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01/30/2024 12:37 AMGuilford native John Luke Cianciolo had an unusual collegiate baseball career. From first baseman, to catcher, to pitcher, John Luke displayed and demonstrated a versatile skill set that even he didn’t know he possessed entering college.
Upon graduating from Guilford High School in 2019 and excelling on the diamond for the Grizzlies, John Luke decided to further his baseball career by playing at the next level in college, and went to University of New Haven.
As a freshman at UNH, he appeared in just one game, recording a putout against Dominican (N.Y.). He also played one summer in the Hudson River Collegiate Baseball League (HRCBL).
After completing his first year at UNH, John Luke learned that his coach would be accepting a position at Army West-point. Under new leadership, the team would be bringing in more catchers, and he was informed that he wouldn’t have a chance to play until his junior or senior year. That’s when he decided to enter the transfer portal.
“With a lot of thought and consideration, I left the team that spring, because all I ever wanted was an opportunity to prove my worth on the field,” says John Luke. “I put myself in the transfer portal shortly after to find a college program that would give me a chance to do so. This is when the interim coach at Saint Michael's College reached out to me with an enticing offer of receiving opportunities and playing time. I committed to Saint Michael’s that day.”
But when John Luke arrived at St. Michael’s, the interim coach was no longer there. It seemed like deja vu all over again for the aspiring collegiate catcher. Luckily for John Luke, though, he would develop a tight bond with Jim Neidlinger, who became the head coach for the Purple Knights upon his arrival on campus.
“Luckily, the coach who took the job was the perfect fit,” says John Luke. “Jim Neidlinger, a professional baseball player for many years, resided in Vermont and decided to take the position on. From the very beginning, he saw something in me that no other coach ever did, and rewarded me with one of the captain positions for my senior year and fifth year. I was still a catcher at this time.”
After receiving some pain in his right shoulder, John Luke got an MRI, which revealed that he had a torn labrum. He had to convert back to first base, which was a position he was familiar with playing in high school. He then played first base for Saint Michael’s before stepping into the pitching rotation toward the end of the 2021 season. John Luke made one appearance on the mound that year, due to the team being short some pitchers, and he certainly made the most of his time. John Luke shut out the number 12th-ranked Southern New Hampshire over three innings, while allowing one hit in that first outing.
Due to his impressive outing in 2021, John Luke then appeared in five games and recorded a save the next year as a pitcher, while also continuing to play first base. Because he showed so much versatility, Neidlinger felt confident that he could make the transition to being more of a full-time hurler in his final foray, and it was a challenge John Luke embraced.
“Coach Neidlinger sat me down and told me my new role in my fifth year of college baseball was going to be pitching and designated hitting,” says John Luke. “Due to my existing shoulder issue, I decided to drop my arm slot even lower to become a submarine/sidewinding pitcher for my last season. The learning curve was rough, as I vividly remember hitting my first three batters during spring training. However, Coach Neidlinger continued to work with me as I found a groove in this new niche pitching method.”
Neidlinger trusted John Luke, and let him try out different things on the mound in his last season, which was awarded to him due to the missed year from COVID.
“We sat down, we talked about it for a little bit,” says Neidlinger. “He came to me and said he’d like to try to throw a few bullpens that he used to do in high school, and we said sure.”
In 2023, John Luke made the transition to become a full-time pitcher, while still serving as a designated hitter from time to time. He saw success on the mound, as he led the Northeast-10 Conference, one of the more competitive baseball conferences in NCAA Division II baseball, in earned run average (1.71).
In his career, John Luke had a 2-6 record on the hill, with a 4.21 era. In 66.1 innings pitched, he gave up 66 hits, 45 runs, and recorded 54 strikeouts. His batting stats include 53 hits, 13 runs, and 17 RBI’s.
Not only has John Luke excelled on the field, but Neidlinger also prides him on his ability to be a supportive teammate, and the selfless attitude he brings to his squad every day.
“John Luke really gets what it takes to be a teammate,” says Neidlinger. “John Luke was the epitome of a teammate. He would do whatever it took to win, and made sacrifices along the way. He would always make changes for the betterment of the team.”
As John Luke is working on earning a degree in Chiropractic at the National University of Health Sciences in Illinois, he looks back at his time of being an athlete as a way of preparing for the next steps of his life.
“I look back at it and realize how much being an athlete and my experiences have prepared me for what is on the horizon,” says John Luke. “I enjoyed sitting down and reflecting on my baseball career, as it brings to light a lot of moments and memories to be grateful for.”