By Dillon Stambaugh
It is commonly said that baseball is a game of failure. For Shrewsbury natives Joseph Jacques and Brian Wikoff, baseball is a game of friendship – and success.
Jacques and Wikoff both grew up in Shrewsbury. They began their baseball careers like most children by playing through the various levels of recreation baseball in the town. They graduated from the small Shrewsbury Borough School together.
Fast forward 10 years later, Jacques and Wikoff are realizing their dreams as Division I college athletes and are still the best of friends.
“We’ve been with each other through everything, on and off the field,” said Jacques, who just finished his sophomore season at Manhattan College. “We are each other’s biggest fans.”
“It’s pretty awesome knowing one of my best friends is playing at the same level,” said Wikoff, who recently wrapped up his second year at the United States Naval Academy. “We’re both very fortunate to be given this opportunity.”
The two left-handed pitchers graduated from Red Bank Regional High School and were coached by Del Dal Pra. While both southpaws have made it to college’s premier level of baseball, they took very different paths to the top.
“Navy offers opportunities and experiences unlike any other,” said Wikoff, a second class Midshipman. “The education is second to none and getting the chance to play Division I baseball and be a part of the United State Military, I thought there was no better offering.”
Wikoff received an “offer” to play baseball for the Naval Academy his senior year and chose Annapolis over Patriot League rival Bucknell University, of which he received a scholarship. The U.S. Naval Academy does not offer scholarships. The school is tuition-free, however, Wikoff, like all graduates, is required to serve for five years upon graduation.
to Manhattan College’s baseball team. Photo courtesy Manhattan College
While Wikoff generated interest in high school from multiple Division I programs with his electric fastball and sturdy 6-foot-4, 210 lb. frame, Jacques was left in a different position.
“I really didn’t get taller or grow into my body until senior year,” said Jacques. “That definitely had a negative effect on college coaches looking at me. I wasn’t one to light up the radar gun. Senior year was when I really figured the whole baseball thing out and began dominating, but it almost felt like it was too late to be offered a scholarship by anyone.”
The now 6-foot-4, 195 lb. crafty lefty, who dominated the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference this past season with a conference-best 1.39 ERA, did not have a single scholarship offer out of high school.
“I had a big chip on my shoulder,” said Jacques. “I had no idea where I was going to go to school, let alone play baseball.”
After waiting through the spring and into the summer, Jacques had to decide where he would attend college. He put a deposit down for Florida Atlantic University and about a month before freshman year of college, changed his mind and decided to attend Manhattan ball team. Jacques was the only walk-on player to make the team and shelved a heavy load, pitching a team second-best 65 innings in his freshman year. After Jacques’ stellar sophomore campaign, his head coach called him with special news.
“I got a call a couple weeks ago to let me know I was being put on an athletic scholarship,” said Jacques. “This means the world to me. I really feel like I’ve earned it the hard way.”
While the finance major with a 3.4 GPA gears up for next season with strength training, hoping to add velocity to his fastball which touched 89 mph last season, he spends time coaching for the NJ Prospects – a popular local travel baseball organization.
Wikoff’s training is slightly more intense.
“I’m in San Diego on training called Protramid,” said the economics major. “We experience a week of Marine Corp. training, a surface week, aviation week, and submarine week. It will expose me to all the communities I can serve in after graduation.
I have to choose at the beginning of senior year so this is going to aid me in my decision.”
After seeing limited action his freshman season, Wikoff saw an increasing role out of the bullpen for Navy last season and stared one game. He posted a 2.45 ERA and made an appearance in the Patriot League finals against Lehigh. Despite his love for the game, Wikoff explains that there is a bigger picture.
“Not only do we play for one another, but we play for the name across our chest,” said Wikoff. “We are representing our country.”
Similar to Wikoff, Jacques represented the Manhattan name well and etched his name into the 2015 stat books. He finished the season with a 4-2 record, hurling 46 innings, striking out 42 and walking only 16. Jacques out-dueled Iona’s MAAC Pitcher of the Year Mariano Rivera, Jr. last season, while his legendary Yankee father Mariano Rivera was in attendance. Mariano Rivera, Jr. was drafted in 4th round of the Major League Baseball draft earlier this month by the Washington Nationals. Jacques hopes to be drafted by his senior year.
“It’s crazy to think I almost threw this all away,” said Jacques. “Now the dream of getting drafted is actually getting closer and closer to my grasp.”
Both players attribute a majority of their success to their parents, Bob and Cindy Jacques and Nancy and Dave Wikoff, who they say played a vital role in coaching and as a support system, the coaches they have had throughout their lives, and each other. The two star pitchers feed off each other’s success and are constantly pushing one another.
“This has made our friendship even closer,” said Wikoff. “We play mutual teams so we keep each other in the loop about the weaknesses of our opponents and what to be aware of.”
Both Jacques and Wikoff have their fingers crossed for a Manhattan College vs. Navy match-up within the next two years.
