ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Daniel Poncedeleon has been called up by the St. Louis Cardinals. That's a sentence that just a few short months ago would have seemed impossible for the right-handed pitcher.
The 2014 ninth-round pick of the Cardinals is set to become the first Embry-Riddle baseball draftee ever to reach the majors after overcoming one of the scariest injuries in professional baseball last season.
On May 9, 2017, in a game for the Cardinals' AAA affiliate Memphis Redbirds against the Iowa Cubs in Des Moines, Iowa, Poncedeleon was struck on the right temple by a comebacker off the bat of the Cubs' Victor Caratini.
Poncedeleon was rushed to the hospital where a CT scan revealed that he had an epidural hematoma, a condition where blood leaks from the meningeal artery into the space between the dura mater - which covers the brain - and the skull. Without an emergency craniotomy, the typical result of an epidural hematoma is death.
Over the next several hours, surgeons removed a bone flap from Poncedeleon's skull and worked to close the arterial laceration he had suffered and relieve pressure from his cranial cavity.
The surgery was successful.
Poncedeleon spent the next 10 days in intensive care and more than a month in the Hawkeye State before moving home to Florida where he was inactive for the next two months before he was cleared to start throwing on August 9.
Poncedeleon worked incredibly hard over the next six months, including working out and throwing at ERAU's Sliwa Stadium over much of that time.
His drive and determination were rewarded as the Cardinals made him a non-roster invitee to Spring Training for the second straight season earlier this year.
Assigned to Memphis to start the 2018 season, Poncedeleon has put together fantastic numbers for the first-place Redbirds, going 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts. Poncedeleon's 71 strikeouts and 2.41 ERA in 59.2 innings of work led the Pacific Coast League following his last start. Over the course of five minor league seasons, Poncedeleon has posted a 30-15 record and 2.72 ERA in 403 innings. The La Mirada, California native struck out 357 batters and posted a WHIP of 1.20.
Poncedeleon was the standout of the Eagles' pitching staff in 2014. The right-hander went 9-2 with a 1.60 ERA in 14 starts as a senior. Poncedeleon recorded three complete games and 95.2 innings of work, allowing just 17 earned runs with 103 strikeouts and holding opponents to just .197 from the plate. Batters managed just six extra-base hits against him. The Eagle hurler was named a second team NAIA All-American, a first team All-Sun Conference honoree and was a Sun Conference All-Tournament team selection for the Blue and Gold.
He became the highest drafted Eagle in program history in the summer of 2014 when the Cardinals took him with the 285th overall pick.
"We've had a lot of guys in this program that have had professional baseball ability," ERAU Head Coach Randy Stegall said. "But two have stood out as guys that have had no-brainer big league ability: Tyler Cyr and Daniel Poncedeleon. What an incredible journey for Daniel from possible career-ending injury to the big leagues in 13 months. We are so proud of him and excited for his family. Daniel has a special makeup and I am confident he will not be overwhelmed by this moment."
Poncedeleon will join Nick Regilio as the only former Eagles to appear in the majors. Regilio pitched for ERAU in 1997 before transferring to Jacksonville University where he was a second round pick of the Texas Rangers in 1999. Regilio appeared in 24 games as a pitcher over two big league seasons with the Rangers (2004-05).
Poncedeleon is married to former Embry-Riddle volleyball standout Jennifer Beatty (2013-14) and the two have a son, Casen.
"This is huge moment for our program," Stegall said. "To have a guy in the big leagues puts a stamp on our program that many schools don't have. I feel as if our school and program have been called up. I'm just so excited for Daniel and the opportunity he has earned with this call-up."
