‘He Never Gives In’: After turbulent year, a well-rounded Scanlon finds balance for Holy Cross baseball

No matter the role he has taken on, or the changes and challenges that baseball has thrown at him, Sean Scanlon has flourished fearlessly — and is embracing everything that’s fun about the game

Things can change in a split second. 

It’s an enduring hallmark of baseball — one that reflects both the hope and the pain that resides within the game. 

And it’s a sentiment that Sean Scanlon realized firsthand in Manhattan, Kansas. 

During the opener of Holy Cross’ Week 2 series against No. 24 Kansas State last February, Scanlon hit a leadoff home run in a tone-setting, back-and-forth battle on Friday evening. Saturday had a much slower start, in which he began the game 0-for-5, but he remained unfazed, launching a go-ahead, three-run home run to secure a 10th-inning upset victory. 

Fast-forward less than 24 hours from that quietly confident home run trot and jubilant celebration with his teammates, and the scene was much gloomier. Less than a day after Scanlon’s heroics, the Crusaders gathered at the Kansas City Airport to fly back to Massachusetts.

Scanlon boarded a plane at an adjacent gate. He, too, was returning to the East Coast, not with his teammates — but to his home in New York City, where would have season-ending surgery just two days later. 

The joy of the weekend now seemed distant as he entered uncharted territory. Rather than assume his everyday role in the batters’ box and starting role on the mound, Scanlon would instead observe from the dugout.

But that feeling of despair didn’t last too long for Scanlon. 

“He's a kid that always turns lemons into lemonade,” said his mother, Erin. 

Despite missing all but six games of the 2024 season following a broken forearm, Scanlon returns to action in 2025 at full strength — and with the highest of praise from rival coaches, earning 2025 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year honors. 

Of course, it’s a testament to his impressive career to this point: He’s a two-time All-Patriot League honoree and a two-time Hop Riopel Award winner as the team’s most valuable player. He’s batting nearly .300 in his career and has 61 RBI. He’s pitched more than 70 innings in his career, and is part of the Crusaders’ weekend rotation — with his 2025 debut on the mound set for this Saturday, as Holy Cross travels to face No. 22 Auburn to open the season.

Scanlon is a rare gem at the Division I level: a true two-way player. He’s earned the trust of his coaches to know that he can excel on both sides of the ball, and he’s not settling for being average at both at the expense of being great at one. 

“It takes a unique and special and talented athlete to be able to do both at a really high level,” said head coach Ed Kahovec, “and Sean's been able to master that.”

To the average viewer, Scanlon could present as a power hitter — of his 101 career hits, 39 are for extra bases, and as a lefty hitter, he can launch balls to right field at Fitton with ease. But his true talent lies in his advanced approach and extreme plate discipline. He’s comfortable drawing walks: his career .435 on-base percentage enters the 2025 season as the eighth-best in a storied Holy Cross program history. And because he doesn’t chase easily, pitchers are forced to deliver options that are dangerous for a strong hitter like Scanlon.

“He has such a unique combination of power, plate discipline and pitch selection that he's just such a difficult hitter to pitch to,” Kahovec said. 

As a pitcher, Scanlon has revamped his pitch profile since arriving on The Hill. His velocity sits in the high 80s and will touch the low 90s — his hip mobility has improved, which has allowed for more consistency. He draws a lot of ground balls as a result of his polished sinker, and has added over 10 inches of movement to his breaking ball throughout his career. 

But his biggest strength on the mound isn’t a technical skill. It’s the same thing that lifts him in his approach at the plate: a calm, confident mindset. 

“He's extremely, extremely tough — he never gives in,” said Sam Tinkham, Holy Cross’ associate head coach and pitching coach. “That’s one of his most valuable qualities on the mound: He will bend, but he will never break.”

The opportunity to contribute to his team in numerous ways — offensively, defensively, and on the mound — remains a motivation for Scanlon. 

“The combination of pitching and hitting — it’s just everything that's fun about baseball,” Scanlon said. “And I'm lucky enough to do both.”

Scanlon isn’t just well-rounded as a baseball player — he’s excelled in so many other areas of his life. He’s a standout student, earning Patriot League Academic Honor Roll laurels as a history major. He’s a beloved teammate and respected leader, serving as a team captain for the Crusaders — he’s always keeping the mood light in the dugout and clubhouse, and he’s rarely seen without a sly grin on his face. He spearheads a number of the team’s community service initiatives, including its work with Team IMPACT. 

For someone who has earned as many accolades as Scanlon, you certainly wouldn’t know it by talking to him. He exudes an impressive level of humility, never gloating or showboating along the basepaths. He’s content to put his head down and work hard with no complaints — all while maintaining a serene courage that has paved the way for his success. Scanlon attributes his attitude to his parents, who always preached kindness, respect, and the mantra that sharing is caring. 

Scanlon spent his entire childhood living in Manhattan, where Central Park was his de facto backyard, and he grew up embracing the vibrancy and the opportunity in New York City. Along with his two older sisters, Bridget and Deirdre, Scanlon thrived through a well-rounded upbringing that allowed all of the three Scanlon children to broaden their horizons and pursue a diverse set of interests — whether that was through Irish step dance classes, attending the ballet or other shows, going to Yankees games or playing on a number of youth teams all across the City’s five boroughs. 

“We always tried to find the thing that they were really interested in, and help them flourish in it,” Erin said. 

That approach paid off. The two elder Scanlon children pursued dance at a high level — Deirdre is still a professional ballet dancer to this day — and of course, Sean has excelled as a Division I baseball player. 

“He's just had lots of experiences, and he embraces things right away when he gets into them,” Erin said.

A unique challenge of being a baseball player in New York City is that ballfield space is difficult to come by. The fields in Central Park had a number of usage restrictions, and while his early Little League teams had field space by the Hudson River, as he got older, he ended up needing to play for multiple teams at a time to get sufficient playing time and experience. With his father — and his coach until he was about 15 years old — Brendan, the duo would travel to Staten Island and the Bronx, wherever there was space to play. 

But even if the conditions weren’t perfect, you rarely heard a complaint or concern from a young Sean, who was willing to put in the work in less-than-ideal conditions to master his craft. There was no challenge too great for him, and no spotlight that felt too bright. 

Even as young as seven years old, Sean remained calm, cool and collected. On the day that he pitched his first game, he assured his nervous mother that everything would be just fine. As long as the ball was in his hand, no matter the conditions, he felt completely in control. 

“Don't worry, Mom,” he told her. “I've got this.” 

Across the street at Tointon Stadium, the Crusaders were waging a spirited comeback attempt against Kansas State during the teams’ Sunday matinee. Meanwhile, in a small room at the campus’ emergency room, Scanlon sat quietly with his father.

Just minutes prior, Scanlon had escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam as the Sunday starter, and stepped into the batter's box in the top of the third with confidence and composure.  

But things changed in just a split second. 

Scanlon laid flat on his back in the dirt — a rogue pitch had drilled him in the forearm, and he couldn’t feel anything. He’s been hit before, of course, but this was a far cry from the typical hit-by-pitch he had experienced 24 other times in his career. 

As he slowly made his way back to the dugout, he tried to remain optimistic — he couldn’t grip his bat, but maybe he could still pitch? But reality sunk in quickly: something was really, really wrong. 

As he sat at the hospital, Scanlon still clung to hope as he awaited X-ray results. He was starting to regain feeling in his hand, so everything had to be okay, right? 

Then came the devastating blow: the X-ray showed a break, and surgery was needed. Tears welled in Scanlon’s eyes as he realized that as quickly as he’d experienced one of the greatest moments of his career, he now sat immersed in his worst moment on the diamond. Every emotion flooded over him. Why did this have to happen? What’s going to happen now?

He returned to the game for the final few innings with his arm in a sling, and he embraced his teammates at the airport before they went their separate ways. He felt the support from his closest friends — and all the while, he reckoned with the upcoming unknowns. 

Scanlon had been sidelined in high school with injury, so it wasn’t a new experience. He already knew the feeling of the excitement and buildup of a season, only to have it all taken away at a moment’s notice. But this time around, it felt different. The stakes felt higher, and without baseball, without the opportunity to help his teammates win ball games, he wasn’t sure what his identity truly was. 

In the days that Scanlon was home, Kahovec assured him that it was okay to take time to bemoan his circumstances. But at the same time, Kahovec also told him: 

“When you rejoin the team, we need our leader back. We need our vocal and emotional leader back.”

And of course — in true Sean Scanlon fashion — he immersed himself in that role completely. He was able to watch from a new perspective, have conversations with his teammates that he wouldn’t have otherwise, and understand the game at an even deeper level than before. He remained an optimistic teammate and valued voice in the dugout, acting as a true veteran leader as the Crusaders finished with their best regular season in eight years and earned the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League playoffs. 

Moreover, the injury reaffirmed that baseball is just one part of his identity. Baseball may have made him who he is, but it isn’t all that he is. 

“That was kind of what I took out of being hurt: taking a step away from Sean Scanlon as a baseball player,” he said, “and trying to focus on myself as a person and how I can improve myself or improve others.

“It allowed me to truly take a step back and realize what's important in my life: my family, my friends, the people around me supporting me. That’s what makes me who I am.”

When Sean Scanlon picked up a bat for the first time at four years old, there was never a doubt that he would be a baseball player someday. The first time he swung a bat, he naturally swung lefty, without being instructed in any way. He caught a ball from his father, and naturally threw it back right-handed. 

Brendan was immediately thrilled — he played baseball collegiately and kept playing until his early 50s. He wanted to ensure that he didn’t pressure Sean into the sport that he loved so much himself, but when Sean showed an interest early, it became the cornerstone of their time spent together. 

At a young age, Sean would follow his father to all of his games on the weekend, shagging balls and absorbing every element of the game that he could. They traveled to parks all over the City, with Brendan coaching up his youngest child from age six until Sean began travel ball. The two have visited several Major League ballparks together, and so many of their conversations revolve around baseball. Brendan himself was a two-way player in college, and he and Sean speak about the task exactly the same way: it’s hard work to balance both, but it’s a whole lot of fun. 

“It just never, ever, ever stopped,” Brendan said. “It has been a complete joy in that regard, because it was my youth, and he's taken on a lot of the lessons — and basically, I get to live it through him again. It’s been fantastic.” 

Far more than baseball has made Sean who he is. It’s the people in his life — like his parents — who have made him who he is. When Sean arrived at Holy Cross, he selected 33 as his jersey number, because it was the same number that his father wore. The two have shared a connection through baseball for two decades — every catch in the backyard or nearby park, every strategy conversation, every pep talk, every game on TV, at Yankee Stadium or at ballparks across America — and now, through the number 33. Sean’s hero is his dad, after all, and what better way to honor him than that? 

After his surgery, Scanlon received clearance to travel with his teammates to Hawaii for their Spring Break trip. That time around his closest friends was the best medicine for him — he was able to laugh, lift up his teammates, and feel like himself again. 

When asked about his favorite memories from his Holy Cross career, Scanlon lists off games where his teammates hit walk-off winners, where others had great performances. His most cherished memories, overall, come from the time spent with his teammates — going to Chipotle after practice, playing video games, joking around, having lighthearted debates or deep discussions. Throughout his rehab process, he led his teammates vocally, and they all lifted him up in return. 

“That just tells you who he is — he just wants to be part of the team,” Brendan said. “The team is bigger than he is.” 

As Scanlon returns to action this weekend, he’s “back to the old Sean,” physically and emotionally. He’s the same fearless, confident, levelheaded hitter and pitcher he’s always been. His focus for this weekend is simple: 

“Just go out there, have fun, compete, and try to win,” he said. 

And no matter the role Scanlon finds himself in — that mindset is something that will never change. 

Holy Cross Baseball at No. 22 Auburn 

Friday, Feb. 14 | 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 15 | 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 16 | 2 p.m.

TV: SEC Network Plus

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