LI on campus: Hofstra baseball's Mark Faello is a true survivor
Hofstra pitcher Mark Faello. Credit: Hofstra
Mark Faello is the staff pitching ace at Hofstra University. That fact cannot be understated. The senior earned the distinction against all odds for the Division I baseball program. His journey and courage to never give up is not lost on those close to him.
Faello of Plainview is a cancer survivor.
“He’s amazing,” said former Hofstra baseball coach John Russo. “He’s been through hell battling cancer. Superheroes aren’t better than him. We all stood behind him in his fight and prayed for a full recovery. He taught all of us about courage and perseverance and how each day is a blessing.”
The 21-year-old righty was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in July of 2019 following his freshman season. A tissue biopsy revealed Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system.
“It was devastating news, but I wasn’t going to let it beat me,” Faello said. “I was determined to battle. I was going to come back and pitch again at Hofstra and continue to live the dream to play pro baseball. I had the love and support of my family and friends. I was going to get through it.”
Faello learned early on that his stage 3 cancer started in the neck area and he was forced to endure 12 cycles of chemotherapy treatments from July through December of 2019.
He never wavered. He lost about 25 pounds and dealt with constant headaches, nausea, hair loss, constipation, and stomach pains. Despite having a PICC line in his chest, Faello somehow found the strength to attend nearly every fall baseball practice and did not miss classes in 2019.
“I wanted to resume everyday normal activity as best as I could,” Faello said. “The treatments kick your ass as they were very painful. But I wanted to get through the mental and physical battles of each day and being at baseball with my teammates and coaches and in school really helped me.”
Faello picked up his fourth win of this season for Hofstra on Friday afternoon in a 10-7 win over Delaware. His earned run average bumped up a little bit to 3.24 allowing four earned runs in six innings with six strikeouts but the win moved Hofstra ahead of the Blue Hens (19-12, 4-3) into third place in the CAA.
The win also ended Delaware’s nine-game win streak.
“That was a very strong hitting team,” said Faello, who leads the Pride with eight starts. “It was a big win for us.”
Hofstra under first-year head coach Frank Catalanotto is 14-14 overall and 6-4 in the Colonial Athletic Conference.
“Mark is a fighter,” Catalanotto said. “He always wants the ball and never wants to come out of a game. He’s super competitive. And the more we learn about his story, the more we understand his makeup.”
Faello, a former Diamond Award winner for Plainview JFK-Old Bethpage in 2017, was recognized in 2021 by the Colonial Athletic Association when he was presented with the John H. Randolph Inspiration Award. The award recognizes individuals who through strength of character and human spirit serve as an inspiration to all to maximize their potential and ability for success. It is named after former William & Mary athletic director John Randolph, who lost a courageous battle with cancer in 1995.
“I feel 100 per cent this year,” Faello said. “My conditioning is great. I don’t get gassed on the mound anymore.”
The 2020 baseball season was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Faello made four relief appearances but was clearly not himself. His velocity was down and his conditioning was understandably poor.
“I rushed my recovery because I didn’t want to miss a season,” Faello said. “I really wasn’t ready. And then COVID took care of that. We all had to stop playing in the spring of 2020.”
His return for his junior season in 2021 would bring better results. He built his 6-foot frame back to 170 pounds and he was cancer-free. He made eight appearances, including four starts to post a 2-1 record with a save. He had 29 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings and threw five shutout innings in relief to earn the win over Sacred Heart. He also pitched five scoreless innings against LaSalle for his second win.
“It’s amazing to see him 100 percent healthy,” said his father, Mark Sr. “Our family is blessed that he is doing so well. And Hofstra, the whole organization, never gave up on my kid. Coach Russo did wonders for mark. Even when he was struggling when he was trying to come back – Coach Russo never quit on my kid. And look at where we are today.”
Faello, who majors in finance, was also named to the CAA Commissioner’s Academic honor roll and the Hofstra Dean’s List in 2021.
One of the key motivators in Faello’s life is Hofstra pitching coach Chris Rojas.
“He has really helped me focus,” Faello said. “He has had me focus on each pitch, not each inning. He said, ‘don’t pitch scared’ and just throw strikes. Go right after hitters because walks will kill you.”
Faello knows all about what can kill you and how to fight.
MORRELL MASHING
The collegiate baseball journey has taken Brian Morrell of Shoreham from Notre Dame to St. John’s University to Hofstra. The 6-1, 195-pound outfielder leads the Pride in hitting with a .330 average, 33 hits, 13 extra base hits, including two home runs, 20 RBI and 18 walks. The two-time Yastrzemski Award winner as Suffolk’s top high school player credits the Hofstra coach Frank Catalanotto for helping turn his career around.
The information highway for the Pride begins in the dugout and in the on-deck circle.
Hofstra baseball player Brian Morrell. Credit: Hofstra
“His approach is all about putting good swings on good pitches,” Morrell said. “The hitting approach has been middle-away and think of hitting the ball to right center down through the baseball. It’s helped me and our team. He stands right next to the on-deck circle and recognizes things like sequences and certain pitches thrown in certain counts. And he picks up pitchers who are tipping their pitches.”
After disappointing years at Notre Dame and St. John’s, Morrell has found his happy place at Hofstra.
“This was the right move for me,” he said. “It’s a phenomenal coaching staff and I’ve learned so much in such a short period of time.”
Another guy having a breakout season is sophomore infielder Matty Brown-Eiring of Stony Brook University. Brown-Eiring of Oakdale has moved into the cleanup spot in the order and hit a few big home runs for the Seawolves.
“Freshman year is such a huge transition from high school,” said Stony Brook coach Matt Senk. “And Matt has matured so much both physically and emotionally. He’s really taken to our coaching and has become a great teammate. It’s been fun watching him mature and grow into such a big contributor.”
Senk pointed to some key home runs from the 6-1, 190-pound Brown-Eiring.
“He had a big home run for us against Hartford and a huge homer against UMass-Lowell that set up a comeback win,” Senk said. “We were down three and he hit a two-run home very late in the game and we came back to win that game.”
Brown-Eiring is hitting .297 with 35 hits, with 17 extra base hits, including four home runs and 25 RBI.
One of Long Island’s top local Division I pitchers is senior Chris Buehler of LIU. The 6-foot 3, 210-pound lefty from Stony Brook has a 2.73 ERA with a 2-1 record for the 23-10 Sharks. Buehler has 19 strikeouts and seven walks over 29 2/3 innings. He’s made 11 appearances, including five starts.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
