By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, MAY 11, 2017 – USF right-hander Peter Strzelecki was 7 years old when his father, Kevin, got him involved in the game of baseball.
Their relationship flourished ever since the first pitch.
“He would be at every single game,” Strzelecki said. “He would work all day to support us going to travel ball. Even when I got to college, he told me not to worry about anything.”
Late last month, Strzelecki, his two brothers and sister felt the weight of the world on their shoulders when they found out their hero was gone. Working as a superintendent for a construction company, Kevin died of a heart attack while running a job site in North Carolina.
Strzelecki's “biggest fan” was just 52 years old.
“I called him every day,” Strzelecki said. “We talked baseball every day and we'd always just talk about life. He lost his brother at a young age, so we'd always talk about not taking anything for granted. Just being able to have him and talk to him about anything, that's what I miss the most.”
No cellphone was needed for Strzelecki to connect with Kevin last Sunday, one week after his father's funeral back home in Palm Beach County. Standing tall on the mound, the 6-foot-2 starter bravely took the ball and pitched the best game of his collegiate career, striking out 10 batters and scattering three hits over 8 1/3 innings of USF's 6-3 win over East Carolina on Senior Day.
“I had my few moments during the game where I got a little emotional,” Strzelecki said. “I tried to keep it together. I would look up and I would say something to him.”
Fittingly, Kevin gave his son the strength to pitch into the ninth inning, the longest outing of any Bull this season. Strzelecki allowed only one earned run and his gutsy performance helped No. 23 USF grab sole possession of first place in the conference.
“Honestly, I felt like my father was with me,” he said. “I dedicated that whole start to him. I tried to do it Saturday before his funeral, but my emotions and everything were too much.”
To his team's amazement, Strzelecki found a way to pitch four days after his father's death, enduring 1 2/3 innings against Houston on April 29 before heading home to console his mother, Linda. Head coach Mark Kingston was there for support the next day at the funeral.
“I was the one making the family decisions when it came to his service and all that,” the 22-year-old said. “When it came to playing, I told my family one thing I know about my father is he'd never want me to miss a start. That's how he was, he'd say, 'Peter, you're going to pitch.' ”
With his mom's blessing, Strzelecki returned to the team three days after the funeral and found solace in his family away from home.
“The way the team was, you'd think they lost their own father,” he said. “It was honestly one of the greatest things I've ever seen and through all this we've become closer. We were close before this, but it really brought this team even tighter.”
Earlier this week, Strzelecki was still trying to adjust to his new normal with the help of his teammates in the bullpen during practice. Born in Queens, N.Y., Strzelecki hopes to see more familiar faces in family members this weekend when the Bulls play a three-game set at UConn.
“A lot of people would have a hard time showing up to the field every day, enduring what he's had to endure,” Kingston said. “Not only does he show up, but he's been pitching very well for us. It speaks to his character and inner strength.”
Call it a dedication to his father.
Call it a mission for his team.
“I know now for him, I need to just make sure I'm doing all I can to be the best I can be,” Strzelecki said. “From here on out, that's what they're going to get from me.”
About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. Under the guidance of head coach Mark Kingston, the Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015 for the first time in 13 years and USF followed that success with a consensus Top 10 recruiting class. Five players from that recruiting class were everyday starters in 2016 including outfielder Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.), who led the team in home runs, and catcher Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.), who was named the 2016 PGCBL Player of the Year. The Bulls won series from two ranked teams in 2016 (No. 21 East Carolina, No. 25 Michigan State, began the 2017 season with a series win over Iowa and earned just it's second win over a top-five team with a 4-2 victory against No. 3 Florida State on Feb. 21. The win over FSU was part of the best start in program history thanks to a 19-game winning streak, the second-longest in USF Baseball records.
The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 11 NCAA appearances. Follow the baseball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram), visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information, and purchase tickets for upcoming games at USFBullsTix.com. For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
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