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SJ's Costello signs on to Radford
"Early and often" tends to be a cliche phrase, but for Stonewall Jackson senior Mike Costello, it proved to be the key to earning an athletic scholarship.In November, the right-hander from Bristow signed a letter of intent to pitch for NCAA Div. I-A Radford University come 2011. The process began in 2008 when Costello traveled down for "four or five" showcase camps in Richmond after his sophomore year of high school.
There, persistence paid off as Costello caught the eye of a Radford scout after pitching a couple innings during the Dynamic Baseball showcase.
A 45-percent athletic scholarship just for baseball set to fluctuate throughout the years coupled with a great time touring the university sealed the deal for Costello.
"I really liked the campus," said Costello, noting that both the indoor and outdoor training and playing facilities have recently been upgraded. "It's all really close. The dorms are really close to the classrooms. You don't really need to rely on people for rides when you get down there."
Costello said he plans to focus his studies there on athletic injuries and sports education. As for his future teammates, "They were all really cool when I went down to (meet) the coach."
He mentioned that team officials are seeking "a bunch of different things" regarding talent.
Radford coach Joe Raccuia said in a written statement, "Michael is a big, strong right-hander with a fastball from the upper 80s to low 90s. He's shown the makings of a plus slider as well. Michael has the type of power arm that should help him develop into a front-line pitcher for us."
Those skills led Costello to a first-team all-Cedar Run District spot last year as a pitcher and a second-time stint for his hitting skills.
According to statistics provided by Radford, Costello "holds Stonewall Jackson's single-season records for ERA (2.42), strikeouts (73), and home runs (7)" while Virginia Preps ranked him 17th among high school players.
"There's a lot of pressure taken off my back," said Costello about signing.
Now, he'd like to focus his senior season on two objectives: defeating arch-rival Battlefield and bringing home a trophy.
"Obviously, we want to go for the district championship this year," he said of his team that will feature four seniors. "We all have to have good games. It can't just be me pitching. We can't let balls get to the backstop."
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