Over this past summer, former Stan State baseball star Marcus Mastrobuoni was taken as the 743rd pick in the (25th Round) of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs, a headline that has to make any university’s athletic program and its followers very proud.

This was incredible news for the small city of Turlock and Warrior Baseball as one of its very own achieved their dream of being picked up by a major league team.

After playing baseball for San Joaquin Delta College, Mastrobuoni (nicknamed ‘Stro) transferred to CSU Stanislaus for the 2014 season to further his baseball career.

“This program gave me the best chance to be an everyday player and contribute,” Mastrobuoni said.  “That’s really what I was looking for transferring from a junior college.”   

Although Mastrobuoni played baseball at Stanislaus for only two seasons, he quickly impressed as he became a standout player who boasted great hitting and defensive skills as a catcher.  His ability to consistently battle opposing pitchers and get on base made it no surprise that he was recognized and drafted by a major league ball club.

“I just try to have fun,” Mastrobuoni said.  “I have been fortunate enough with a lot of hard work and having fun playing with my teammates.”

As a Warrior, Mastrobuoni put up two strong seasons including his 2014 campaign where he was named to the All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) first team and was crowned batting champion.  During that season, he batted an astounding .373 with 60 hits and a team-leading 30 RBIs in 45 games, which was just good enough to beat out fellow teammate Skippy Fererria’s average of .371 for the CCAA batting title.

That added a bit of a competition between the two, a friendly one of course.

“Going into that the last game obviously we both knew. It was a lot of fun. I was just fortunate enough and lucky enough to be able to finish with a great season.”  

Mastrobuoni was no one hit wonder though. He followed his great first season with an encore in 2015 where he finished tied for seventh in the CCAA for batting average  while leading the Warriors with 30 RBIs. He was also named to the All-CCAA second team during the 2015 season.

After two stellar seasons with the Warriors, Mastrobuoni now faces the difficult and competitive minor league system of the big leagues. With the skill he has to hit a baseball and the work ethic he promotes, ‘Stro hopes to be kneeling behind the plate at Wrigley Field some day soon.