Senior Justin Pacchioli is the Lehigh baseball team’s starting center fielder. Pacchioli has a .350 batting average and a team-leading 33 runs this season. (Courtesy of Lehigh Sports)
Justin Pacchioli of the Lehigh baseball team is a Major League Baseball draft prospect. A Brown and White reporter sat down with Pacchioli to discuss his thoughts on baseball, the team and why he chose Lehigh.
Q: What do you love most about baseball in general?
A: I love how you have to be able to learn how to handle failure. This is something that will help you not only in baseball, but life in general.
Q: Who or what got you into baseball?
A: My dad was the one who got me started on baseball. He played baseball his whole life and was still playing in an adult league when I was little, so I was always around it growing up.
Q: How long have you been playing?
A: I have been playing baseball since I can remember. I was running around the bases and playing catch with my dad’s friends since I was born it feels like.
Q: Do you have an inspiration?
A: Well, my dad was an amazing player and he has taught me everything about the game. He is the one who taught me how to hit and how to field and how to throw. All of the credit goes to him, and he inspired me to be he best I can be. Derek Jeter (former New York Yankees shortstop) is also another inspiration because I’ve idolized him since the first time I saw him play. He played the game the right way and carried himself very professionally.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: I would like to still be playing baseball somewhere in 10 years, preferably in the MLB.
Q: What attracted you to Lehigh in particular when you were first looking at colleges?
A: I’m from the Lehigh Valley, so I always knew about Lehigh, but once I met coach (Sean Leary), I knew this was a great place for me because he is an amazing coach and an even better person.
Q: How have you developed as a player and person since you have come to Lehigh?
A: I feel like I have matured as a person in every aspect of my life. I have learned a lot about the game of baseball that has helped me on the field, and then being able to handle the schoolwork along with the athletic work was also something that has helped me become a better person.
Q: How have you found your success at Lehigh?
A: I find my success through my friends, family, teammates and coaches. They are always there for me whenever I need them. They support me in every aspect of my life and I can’t thank them enough for getting me to where I am today.
Q: What do you attribute your success to?
A: My father on the field and my mother off the field. They are the two people who developed me into who I am today. They raised me to be a hard worker who doesn’t accept failure. When you go to do something, you need to give it your all and you shouldn’t be satisfied with mediocre. Be the best you can be at everything you do whether it’s baseball, school or anything else in life you come across.
Q: What is the hardest part of being a student athlete?
A: Time management. Learning how to manage your time wisely wasn’t easy, but once you figure out how to do this then you set yourself up to be successful in the long run.
Q: What does your future in baseball look like?
A: Not quite sure what my future in baseball will be but I’m hoping to get drafted this year and continue my baseball a career at the next level. Nothing is guaranteed, so I just have to keep working hard and hope for the best.
Q: What will you miss most about Lehigh when you depart after graduation?
A: I will miss my teammates and the coaching staff. They are basically like my family and I am going to do everything I can to stay in contact with them. They helped me through the hard times here at Lehigh and like I’ve said before, I can’t thank them enough for what they have done for me while I’ve been here at Lehigh.
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