Very few people were willing to give Alex Alemann a chance. He was cut from his freshmen baseball team at Cyprus Bay in Weston, Fla. (he was going through a growth spurt, an awkward time for any young man); he was not a strong enough competitor to join the varsity soccer team, the best in the state; and no college from his state even passed a glance at his 3.07 ERA, 5-2 record.
One person who did was Saint Louis University head coach Darin Hendrickson.
Alemann was one of the last recruits to visit in 2008. Though another school in the Northeast was in talks to offer Alemann a chance to play for them, the opportunity was slim.
So Alemann, a right-handed pitcher, headed to St. Louis, looking for a home and a future.
“I came up here for a visit, and I was sold,” Alemann said. “I was sold on the campus, which is beautiful, the coaches and the vision and direction of the program.”
After three years of playing high school ball as a “year-round job” in Florida, Alemann came here ready to play.
But Hendrickson and his staff made the decision to sit the 18-year-old for his first year, redshirting him to let him grow both physically and mentally.
“He got here and didn’t know a lot about the game, instincts, how to pitch, preparation,” Hendrickson said.
All that has changed.
After what Alemann describes as “great experience,” the redshirt freshman was ready to take to the mound.
What he delivered shocked everyone. The Florida-native posted a 9-6 record with 72 strikeouts and a 4.71 ERA, hurled six complete games and in conference games, went 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA.
For his standout year, the Atlantic 10 named him Freshman of the Year.
“I was very surprised by my freshman success … I honestly just went with it,” Alemann said. “My redshirt year was a great experience. It really helped me transition to the college sports because it really is a faster game. It’s easy to say that, but until you play against guys that are older than you, you don’t get acclimated to the type of game I’d be playing.”
Hendrickson echoed that sentiment: “I think we’d all say we were shocked; Al was a freshman All-Conference. He gave us everything he had. Al’s been the same guy for us, minus a few starts, since he’s been here. The hard part of this game is repeating it, and we’re looking for him to do that.”
And his is.
On April 8, as the Billikens downed Rhode Island 7-1, the right-hander gave up just eight hits, all singles, to keep the Rams’ offense in check. He retired 14 straight hitters at one point in the game and only surrendered one hit after the fourth inning.
It was his third victory of the season, and he lowered his ERA to 2.61, eighth in the A-10.
“It was one of those games where it all came together,” Alemann said about his outing. “I wish I could say it’s going to happen again next week. But it’s one of those things where if you stay focused and work hard on the days you’re not pitching… you can go out with the right mind set. You put it all out on the field.”
Alemann’s efforts and mindset is not lost on senior, and team leader, Jon Meyers.
“Al goes out and competes every day, and we love when he gets on the mound. His fire makes us play at a higher level, too.”
For inspiration, Alemann looks to a MLB pitcher who has done his best to put himself in position to win, a lot. That pitcher is Cy Young Award winner and St. Louis Cardinal Chris Carpenter.
“He’s an excellent guy to look up to,” Alemann said. “He’s gone through a lot of surgeries but is still … on top.”
Though he still has two years before his eligibility will run out at SLU, Alemann has already given thought to a future in the professional leagues, something that he says will happen “if God’s willing.”
“The only things I can control is working hard, staying focused and staying healthy,” Alemann said. “If it happens, I’d love to jump at the chance and make the most of it. All I can do is put myself in the position to succeed.”
