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Donko has found big role for VCU
By steve wilaj
Sam Donko is a big guy. Always has been, probably always will be.
Nowadays, at 6-foot-2 and a solid 235 pounds, Donko is the closer for Virginia Commonwealth University (25-12), boasting a terrific stat line of 14 saves, a 1.69 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 371/3 innings.
A few years ago at Ursuline High School — where he graduated from in 2013 and was a dominant pitcher throughout his Fighting Irish career — he was big, but not exactly solid.
“It was just about getting into shape,” said Donko, a junior whose fastball velocity has jumped from the mid-80s (mph) at Ursuline to the low-90s with the Rams. “As a high school kid — I don’t even know how to describe myself — but I wasn’t very athletic. I could just throw a ball.
“When I got into college, I realized that being in shape and putting on muscle is a major part of being successful on the field.”
From April 10-17, Donko (2-0) appeared in four games for the Rams, who are riding a six-game winning-streak. He notched seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out seven while earning three saves and a victory.
It’s just the latest hot stretch for the Youngstown native that has surrendered just seven runs, 10 walks and 22 hits in 19 appearances this season.
“I’m enjoying my time here at VCU, so it has led to success on the field,” Donko said. “I’m just comfortable [in the closer role]. I have a lot of trust in myself and then I have one of the best set-up guys in the country in Matt Jamer.”
Jamer is 5-1 with a 3.98 ERA,
“Seeing him do well and getting me the ball has been a big facet to my success,” Donko said.
This season is the third straight strong campaign for Donko, who — prior to joining VCU last summer — played at Iowa Western Community College for two seasons.
There, he credited head coach Marc Rardin for turning him into a “mature baseball player” as well as transitioning him from a “thrower” to a pitcher.
The Reivers won the NJCAA National Championship in 2014 as Donko, a fastball/slider pitcher, amassed a 3.77 ERA in 141/3 innings. The Reivers then finished fifth in 2015, with the righty posting a 2.66 ERA in 201/3 innings (23 strikeouts).
“You’d go out there at 7 p.m. and there would be 15,000 fans treating you like a big-leaguer,” Donko said. “There were little kids asking you to sign baseballs, gloves — it was really cool and it motivated me to be successful and try to get back to a World Series. That’s what I’m trying to do [at VCU].”
After all his success at Iowa Western, Donko narrowed his top schools down to VCU, Ohio State, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maine. But after seeing the Rams advance to an NCAA Super Regional in Miami last June, his choice was easy.
“When VCU called and told me they had a spot for me and thought I could do well here, I had to jump all over it,” said Donko, who led Ursuline to the Division III state semifinal in 2013. “Last year they lost a lot of arms, but the bats all returned. So we think there’s no question it can happen again this year.”
The Rams sit in second place in the Atlantic 10 Conference with 20 regular season games remaining.
Donko hasn’t allowed a run in 16 of his appearances this season. The most innings he has notched in an outing is 52/3 (scoreless) against Marist on March 6, while the most strikeouts he’s had in one game is five in four innings at Dayton on April 3.
No doubt, it has been a big season for Donko — largely keyed by his continued transition from big to solid-big since his Ursuline days.
“Getting in the weight room at Iowa Western and then here at VCU has really been helpful for me,” he said. “It’s really been fun.”