ORANGE PARK - Ridgeview High athletic director John Sgromolo earned yet another honor for his baseball acumen with the Flagler College baseball program honoring Sgromolo with his name on the Flagler College Baseball All-Decade team. Flagler will host a reception for the athletes on Fri., Nov. 22 during alumni weekend festivities.

"It is extremely humbling and a great honor," said Sgromolo, who has had baseball in his genes since his days as a Jacksonville Suns bat boy, a Clay High standout first baseman, a Flagler College first baseman and a short stint as a Los Angeles Dodgers. "The guys on this list were some great baseball players, but more importantly they are great people."

Sgromolo, out of Clay High School, was not a highly recruited player, but was noticed by Flagler baseball coach Dave Barnett at a prospects camp where Barnett attended annually while keeping an eye on Sgromolo from his sophomore season to his senior season as a Blue Devil.

"After a workout at Flagler's camp he said he was very interested in me attending Flagler and I took an official visit the following weekend," said Sgromolo. "I committed the next day after the visit. I will forever be grateful for Coach Barnett taking a chance on me and believing in me, Flagler was my only offer."

At Flagler, Sgromolo was a solid hitter (.313; just 61 strikeouts in four years) with 10 homers and held a .990 fielding percentage with an amazing 11 errors in his four years. Sgromolo earned two All Peach Belt Conference nominees plus a ABCA All Southeast Gold Glove award.

In his senior year, Sgromolo earned the NCAA Male Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year and got drafted in the 37th round by the Dodgers.

Sgromolo stayed with the Dodgers for just a few years, then returned home to be closer to family and also his mother, Karen Kinzig, a major support system for Sgromolo.

"My mom was my everything. My biggest supporter, my biggest motivator, the slice of humble pie that we all need from time to time," said Sgromolo. "I think above all else, my mom molded me into the man I am today. She always reinforced that there is always someone better out there working hard, and if you are not working hard, they are. I miss her, and while i dont know if she had a vote or not, I know that she is looking down on me and its my daily goal to make her proud."

When Sgromolo returned to Florida, he started out as an assistant coach under Rob Thompson at Clay High where he was part of the Blue Devils' state championship game in 2014 with fellow Blue Devil graduates Josh Persinger, now Clay High head coach and Travis McQuaig, assistant with Persinger.

From there, Sgromolo took the head baseball job at Ridgeview High, where he won a district title in 2016 over Clay, won a region playoff game, then lost a thrilling 10-9 region semifinal game.

Sgromolo is now the athletic director and still baseball coach.

"I would say that I understand what players are going through and that the high school recruiting process is as high stakes as ever," said Sgromolo. "I remember many nights as a high school senior with no offers, just worrying if my career was going to end, but I kept working. Its important that kids never forget that, keep working."

Sgromolo noted that former Westside pitcher Robert Girgis, also on the All-Decade team and a first team All Peach Belt pitcher that led Flagler to a Peach Belt title, will join Sgromolo as a coach for Ridgeview this year.