By STEVE BRADLEY
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Not long after being named the head baseball coach at Hofstra University on July 7, 2021, Frank Catalanotto received a scouting report on Santino Rosso.
“They were like, ‘Ahhh, he’s a decent little player, he might continue to be a starter for you,’” Catalanotto, who played 14 major league seasons for the Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Brewers and Mets recalled last week.
Rosso has been much more than that.
The 2019 Victor graduate has started 146 of the 148 games he has played in the past three seasons since Catalanotto took over and ranks among the Top 10 in Hofstra history in several categories, including games played (191), hits (217), runs (139) and RBI (129).
Not bad for a player who was seriously recruited by one Division I program. The numbers become even more impressive when you consider Rosso has done it in one place despite enduring a global pandemic, coaching change and the emergence of NIL (name, image, likeness) and the transfer portal in college athletics.
“I think that it is a testament to him,” Catalanotto said. “He’s a loyal kid and it shows that he wants to see this thing through. … To his credit, he has bought in fully on Hoftstra. He likes the way that we do things here and I am happy that he decided to stick around.”
As is Rosso.
“Every time I put on the uniform it means a lot to me because they took a chance on me and I will be forever grateful for that,” said Rosso, a switch-hitting infielder who is batting .299 with nine home runs and a team-high 45 RBI in 51 games this season. “Coming out of high school Hofstra was really the main school that was willing to give me a chance at the Division I level, so that has always made it very easy for me to be loyal.
“It was a good fit from Day One. I loved the school and I loved my teammates right away, so it was pretty easy for me. Then the new coaches came in during my junior year and they were just amazing, and we were able to win a championship together in that first season.”
Rosso was a key cog for the 2022 Pride team that captured the program’s first Coastal Athletic Association championship, hitting a double and triple in the clinching victory over Northeastern to earn a spot on the CAA’s All-Championship Team. He followed that up with two home runs and a double in an NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina to secure his spot in Hofstra lore.
“It has been fun watching his development, not only with the physical part of the game but with the mental part of the game,” Catalanotto said. “When I first got here, I didn’t think that he had a high baseball IQ, but now I feel like he does, he really knows the game very well.”
Rosso relishes the opportunity to be coached by Catalanotto and rarely turns down an opportunity to ask a question in his never-ending quest to improve.
“He has taught me so many things on and off the field,” Rosso said. “Getting to hear from a big leaguer, everything that he says you are locked in, you want to hear every bit of info that he’s got to say, and he’s got a lot.”
Rosso credits Catalanotto for helping him develop a solid approach at the plate, where he goes into each at-bat with a specific plan. The conversations, film study, batting practice reps focused on putting more backspin on the ball and time spent in the weight room have helped Rosso, who is listed at 5-feet-10 and 185 pounds, add power as 12 of his 19 career home runs and 25 of his 46 doubles have come in the past two seasons.
“All that he wants to do is play baseball and all that he wants to do is get better at baseball,” Catalanotto said. “If you ever want to find him and you don’t know where he is, you can find him in the batting cage because he is always practicing.”
Tino’s trademarks
Rosso first picked up a bat at age 4 and two things have remained consistent throughout his baseball journey, his energy and enthusiasm.
“Ever since I was a little kid, my parents (Elena Diaz and Frank Rosso) could see that I had an extreme love for the game,” he said. “If they canceled practice or a game because of a rainout, I was crying as a kid because I wanted to play so bad.”
Rosso’s talent and desire earned him a spot on the Victor varsity as a freshman, where he was used mostly as a defensive specialist in the infield during the 2016 season.
His role continued to evolve throughout his career and he hit .345 with two home runs while earning first-team All-Greater Rochester and fourth-team all-state honors in helping the Blue Devils to the 2018 Section V Class AA championship and a trip to the state semifinals.
“As he gained experience and grew into the position, he was just a ball of energy and always looking to make a play and was always into it,” Rucker said. “He was infectious.”
Rosso closed out his Victor career by hitting .378 with four doubles, three triples and three home runs as a senior. He also stepped into the pitching rotation for the Blue Devils, striking out 50 in 43 innings while compiling a 1.78 ERA. He shared Monroe County Division I Player of the Year Honors with Penfield’s Gage Ziehl and received a second AGR nod.
Despite not having pitched at the varsity level before his senior year, Rosso had the best velocity on the team and did not hesitate to accept the challenge.
“He always brought that energy that, ‘you know what guys, baseball is fun and look at me, I am having fun and I am working hard at the same time,’” Rucker said. “He was good. Everyone wanted to up their level of play and help him out.”
Still, Hofstra was the only DI program that showed genuine interest in Rosso.
“He didn’t light up the camps or showcases with his size, speed or power, but he always lit up his teams with his attitude, his hustle and his wanting to get better,” Rucker said. “He wanted to get better and he would be there working on his swing from right side, left side. He was always the hardest worker and I really enjoyed coaching him.”
Rosso appeared in 12 games, starting eight, before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the remainder of his freshman season. He batted .278 while starting 31 of Hofstra’s 39 games as a sophom*ore in 2021 and continued to see his role develop once Catalanotto arrived.
“He’s got so much energy out there, it’s fun to watch,” Catalanotto said. “He really loves playing the game, he lives for baseball and he’s a guy that you notice every single game because he is out there with energy. He’s pumping his teammates up, he’s bouncing around the field and he’s somebody that you notice every game out on the field because he is doing something to help the team win.”
Including changing positions. Rosso has made a seamless transition to third base this season while showing great hands and range. Hofstra (21-30, 11-13 CAA) hosts a three-game series against Monmouth this week and is one of seven teams in contention for the final three spots in the conference tournament.
Rosso, who earned his degree in Criminology in 2023, is pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Leadership as a graduate student. He carries a .293 career batting average into this weekend and will be acknowledged for playing his final game on University Field prior to Saturday’s game.
“It’s going to be sad and it’s going to amazing,” Rosso said. “It’s a big weekend for us. Hopefully, I can do something special and we can get some wins and make the playoffs.”
Regardless, Catalanotto said that Rosso, who was a member of the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll all four years as an undergrad, has left quite a legacy.
“He’s a kid that I will remember,” Catalanotto said. “He’s kind of the model citizen here at Hofstra and is the hardest working guy that I have been around during my time here.”
What’s next?
Rosso hopes that his playing days continue after his college career ends.
The 20-round Major League Baseball draft is scheduled for July 14-16 and he hopes to join former Pride teammates Austin Gauthier, Jimmy Joyce and Kevin Bruggeman in the pro ranks as either a draft pick or by signing as a free agent.
“There has never really been a second thing that I have wanted to do,” said Rosso, who credits his former Hofstra teammates with teaching him what it takes to succeed at the college level. “It has always been baseball and I have always played the game one way, and that’s 100 percent with a lot of energy and moving around. I really can’t play any other way.
“Even though I have not been the biggest, strongest or fastest, I feel that my passion for the game has helped me get noticed, move up the ranks and get to Hofstra and will hopefully allow me to continue my career.”
Catalanotto believes that Rosso may have an opportunity to play at the next level.
Rosso is hoping that his talent, versatility and work ethic earn him a shot.
“You want to be able to play as many places as possible to get yourself in the lineup every day,” he said. “That has been my dream my entire life. I have worked really hard for that and hopefully some day I will be blessed to have that opportunity.”
