Despite going into his senior year of high school, JC Franconere already knows where he is going to play at the college level.
The lanky, left-handed pitcher from New Jersey’s Pope John XXIII High School officially committed to Quinnipiac in June, something that had been in the works for quite some time.
I am excited and grateful to announce my commitment to play Division 1 baseball at Quinnipiac University! Thank you to my family, coaches, and friends who helped me throughout this recruitment process.@TotalArmCare @MC_Cubs @MikeLembo33 @SportsForceBB @PJ_Baseball @TheQBaseball pic.twitter.com/bhAoHd40GM
— jc (@jcfranconere) July 6, 2023
“I’d say like December, January was when I started putting myself out there,” Franconere said. “Coaches were really trying to kind of put me out there and get as many interests as I can … I got a lot of good interest from a lot of really good schools and Quinnipiac was the first school that offered me and really took a chance on me.”
The Bobcats, who are coming off a 30-win season and a deep run in the MAAC postseason, chose to bring in Franconere for a visit.
“I went out for a visit at the end of March … and the school, I really, really liked it a lot,” Franconere said. “I liked that they were constantly renovating, improving the school, and I loved the fact that the baseball team was very close. The camaraderie between the teammates seemed really legit.”
What’s also legit is the junior year the pitcher had in 2023. In 14 games, Franconere recorded 41 strikeouts in just 36 innings, along with a 3.25 earned run average. Those stats came against what he called “the best competition in Jersey,” and earned him a college offer from Quinnipiac.
But the Franconere-Bobcat connection did not come without some additional help.
Mike Lembo, a trainer at Total Arm Care, worked with Franconere for the better part of two years. The growth that Lembo’s pupil has shown in that time helped boost his stock in the college ranks.
“The progress that he’s made, he always had a good frame, he just didn’t really move well,” Lembo said. “But we made those corrections, (his) velo jumped, and he was very happy with the results and so are we.”
Those results, along with the charisma Franconere has on and off the field, made him a perfect fit for the Quinnipiac culture.
“JC didn’t really want to be too far away from home, we want to keep it like a three hour distance,” Lembo said. “Quinnipiac has the program that he wants to study in college. So all those factors kind of like go into my decisions when I’m picking schools for guys. And the campus is beautiful.”
His coach also gave him a ringing endorsement, both about his personality and work ethic.
“He’s a character, he’s a little goofy,” Lembo jokingly added. “But he was really determined to get better.”
Though he still has his senior season starting later in 2024, the expectation is that Franconere will be in Hamden for his freshman season, and the foreseeable future that follows.
“I’m trying to try to learn as much as I can so that first year, really just take everything in and try and develop myself as a player, work with the coaches a little bit, see what works for me,” Franconere said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of a very exciting team, I just felt like Quinnipiac has a very special program and I’m excited to be a part of it, you know?
