A few years before right-handed pitcher George Katsaros dominated hitters on the mound as a senior at Rye Neck High School in Westchester County, New York, he was still polishing his game to become the hurler he is today.
As a senior during the 2024 season, Katsaros went 10-3 with 110 strikeouts in 66.2 innings, holding opponents to a .120 batting average. He finished the year with a minuscule 1.05 ERA. The last few summers, Katsaros played for the Northern Westchester Outlaws, a travel baseball program established in 2021 to prepare players for the next level in baseball, whichever level that may be, depending on age.
Katsaros’ impressive senior season and development with the Outlaws helped him commit to play NCAA Division I Baseball at Sacred Heart University, an announcement he made on his personal Instagram page in August. Additionally, Katsaros trains at IMG Academy Baseball Boarding School in Bradenton, Florida.
The young right-hander is excited about the future and what his college career with the Sacred Heart Pioneers holds. He’s ready for a new challenge.
“The biggest factor for me was how my coach saw me,” Katsaros told World Baseball Network about his decision to commit to Sacred Heart. “Usually, coaches are super high on recruiting velocity, and while it is a great thing to have, there was a lot of backstory behind why I was at the point. While talking about what he liked about me so much, he listed things that made me feel good about joining his program,”
Over the past few years, Katsaros has tirelessly worked on his game, both physically and mentally.
“I’ve made plenty of changes, from getting stronger in the weight room and mechanical fixes, “ Katsaros said. “But the biggest one for me was the mental side of the game. It goes very under the radar but might have the most impact on a player. Talking to a sports therapist has really changed how I took everything on, and without him, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Anyone can recognize the difference in skill level from high school baseball to college and realize that the quality of hitters and the strength of the pitching are dramatically different. However, only some know the day-to-day grind of a college baseball player. Jumbling practices, team lifts, and attending class can be challenging.
“The expectations are very high,” said Katsaros. “You work so hard to get recruited and looked at. But once you are there, you are immediately a smaller fish in the big pond. To become this great player, you must cut out distractions.”
Katsaros started learning how to handle the day-to-day life of a college baseball player at IMG Academy, where he is training to improve all facets of his game.
“I’ve set a good amount of goals while I’ve been here,” Katsaros said about his experiences thus far at IMG Baseball Academy. “I’ve only been here a month and am recovering from some elbow pain and just recently starting throwing again.”
Katsaros is taking a proactive approach better to prepare himself for his first season at Sacred Heart.
“Baseball aside, I wanted to take it upon myself to try and act like this is a college year, ” said Katsaros. “Show up early, be there late, and when you are tired, get in your work you might not want to do. While it’s easy in high school to get away from these things, it has been great to have this year to almost wake me up and realize what kind of challenge these next years will be like.”
Throughout his baseball career, Katsaros has received support from countless people at his games and on social media. But there’s one person he couldn’t be more appreciative of.
“My biggest supporter has for sure been my dad, Greg,” Katsaros told World Baseball Network. “There’s been so many times where I didn’t feel as if I was good enough and didn’t want to go to a workout. But I am always able to turn to him for support. He never gave up on me, even at my worst times in baseball.”
Greg Katsaros’ passion and dedication to his son’s promising baseball career are commendable, and he drives George to be the best pitcher he can be in the future.
“Looking back, his support means everything to me, and seeing how much he did for me makes me so much more motivated to have him with me every step of the way,” Katsaros said.
With perseverance, mental focus, and unwavering encouragement from those around him, Katsaros can become one of the larger fish in a big pond at Sacred Heart University.
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WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
