Nov. 28, 2011
Bronx, N.Y. -
Fordham head baseball coach Kevin Leighton announced the addition of nine student-athletes to play baseball at Fordham University, starting with the 2013 season. The nine student-athletes are infielder Joseph DeVito (Plainview, N.Y./Holy Trinity), infielder Ian Edmiston (Charlotte, N.C./Lake Norman), left-handed pitcher Connor Fuller (Auburn, Mass./Auburn), catcher Charles Galiano (Dix Hills, N.Y./Commack), right-handed pitcher Cody Johnson (Sea Cliff, N.Y./North Shore), right-handed pitcher Brett Kennedy (Brigantine, N.J./Atlantic City), outfielder Ryan McNally (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII), infielder Joseph Runco (Spring Brook Township, Pa./North Pocono), and right-handed pitcher Joseph Serrapica (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan).
"We are very excited about this group of young men who will further their education and baseball careers here at Fordham," said Leighton. "I want to thank Coach Jimmy Jackson and Coach Jerry DeFabbia for their hard work recruiting this year's class."
DeVito, a 6-0 infielder from Plainview, New York, is a three-year varsity starter at Holy Trinity High School and ranked in the top 100 players in New York State by Baseball Player Magazine. As a junior, he batted .406 in the Catholic League, good for sixth in the conference. He received both All-League recognition and the coaches' award for his performance on the diamond. He also played summer ball for the Taconic Rangers, coached by Bob Fletcher. Away from the field, DeVito is a member of the Holy Trinity honor roll.
Edmiston, a 5-11 infielder from Charlotte, North Carolina, is coming off an excellent junior campaign, where he was a nominee for the Conference Player of the Year Award. He set a school record with 41 hits and was an All-County selection. He batted .466 overall (.574 in conference play) to go with 13 doubles, 23 RBI, and a .670 slugging percentage. In 2009, he helped Lake Norman to the 3A State Championship and was a part of the 2010 & 2011 N.C. State Games team for Region 7. For summer ball, Edmiston plays for the CBC O's Navy and coach Jeff Schaefer. In the classroom, he has a 4.3 GPA and is a Beta Club member.
Fuller, a 5-11 left-handed pitcher from Auburn, Massachusetts, is a two-year varsity baseball captain at Auburn High School. He was a First Team Worcester County League All-Star as a junior and a Northeast Top 40 prospect by Perfect Game. He played summer ball for Northeast Baseball and coach Scott Patterson. In addition to baseball, Fuller was also a captain of the Auburn football team.
Galiano, a 6-0 catcher from Dix Hills, New York, is a three-year starting catcher for the varsity baseball team at Commack High School. He is an All-County and All-League selection after an outstanding junior campaign, which saw him receive Commack's Male Athlete of the Year Award. He hit .410 with a .776 slugging percentage, an on-base percentage of .515, 13 doubles, and five home runs. In addition to those accolades, Galiano was selected to the Bobby Valentine All-American Team, the Under Armour National Baseball Team, and the Philadelphia Phillies Dominican Republic Scout Team.
Johnson, a 6-4 right-handed pitcher from Sea Cliff, New York, is a two-year captain of the baseball team at North Shore High School, serving as one of the team's top arms. Over the past two seasons, he has compiled a 10-4 record with 113 strikeouts to just 27 walks. He received All-Conference honors as a sophomore and All-County accolades as a junior after posting a 0.62 ERA. During the summer, Johnson has been extremely effective over the past two years, recording 14 wins, six saves, and 132 strikeouts. In the classroom, he has been named to the North Shore honor roll for 13 semesters and received the Scholar-Athlete Award seven times for his work on both the baseball and soccer teams. He also played summer ball for the Long Island Storm coached by Shaun Manning and John Mangieri.
Kennedy, a 6-1 right-handed pitcher from Brigantine, New Jersey, is a three-year member and team captain of the varsity baseball team at Atlantic City High School. As a junior, he was 3-2 with a 2.10 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched, receiving Honorable Mention All-Cape Atlantic League honors as well as the "Mr. Baseball" Award for the team. On top of his high school accolades, Kennedy posted a 5-1 record on the mound in summer ball with a 2.80 ERA. Academically, he ranks in the top 2% of his class for the last three years, and is currently sixth overall at Atlantic City High School.
McNally, a 6-2 outfielder from Sparta, New Jersey, is a varsity baseball player at Pope John XXIII High School, who had a breakout campaign as a junior. He hit .400 (32-80), with 34 runs scored, 13 doubles, 21 RBI, and 22 stolen bases in 28 games. He earned First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-West Jersey honors. On top of his athletic exploits, McNally was an All-Academic team selection for baseball and is a member of the National Honor Society and the distinguished honor roll at Pope John XXIII.
Runco, a 6-0 infielder from Spring Brook Township, Pennsylvania, is a versatile player for North Pocono High School, earning All-Conference accolades at both second base and shortstop. As a sophomore, he batted .429 with 19 runs scored and 16 RBI as a second baseman, and then shifted to shortstop as a junior with more success, batting .511 with 24 runs scored and six doubles. He was named to the All-Tournament team at the Battle of the Border Tournament, posting a .625 average (10-16) with five doubles. He also played summer ball for the Moosic Mets coached by Harry Nelson and the Long Island Titans coached by Lou Maietta and Dave Walker. Away from the diamond, Runco is a member of the National Honor Society and ranks in the top 20 in his class.
Serrapica, a 6-1 right-handed pitcher from Manalapan, New Jersey, is a three-year varsity member of the baseball team at Manalapan High School, helping his team to the 2011 NJSIAA Overall Group IV State Championship, the 2010 Monmouth County Championship, and three A-North Championships from 2009-11. He did damage as both a pitcher and a hitter as a junior. On the hill, he posted a 2.93 ERA in 19.1 innings pitched to go with 13 strikeouts, while at the plate, he hit .328 with 13 runs scored and 14 RBI. Away from the field, Serrapica is a member of the National Honor Society.
