Kevin Kerins found the perfect way to put Austin Constantini’s attitude toward pitching in perspective.
“When he’s out there,” Kerins said, “he looks at it like it’s an event, like it’s a big day.”
Constantini has certainly made it an event this year. As Mercer County Community College’s baseball team entered the NJCAA Division II Super Regionals the weekend of May 20, he was 6-2 with a 1.88 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 48 innings over eight starts. He averaged 11.8 Ks per game.
All this from a guy who was slated to be a back-end bullpen man and who had not started a game since Babe Ruth baseball.
When he’s not pitching, he’s at second base and hitting .381 with 14 RBI, 14 stolen bases, a home run and a double.
“It’s awesome,” Constantini said of his role. “It’s the life, being a two-way player. That’s the best part about it.”
It’s also a bit of a surprise, considering the past four years.
Constantini pitched regularly for Sunnybrae Little League and Hamilton Babe Ruth, but spent his entire varsity career at shortstop for Steinert. The Spartans were heavy on pitching and needed Constantini at the infield’s most important position.
“I only pitched freshman year,” he said. “I think they definitely should have let me. It would have been better I think. I’ve told them that.”
He was recruited by Kerins to play shortstop and throw some short relief, which he did effectively last year while hitting .381.
Constantini’s maturity surpsied him, Kerins said.
“No moment was too big for him, especially for someone who didn’t really have a lot of innings pitching,” he said. “We were hopeful he’d have the same role this year.”
But early in the season, the Vikings’ starters were dropping faster than pounds at a Weight Watchers convention. MCCC lost four hurlers to season-ending surgeries, including Hamilton West’s Cody Astbury and Alex Cruz.
On Feb. 28, Kerins turned to Constantini to pitch against Gloucester, which reached the NJCAA Division III World Series. He responded with six scoreless innings, and MCCC won 1-0 with a run in the seventh.
Unfazed by his first start since pitching for the Hamilton Babe Ruth All-Stars, Constantini said, “I always knew I still had pitching in me.”
“The wind was blowing dead in that day, so that helped,” he said. “But I think I pitched well for having the ball for the first time in four years. It’s different. The wind blowing in definitely helped. You just got to pump the zone, the ball’s not going anywhere. That gives you an advantage right away. I threw six scoreless and just went from there.”
Constantini became firmly entrenched in the rotation and was also asked to move from shortstop to second base to preserve his arm.
The move did sacrifice some playing time, as he had to sit out a game after he started. He did not hit on days he pitched.
“He’s been phenomenal for us,” Kerins said. “And he’s pretty unselfish since he’s had to sit out some games to keep him strong throughout the year. But he’s been one of our horses, and he has excellent command.”
Constantini estimates that 70 percent of his pitches are fastballs. He mixes in a change-up, which he feels is his best secondary pitch, and a curveball. His fastball has been clocked in the high 80s, topping out at 89. “Going after hitters,” he said, is one of the things he loves most about being on the mound.
Constantini is a fan of what the Mets’ vaunted pitchers do, and tries to follow suit by observing MCCC’s potential MLB draft pick, Andrew Boccelli.
“I see the Mets’ starters go and watch their pitcher in the bullpen every game before a start, and I go watch Andrew when I can,” he said. “He’s going to Alabama, he’s a draft prospect. You definitely learn a lot. I think he learned from me, too, which is good. I think it benefits everyone.”
One thing Constantini can’t teach is his mental toughness. That comes from within and he has shown time and again that he has it.
When Region 19 tournament play started on May 13, Constantini got the ball and allowed four hits, two walks and two runs (one earned) while striking out nine in seven innings in an 8-4 win over Valley Forge Military Academy. Mercer went on to win the region title in three straight games.
“His biggest intangible is he’s a competitor, he wants the ball,” Kerins said. “He goes out there and challenges guys. He’s got a really good change-up and mixes it up well. He’s got phenomenal mechanics. For someone who didn’t have a lot of innings, that’s definitely rare.”
What made the Valley Forge win even more special is that Constantini’s catcher was former Steinert teammate Anthony Peroni, who has been used mostly in a designated hitter role. Peroni had a home run and triple in the game.
“That was just the second time he caught me all year,” Constantini said. “It was fun. We went out and battled. On days I’m not pitching, I hit one, and he’s two. It’s pretty cool. Kerins is a Steinert guy too, he knows the Steinert mentality. They raise you the right way over there.”
Which is one of the reasons Kerins was reluctant to put Constantini on the hill until he absolutely had to.
“I had heard from people when he was coming in, that I should take a look at him on the mound but, in all honesty, I’m not a big fan of moving my shortstop to the mound,” said the coach, whose team carried a 46-8 record and No. 3 ranking into the Super Regional. “Shortstop is the toughest position to recruit in college baseball. Fortunately, we have Vinny Vaccone so we have depth, and that allowed Austin to slide over to second and not only pitch, but give us multiple shortstops in the infield.”
What became more impressive is that Constantini’s hitting did not slack off despite the fact the sophomore was focused on pitching as well.
Constantini would have it no other way. Both playing the field and pitching “is just awesome,” he said. And even though he hasn’t gotten a ton of at-bats this season, he’s swinging the bat well and keeping his approach consistent.
“The offense and defense he’s given us at second base has been phenomenal,” Kerins said. “He gives us a mature at-bat every time and the defense has been phenomenal at second base. I really like what he brings to our team, offensively and obviously on the bump. Just the maturity level is big for us whether he’s on the mound or at second base.”
That maturity impressed LaSalle University, which contacted Kerins in August showing interest in Constantini. He went for a visit at the end of the month and was given two weeks to make a decision.
“I could have waited to see what else I could get, but I got a good scholarship,” he said. “I’m paying more at Mercer than I will be at LaSalle, so it’s good for my parents, too. And it was nice to sign early so I didn’t have to worry about it all year.”
Constantini liked the baseball program as well as the academics, so it was a no-brainer for him.
Constantini continues to uphold a family tradition. His older brother Mike also played shortstop for Steinert and Post 31. He then went to Mercer before getting a Division I scholarship to West Virginia.
“I definitely learned a lot from him,” Constantini said. “I always went to his games and watched him play. You learn a lot from that, especially at a young age. Just watching his competitiveness, wanting to win. I hate to lose.”
Kerins felt that trait was definitely passed on from one brother to the next. The guys have different styles of play, but they do share a competitve desire.
Even more importantly, they both want to be in the middle of a situation when there’s a chance to win.
“They want the pressure, which is rare,” Kerins said. “A lot of guys talk a good game. Mike an Austin want the ball in a big spot. They want it hit to them, they want to have that last at-bat. That kind of relaxes everybody else, knowing you have somebody saying ‘I’ll do it.’”
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