Serra's Mercurio an Undersized Overachiever

At 5-foot-7, it’s easy for a baseball player to get overlooked.

Just don't be so quick to blame professional and college scouts who a year ago this time missed Andre Mercurio’s meteoric rise from baseball nobody to Division I recruit.

Mercurio, a Serra High senior outfielder who after a surprising breakout junior year signed with San Jose State last month, didn’t see it coming either.

Mercurio expected to ride the bench his junior year on a loaded roster. But after an injury opened up a few spot outfield starts, Mercurio forced his way into the lineup and never looked back.

He became the catalyst on one of the state’s most high-profile programs -- where surprises simply aren’t supposed to happen.

It became impossible to ignore Mercurio when he produced consistently against elite West Catholic Athletic League pitching. He led the Padres in several statistical categories including batting average (.438),  on-base percentage (.552), slugging percentage (.671) and walks (19), and he tied for the team lead in runs scored (28) and doubles (10), and was named a first-team All-WCAL outfielder.

Even so, when his phone started ringing off the hook last summer, it caught him off guard.

“I was very surprised,” Mercurio said. “I never thought I was going to play college baseball, let alone Division I  baseball. It’s very humbling.”

Mercurio’s break came when DonAndre Clark, a St. Mary’s-bound outfielder, suffered an ankle injury early in the season.

“I was really nervous,” Mercurio said. “I’d never started a varsity game before, just trying to calm myself down listening to soothing music on my way down there.”

Mercurio had two hits in an early game against highly-regarded Monte Vista, singling in the game-winning run in the top of the seventh of a 1-0 victory.

He has earned himself a reputation for coming up clutch.

“I just always try to put the pressure on the defense,” Mercurio said. “I just try to tell myself, ‘No way I’m getting out. No way I’m going down without a fight.’

“I feel like with that mentality something good’s going to come out of that.”

A lot of good things have come out of that.

Mercurio said his success has become an enormous source of pride for his family, which lives in San Mateo. He is his family’s second scholarship athlete. His sister, Francesca, competes in gymnastics at Arizona State.

The scholarship means something to his family, too. His father, Rafael, worked two jobs to support his family of five.

Unlike the vast majority of scholarship baseball players, Mercurio never had private instructors, never went to pay-to-play showcase events, and didn’t have vocal parents who politicked for playing time when he was in Little League.

“I’m pretty proud of myself because I know I did it on my own merits,” he said.

Mercurio’s ability to excel under pressure instantly impressed teammates.

“Andre’s a unique player,” Serra senior shortstop Chris Lewis said. “He brings something to the game that not a lot of people get. In big games, thoughts in your head can get moving pretty fast and stuff, and he has this certain thing about him which he can slow everything down and get everything back into focus.

“Not many people can do that, it’s just a certain thing about him, and I admire him for that.

“I think he brings a sense of calmness to the team.”

Serra coach Craig Gianinno first took note of Mercurio watching him play summer ball in advance of his junior year. In that game, Mercurio bunted for two hits, once on a push bunt and the next time a drag bunt.

Mercurio projects to be a hard-nosed, “whatever-it-takes” type player with gap power who can hit to all fields, and is unafraid to hit with two strikes, Gianinno said. Mercurio has excellent defensive instincts, too.

His fearless approach rubs off on teammates, Gianinno said.

“Whatever he lacks physically in size, he’s going to make up for because he’s mentally tough and believes he’s better than you,” Gianinno said.

Mercurio said his family’s support and religious faith have enabled him to reach his potential.

“My mother (Dina) always told me that underdogs come out on top a lot of the time,” Mercurio said.

“I always play with a chip on my shoulder. I love to prove people wrong.”