Tony Allen
USF Athletic Communications

They call Jonathan Koscso the Business Man for a reason.

In addition to starting every game since he's been at USF, the Jesuit High School product has been studying to become a doctor for four years.

And he is well on his way after receiving his degree in bio-medical sciences, walking across the stage as a USF graduate last week at the St. Pete Times Forum, just days after learning that he was accepted into USF's College of Medicine.

While keeping up with a course load can be a difficult task for any student-athlete, Koscso has separated himself from the rest. Between practice, working out, and staying on top of his studies, there isn't much time left for leisure. He is always busy.

"It's pretty much every free hour I have outside of baseball," said Koscso. "As soon as I get home every day, it's opening a book, studying something, on planes, the buses, writing a paper, studying for a test or what-not."

Sometimes Koscso would have to stay up all night studying for a big test before coming in the following morning for team workouts. One would think that with little rest, someone would be inclined to slack off a little bit when it comes time to work. But as Coach Lelo Prado is quick to point out, Koscso brings the same intensity and focus every day.

"(Former MLB All-Star) Fred McGriff coached at Jesuit and everyone loved him," said Prado. "He (McGriff) told me 'get him, he is a tough kid'. Every coach at Jesuit said he was a hard-worker and that you will never have to worry about him in the classroom. He's the most respected player on the team at USF."

The senior Bulls third baseman has always been a little more on top of things than the average kid. He got straight A's throughout elementary and high school and learned a great deal from his brother Kevin, who is five years older. His mother, Sheryl, also instilled strong study habits in her kids early on, emphasizing time management. This has benefited Koscso tremendously throughout his college career.

"We always gave 100 percent, no matter what we were doing," said Kevin Koscso. "You never want anyone to out-work you. That's the only thing someone else can't affect."

During game time, it's obvious how determined Koscso is to get on base or make a play on defense. His .326 average leads the team, as does his on-base percentage (.440) and 35 runs scored.

In addition to having a career average over .300, Koscso is USF's all-time leader in hit by pitches, demonstrating that he will always do whatever it takes to give his team a chance to win.

"Jonathan Koscso is his own special breed," said teammate Junior Carlin, who has played with Koscso for four years. "I thought I worked hard, but then when I see how much he works---it just blows me out of the water. He's one person that I would love to play with no matter what."

Even as a 6-year-old, Koscso was basically all business.

"You never had to coach him when he was in tee ball," said Koscso's dad, Marty. "He knew what he had to do and he did it. Jonathan never talked to anyone, or played in the grass (like most other kids on the team). He just sat in the dugout. He was as focused as he could be as a 6-year-old tee ball player and he's still the same."

Since his brother Kevin was five years older and always shared the same interests, Koscso was able to learn a lot from him. He watched Kevin enough to know what to expect at the next level, in respect to baseball and school. Koscso is actually going down a very similar route as his big brother, who also played college baseball while studying to be a dentist.

Kevin is currently studying endodontics at the University of Florida College of Dentistry and has been the biggest influence in his brother's life.

"The kind of stuff he talked about, I kind of liked, so I always had an interest in medicine," said Koscso. "And then, this past summer, I had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Charles Nofsinger, our team doctor here, for about 100 hours or so over the summer and I loved every bit of it-being in the clinic, or the operating room, I loved it."

Koscso continues to impress everyone around him with his unwavering work ethic, including his grandmother, Jane Navarro who has not missed one of his games since he was four.

It's been a tough four years, filled with a great deal of stress, but the Business Man has prevailed on the field and off, while never wasting a moment to complain.

 It will be a sad, yet proud day for Coach Prado and the USF baseball team when Koscso puts on the 'Green and Gold' for the last time.

In his time with USF, Koscso has done more than leave his mark on the program. He has demonstrated that student-athletes can have aspirations that extend well beyond the realm of sports. 

"It's been a grind, definitely a day-in and day-out grind, but I've seen successes on the field and in school, so I'm proud of it and I'm just going to keep doing it," said Koscso. "The more time you put in, the more you're going to get out of it, and the better you're going to become at it, so I just try and go with that attitude to anything I approach."