dad was a big Mariano (Rivera) fan, so that's my idol," he smiled during an interview on Wednesday. "I grew up watching him. I grew up watching the tenacity that he showed on the mound, the relentlessness, all of that translates into my game."
It was a dream come true when the Bronx Bombers drafted Mauricio out of NSU in 2017. His professional road, however, has not always been smooth. An elbow injury forced the former Spartan to get Tommy John surgery in 2019, which would sideline him for two years, quite the hiccup for a player fighting to work his way into the big leagues.
"That moment was a challenge for my mental health," Mauricio recalled. "I used those two years to be able to strengthen that area of my game to the point where I could come back and advertise myself the right way."
Mauricio kept both feet in the game while he was working his way back. He coached kids and continued to work out, making a comeback prior to the 2022 campaign. Last week, he received the news that he was being promoted to Triple-A, moving one step closer to his major league goal.
"Being in this organization, it's tough to move up, being that we have so many high-quality individuals at every position," he pointed out. "You're always waiting for that call and when I got it, it was definitely surreal for me."
Despite his success and his journey, the pitcher hasn't forgotten his roots. He was the most recent player drafted out of Norfolk State, which he wears as a badge of honor.
"There is a very special sentiment to that," he noted. "To be able to come out of there and represent Norfolk State at this level means everything to me."
It's been a long road, but Mauricio has climbed back to baseball and one day hopes to climb the mound at Yankee Stadium, the same way he used to see his heroes do growing up.
"I go out there every day and I'm in a Game 7 World Series mentality," he said. "I'm just looking forward to the opportunity."
Mauricio will have family, friends and some of the kids he's coached in the seats at Harbor Park throughout the week. Through the first two games, he has yet to take the mound in the series against the Tides, but hopes to get that chance before the week is out.
The former Spartan made his Triple-A debut this past Sunday against Syracuse, pitching 2.1 innings of shutout ball, giving up three hits and striking out five batters. He would not allow a walk.
