Jake Alu: BC's Swiss Army Knife

Since he took over as Boston College's head baseball coach, Mike Gambino's constructed a program cut from a different cloth than other Atlantic Coast Conference schools. In a conference of southern schools that amass individual talent, the Eagles built a cohesive unit out of hidden gems capable of doing different things really well. By introducing versatility in different forms, the team could, with its chemistry, shift and form according to game situations.

On the roster, the No. 1 example of that is probably the player that wears, well, No. 1.

Recruited as an infielder, sophomore Jake Alu has added more to his resume this year. As an outfielder, pinch runner and now pitcher, the New Jersey native's become an epitome of the selfless attitude the Eagles look for in their student-athletes.

"When we recruited Jake, we saw a guy that was a real 'dirtbag' type of player," Gambino said. "He was the type of player who got his uniform dirty and he was really in the middle of everything. It was obvious how much he loved playing baseball and we've learned that it was true: He just loves playing the game of baseball."

Though the term doesn't sound endearing, a "dirtbag" is one of the best compliments a baseball player can receive. It's the guy with eye black smeared on his face, dirt caked on his uniform and equipment. It's the blue-collar player who loves the little things and is willing to do whatever is asked on and off the field.

"I was recruited as a middle infielder, but I was told to expect to anything for the team," Alu recalled. "Right away, I looked at it as a chance to play some innings as a freshman or a sophomore, to get an opportunity to play and to take my shot at helping the team as much as I could."

Heading into this season, that meant changing positions to a position that's not really defined.

"We talked to Jake in the fall about becoming a utility player," Gambino said. "We went into the season with both Johnny Adams and Jake Palomaki up the middle, and our entire infield was playing pretty well. So we didn't have one particular spot for Jake Alu to settle into. We kind of envisioned him as a super utility player, a guy who could be a pinch runner or change defensive positions. We've even worked with him on being an emergency catcher in case circumstances happen."

This season, that's come in handy for the ball club. The injury bug robbed the Eagles of regular starters like outfielder Scott Braren and Palomaki while also taking its toll on the pitching staff.

"We were watching Jake in the infield and he had that low slot on his throw," Gambino said. "We knew he pitched in high school and we started to think about how he could become a submarine or sidearm pitcher."

"The coaches saw my arm motion and they saw that the ball came out in a fluid motion," said Alu. "I had pitched in high school, so when they mentioned to me about pitching, I was fired up; I loved to pitch. So I worked with Coach (Alex) Trezza to find my trigger points and he helped me the whole way with a bulldog mentality. He pretty much just told me to go throw strikes and get outs."

Well into his sophomore season, it's been a huge help for BC. He's made 13 starts in the field with only one error, while notching five RBIs, six runs, and four stolen bases in five attempts on offense. In addition, he's now made five appearances on the mound, throwing 5.1 innings with three strikeouts.

Debuting against Villanova, in which the first batter he faced was JP Radvany - his best friend from high school - he was off and running. He struck out two as part of a perfect inning, then followed it up with two innings against Ball State and shutout inning of relief against Florida State.

"You don't see submarine pitchers often," Gambino said. "The arm motion creates action on a fastball that hitters don't usually see. We know our guys will face guys coming out of other teams' bullpens that all throw 95 miles per hour. But we know that velocity can't always beat hitters. For a submarine pitcher, harder isn't always better, because velocity can flatten out the fastball. That's a challenge because a pitcher's inclination when he runs into a problem is to try and throw harder to get it by someone. But if you can find a submarine pitcher who can do it and do it well, it's a distinct advantage that not many teams have."

"I've been working on a changeup and a slider with the pitching staff," Alu said. "Both can be really effective with more consistency. I've started working the changeup into games and I'll hopefully be able to start throwing both more frequently in different games."

As the season moves forward, the Eagles will regain personnel, but they've gained an asset. On a roster filled with other two-way players like Donovan Casey, Jack Cunningham and Mitch Bigras, Alu's mentality and willingness to accept roles can only help the team moving forward.

"He doesn't care who it is at the plate or what the stakes are," Gambino said. "He just wants to play baseball. When he struggles or gets into a funk, he can sometimes try to do too much. Jake is really at his best when he's in the backyard playing whiffle ball out there, just throwing the ball and getting guys out."

"The first time I pitched this year, I was brought into close Villanova with a big lead," Alu said. "I went to warm up, and I was just confident in the situation. It's all the same to me no matter the situation. Against FSU, I was told to just throw strikes for ground balls. Coach Trezza looked at me and said, 'Take breaths and get that double play.' It wasn't anything special. I'm just here to do whatever is needed, and I want to come through when the team needs me. Any chance I get to be on the field is more reps that I can play."

Players Mentioned

Johnny Adams

Jake Alu

Mitch Bigras

Scott Braren

Donovan Casey

Jack Cunningham

Jake Palomaki

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