COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - During his first two seasons at Saint John's University, Will Fazio found a mentor in Casey Trapp '23.
 
Trapp – an All-MIAC pitcher who recorded 172 strikeouts during his four seasons with the Johnnies – took a liking to Fazio and spent time showing the former Blake School standout the ropes.
 
"He was a left-handed pitcher like I am, and my freshman season here, he set the school record for single-season strikeouts (with 73)," Fazio recalled. 
 
"I guess he saw some potential in me and we spent a lot of time talking about stuff. The summer after my freshman year, I switched town ball teams so I could go and play with Casey. Then the following year, when he was a senior and I was a sophomore, we were catch partners. I learned so much just being around him."
 
Using the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted all athletes due to the impact of COVID-19, Trapp went on to pitch one season at the Division I level with Creighton in 2024. 
 
But the lessons he left behind for Fazo in Collegeville have lingered.
 
"I think a lot about him now that I'm a senior and I've taken on more of a leadership role," Fazio said. "I'm constantly thinking about what he'd do and what he'd say. I've tried to emulate that."
 
Like Trapp, Fazio is also setting an example through his success on the mound. He's been a key part of the Johnnies' pitching staff the past three seasons, but he's really come into his own this spring.
 
After throwing six innings, striking out nine and allowing just five hits to help his team complete an MIAC doubleheader sweep of Concordia with a 4-3 victory in game two Tuesday in Collegeville, Fazio is now 6-1 overall with a 1.88 ERA and 51 strikeouts – ranking third in the conference in both statistical categories.
 
His efforts are a big reason why the Johnnies (23-13, 13-5 MIAC) have already wrapped up a spot in the MIAC Tournament – scheduled for May 8-10 at SJU – with three regular-season games to play.
 
"Over the course of my four years here, just through the amount of innings I've pitched, I've gained a pretty good command over all three of my pitches," he said. "Now I feel like I can throw them all on any count and get them over for strikes. 
 
"I think the coaching staff has a lot more confidence that I can do that as well and that's helped a lot," he continued. "(Assistant coach) Scott Lieser and I have built a relationship over my time here that has translated onto the field. The transparency that we have with each other allows us to game plan properly."
 
SJU head coach Jerry Haugen '76 said Fazio has continued to develop and expand his knowledge of what it takes to be successful as a pitcher.
 
"He understands that strikes are important and they don't always have to be perfect," Haugen said. "If you just find a way to keep throwing them, you'll get some easy outs. 
 
"He can throw a fastball in the upper 80s so he can get it past guys. And he has really good control, so he can make guys take bad swings. He's pitching really well for us right now."
 
Fazio said pitching in the Northwoods League for the Minnesota Mud Puppies the past two years has also helped build his confidence level. It's allowed him to test his mettle against top Division I talent in one of the nation's premiere collegiate summer wooden bat baseball leagues.
 
"There are a lot of guys who've had success at Division I schools playing in that league, and originally I was pretty nervous coming from the Division III level," he said. "But I've had success throwing strikes and letting guys get themselves out. My first summer there, I got to start against the La Crosse Loggers, who were the best team in the league at the time. The original starter hurt his shoulder and the coach told me I was pitching. I ended up throwing six innings and giving up one run. We lost 1-0. But I saw I could compete against that kind of talent. 
 
"That's when it really clicked for me. I realized if I could get those guys out, I could do the same thing at Saint John's.
 
Fazio and his brother Andrew, who is now a sophomore at Denison (Ohio) University, grew up playing baseball together.
 
"When we were kids, we'd spend all day out in our yard throwing tennis balls off the garage and fielding them as ground balls," he said. "We've both always loved playing the game."
 
Which made it even more fun when the Johnnies and Denison actually squared off in a non-conference matchup on March 21 during each team's spring trip to Florida.
 
"That was super cool for my parents (Scott and Heidi)," Fazio said. "They were able to be there to see it."
 
Fazio is scheduled to graduate later this month with a degree in accounting (finance). But before he embarks on a career in that field, he's hoping to find a way to extend his baseball career.
 
"There has been a couple of teams who've shown some interest, and that's just added fuel to my fire this season," he said. "I don't want to hang up my cleats yet, so if there's any way to keep playing, I want to explore that option before I focus on whatever comes next."
 
Before all that, though, he's focused on ending his collegiate career on a strong note.
 
"We want to win that conference tournament and advance to the NCAA playoffs," Fazio said. "It's something we haven't been able to do my first three years here, so to get it accomplished as a senior would be extra-special."