Podcast: BC pitcher John West on ALS Awareness Game

BC pitcher John West was selected in the 12th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Jaylynn Nash/ACC)

The latest guest on The Base Path Podcast is a BC senior who has been one of the team’s top starting pitchers over the last two seasons. Shrewsbury, Mass., native John West returned to BC for his final season this spring, and he has arguably been the Eagles’ most consistent pitcher in 2024.

The 6-foot-8, 265-pound right-hander has made nine starts in 2024, posting a 1-1 record and 4.70 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. He talked about the coaching change that took place last July when Mike Gambino left BC to take the head coaching job at Penn State, leading to BC’s hire of Todd Interdonato as head coach.

“It’s always a difficult process for anyone that goes through a coaching change, right?,” West said. “Especially going into your senior year. I’m so happy for Mike Gambino. He’s got a great gig down at Penn State, but that was an interesting time. It was around July 4 — a week before the draft. I wasn’t exactly sure about my plans for the next year.

“I entered the portal for about a day, no real intentions of leaving Boston College, truthfully. The same day that my name got put in, Todd got hired within like the same hour. My heart was always at BC. This is my home, and these are my brothers that I play with. So, I was very fortunate and blessed that Todd was willing to let me come back here.”

West, whose father passed away in 2014 after a fight with ALS, also promoted the 12th annual Boston College ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park on Thursday, April 25 (7 p.m.), when the Eagles will face Virginia.

In February, West was named the captain of the inaugural Lou Gehrig Community Impact team.

“My father passed in October of 2024, and the Ice Bucket Challenge started that August,” West said. “So, as he was dwindling down in his battle with ALS, the surge with Pete Frates was starting. I remember the day I heard about the Ice Bucket Challenge.

“We were sitting in the living room; my dad and I were watching the news, and I looked up from my iPad. I heard Pete Frates, a Boston College baseball captain, and that immediately sparked my attention. It was talking about the Ice Bucket Challenge. It’s a memory that will stick in my head for the rest of my life.”

The New England Baseball Journal podcast is brought to you by the University of Nebraska High School, Netting Professionals, No Errors, and Max BP.

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