Hall of Fame
While Molloy baseball has come to be regarded as a regional powerhouse and has spent the entirety of the 2024 season in the nation's top-25 poll, the fact of the matter is that just was not the case when Spitzbarth arrived from Staten Island as a freshman.
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As a freshman, Spitzbarth made 15 appearances on the mound, starting 11 games. After 59 innings, he had struck out a blistering 79 batters and ended the season fourth in Division II in strikeouts per nine innings (12.05). His debut performance earned him the ECC's Rookie of the Year.
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Spitzbarth's strikeout numbers continued to lead the Lions in his sophomore (78 batters through 67 innings) and junior seasons (89 batters through 61 innings). As a junior, he boasted a team-leading 1.77 earned run average and ranked sixth in Division II at 13.13 strikeouts per nine innings.
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The Staten Island native was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers following his junior campaign, leaving the Lions to pursue his professional baseball career. The right-handed relief pitcher spent five seasons in the minor leagues before being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule 5 Draft in 2020. Spitzbarth made his major league debut on August 2, 2021 and appeared in five contests that season, putting up a 3.60 ERA. He continues to play professional baseball, most recently pitching for Curacao in the Caribbean Series just last month.
"Shea is one of the biggest competitors I had the privilege to coach," explained Head Baseball CoachÂ
Joe Fucarino. "He worked hard in all aspects of his game and his maturity while at Molloy. His success beyond college is a credit to his determination and commitment. He is well-deserving of this Hall of Fame induction."
