Mike Pasaqualicchio ’92

Baseball

Mike was born on August 17th, 1974, and grew up in Astoria, where he lived until he left home for college. Mike attended St. Joseph’s Elementary school where he served as an altar boy and played on the parish’s baseball and basketball teams winning numerous championships.

Mike’s decision of which high school to attend was made much easier due to the winning baseball program at McClancy run by Hall of Fame coach Bob Lowenberg. During his freshman year, Mike was an outfielder on the City Championship Junior Varsity team. During his sophomore season, Mike was promoted to the varsity squad. During his junior year, Mike was an outfielder and a pitcher on the McClancy team that won the City Championship at Yankee Stadium against Xaverian. He was named to the All-Queens Second Team that year. As a senior, Mike was the M.V.P. of the team that lost the City Championship game to Fordham Prep. He was selected to the citywide All-Star team, and to the All-Queens team. Although he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals that year, Mike instead chose to accept a scholarship to Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, where he played with former Crusader and Hall of Fame member, Anthony Iapoce. During his summers, Mike played for the Bayside Yankees with current Major Leaguers, Billy Koch and Pete Munro. That team went on to win the N.A.B.F. National Championship.

At Lamar University, Mike majored in Kinesiology. Under coach Jim Gilligan, Mike began his freshman year as a relief pitcher but soon played his way into the starting rotation. In his first start, Mike threw a no-hitter against Prairie View. During his freshman year he recorded wins against nationally ranked teams and his E.R.A. of 2.96 was one of the best in the Sunbelt Conference. That year, Mike added an average of 8 mph to his fastball which was now in the low 90s. His team was the Sunbelt Conference Champions that year.

Sophomore year began with Mike as the ace of the Lamar staff. He finished that season with a 1.60 E.R.A. lowest in the conference and good enough to be ranked seventh in the nation. Later that year, he received an invitation to pitch for Team USA. Although he pitched three scoreless innings against Nicaragua, Mike, unfortunately, did not make the team. Lamar lost in the Sunbelt Conference Championship game that year.

During his junior year, Mike led Lamar in every pitching category: 11 wins, 106 Ks, an E.R.A. of 3.22 and 8 complete games. Mike led Lamar to another conference championship, recording 2 wins and a save in the conference tournament. That year, among the first pitchers chosen, he was drafted in the 2nd round of the Major League Draft, 39th overall, by the Milwaukee Brewers. He decided to accept Milwaukee’s contract offer, and began his professional career.

When Mike began his professional career in the Pioneer League in Helena, Montana, Iapoce was once again a team mate. Yet again, they teamed up to win another championship. Mike was then invited to the Major League camp. After holding his own against the big league hitters Mike was sent back to the minor leagues. Although Mike’s career was plagued by injuries, he made the Brewers AAA team and was placed on the 40-man roster. After two shoulder surgeries, Mike finished his career playing in Italy.

Mike met his wife, Erica, in 1996 and they have been married since 2000. They live in Stockton California with their three dogs. Mike now works for the Stockton Fire Department which he describes as “the job of a lifetime”