Plum grad Johnny Ioannou building on breakout sophomore season as PS Fayette baseball looks to improve

As he was coming up through Plum’s high school baseball program, Johnny Ioannou knew he was being prepared to play at the next level.

Under longtime coach Carl Vollmer, the Mustangs had produced a number of successful players, including two, Scott McGough and Alex Kirilloff, who went on to play in the major leagues. Injuries recently forced Kirilloff to retire after playing 249 games over parts of four seasons with the Minnesota Twins. McGough pitched in 26 games (32²⁄₃ innings) for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season.

“Whatever Carl does at Plum, it’s all college-level practices,” Ioannou said. “It’s all college-level timing, schedules, rotations, drills. Everything we do at Plum is all based on preparing you for the next level.

“That alone gives players at Plum an advantage during the season in high school but also an advantage when you get to the next level. You already have that upper hand.”

But, as Ioannou found out, even the best of preparation doesn’t translate into instant success. As a freshman outfielder with Penn State Fayette in 2023, Ioannou coped with a number of ups and downs, struggling to find his footing in the college game.

He hit .233, striking out a team-high 33 times in 90 at-bats.

Then, it happened. Last season, all of that preparation under Vollmer — coupled with a year of college experience — kicked in, leading to a breakout season for the outfielder.

Ioannou posted a .316 batting average, driving in 32 runs (second on the team) with a .535 slugging percentage (also second on the team) and a .429 on-base percentage. He led the team with 10 stolen bases and 18 extra-base hits, and his strikeout rate decreased by two percentage points.

PS Fayette coach Ryan Encapera, in his fourth season leading the program, said a number of factors led to Ioannou’s improvement.

“I think there was definitely a maturity process, the way he goes about his business and preparing,” Encapera said. “I know that he is committed to the weight room and the weight program. He definitely became a more physical player in addition to simplifying his approach.

“I think it’s more having the experience of what it’s like to go through a college season as opposed to a high school season. … It is physically grueling. I think that probably took a toll for sure.”

Ioannou said he naturally wanted to be able to contribute as a freshman, but nerves took over and hindered his performance. He also said his swing was fully developed at that point.

So, as Encapera said, Ioannou went about refining his approach at the plate. He shortened his stride and kept his hands closer to his body so he could have a shorter, quicker swing.

He also went back to what worked for him in high school, namely looking to hit the ball the other way.

“In high school, I think when I did find my success is when I went opposite field, and I think just sticking to what I’m good at is what I got away from, I think,” he said. “Now that I have been working so hard on trying to work the opposite field, I have been hitting a lot more pull-side balls than I ever have before.”

Encapera said Ioannou became more consistent last season. His stretches of good baseball were longer, and his dropoffs were less frequent.

Ioannou has picked up where he left off. In Fayette’s first three games — the team went 1-2 — he had four hits in 10 at-bats and drove in seven runs.

Defensively, after playing right field as a freshman, Ioannou has been Fayette’s regular center fielder. Last season, he committed one error in 81 total chances.

“I take a lot of pride in my defense,” he said. “I think it’s one of my best tools as a player. Making the routine plays look easy and making the hard plays look routine is ideal, and I think that’s what we want to do.

“We want to make those tough plays, and we want the other team to know that if it’s hit in the grass, it’s caught.”

Beyond anything that might show up in the scorebook, Ioannou is contributing more as a leader. As a third-year player in the program, he isn’t afraid to speak up, and Encapera said it’s almost “like having another coach.”

It’s a role Ioannou said he welcomes, and he is eager to see where he can lead Fayette this spring.

Last season, Fayette finished 13-23 overall and 4-16 in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. After winning seven of its first nine games, PSF saw a steep decline once it entered PSUAC play, ending the season by losing nine of its final 10.

With a number of players back, the roster is more seasoned. Several players who got their first taste of college baseball last season — as Ioannou did two years ago — are more experienced and better prepared.

That has Ioannou optimistic that Fayette can be a tougher out in conference play this spring. For his own part, he is working to be a tougher out, too, trying to hit for more power and cutting down on his strikeouts while maintaining a high batting average.

Encapera said Ioannou’s steady uptick in performance will be crucial to his team’s success.

“For us to have a good season, we’re going to need good things out of him,” the coach said.

Added Ioannou: “I made some really good contact last year, had some really good approaches at the plate, which I think helped my batting average. Taking that next step is obviously driving the ball.”