St Mike Mazzara Hits Grand Slam


6/4/2021 9:00:00 AM

Mike Mazzara 2
Last week, Mike Mazzara (son of Linda Mazzara, NFTA Accounting Manager), hit his first collegiate home run — a go-ahead grand slam in an elimination game.

Mazzara was one of those late bloomers in high school who wasn't a regular starter until his senior year. He figured he was done with baseball when he decided on Canisius for college. Mazzara was a home boy. He didn’t want to go away for school. Academics were important, and Canisius seemed like the best fit. Realizing he missed playing ball, Mazzara's dad told him to contact the coach, who told him he'd give him a chance, but couldn't make any promises.

In 2020, he was still buried on the bench when one of the Griffs' catchers went down, and Mike got his chance to play. Mazzara was having a solid year, but it wasn't until recently that he had the game of his college life, just when the Griffs needed him most. Canisius had split the first two games of it best-of-three, first round MAAC tourney series with Marist. The winner would move on to the four-team conference final.

It was the third inning and the Griffs were down 3-0. That was until Mazzara went up to bat and hit a grand slam to give them the lead. It was the first home run of his college career. Mazzara went 4-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Canisius won 10-7 and would play at Fairfield in the MAAC's four-team, double-elimination round, where they unfortunately lost in the first round.

What made this moment so surreal was the timing of it all. Just a week earlier, his paternal grandmother, and one of his biggest fans, Carolyn Mazzara, had passed away. Mazzara said he was in "a good place" when he came to bat, noting that he "felt her presence." Mazzara's uncle said, "the ball had some wings on it." A very powerful and touching moment for Mazzara.

Mazzara's mom, Linda, said: "It was all just Karma. Michael was rewarded for all that he has given to the game. And it came at an unbelievable time, when he, the team, and the family really needed it. Being a good person is always rewarded, and I don't know anyone more deserving!"