Baseball: Duquesne transfers aid Pitt’s success

When Duquesne University recruited Rick Devereaux and Anthony DeFabio to play baseball, the two… When Duquesne University recruited Rick Devereaux and Anthony DeFabio to play baseball, the two athletes never expected the program to disappear before their junior season.

But when Duquesne decided to cut its baseball program in January 2010, that’s exactly what happened. Left without a team to play for, the two considered their options and eventually found a new home a little more than two miles down Fifth Avenue at Pitt.

“I think it has been an unbelievable transition,” Devereaux said. “The [Pitt baseball] team was willing to accept me from day one making it a very easy transfer for me.”

DeFabio-a third-baseman-said the decision to transfer to Pitt after Duquesne’s program folded was simple.

“[The coaching staff] was very helpful and understanding of our situation and was able to offer both of us opportunities to play here,” DeFabio said. “Pitt is obviously a great academic school, and the baseball program is very strong.”

When the news of the program shutting down spread, Pitt head coach Joe Jordano jumped at the chance to pick up two talented players.

“Both Coach Jordano and Coach [Danny] Lopaze did a great job of making me feel welcome and comfortable in the recruiting process,” Devereaux said in an interview.

Duquesne eliminated the baseball program along with golf, wrestling and men’s swimming in order to transfer more than $1 million annually into the school’s 16 other athletic programs.

“Our reaction was pretty much shock as one would expect,” DeFabio said. “We truly did not expect it or see it coming. It definitely brought us closer together, though.”

The cuts affected about 70 of the near-500 student-athletes at Duquesne. Thirty-one came from the now-defunct baseball roster. Additionally, four full-time coaches and one assistant coach lost their jobs, including baseball coach Mike Wilson. Athletes whose programs were cut could keep their scholarship until their NCAA eligibility expired.

“[The cut] was obviously very upsetting at the time,” Devereaux said. “I knew it would make the final season at Duquesne very tough, but also very hard to see teammates and friends split apart in different directions.”

Devereaux is currently a junior catcher and first baseman for the Panthers. He’s started 16 games and found success at the plate with a .306 batting average.

DeFabio proves solid as defense at third base and catcher and contributes offensively with a batting average of .284.

Devereaux and DeFabio rank seventh and eighth on the team in batting average, respectively, and have helped the Panthers to a 21-12 record and a second place standing in the Big East.

When his career at Duquesne came to a forced end, Devereaux wanted the chance to continue playing for an esteemed program. So far this season, Deveraux and DeFabio have helped Pitt to a 21-12 record and a second-place standing in the Big East.

“I wanted to continue my career being part of something special by being on a winning team,” he said. “With everything Pitt was doing with the new field and last year’s success, it was the perfect match.”

The Pitt baseball team recently moved from Trees Field to a field in the Petersen Sports Complex on upper campus that opened this season.

DeFabio said that the transition to Pitt has been smooth.

“I’m very happy with the move I made, the coaches and our teammates have been great so far,” DeFabio said. “I couldn’t have asked for more.”