Hall of Fame
Joseph Ayala was a three-year member of the baseball program from 2005 through 2007. The pitcher and third baseman appeared in 114 games and hit .327 with 108 hits, 17 doubles, 79 RBIs, and 68 runs scored.
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On the mound, the Bronx native went 14-7, logging 150.1 innings with 130 strikeouts. Ayala won the CUNYAC Championship game in his senior season after throwing six innings. ??He was named a CUNYAC all-star in both 2006 and 2007. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2007, he joined the NYPD and served as a detective assigned to the Elite Gun Violence Suppression Division.
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In July 2017, he was lauded as a hero after he and his partner confronted the suspect who killed NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia. For his actions, he was awarded the NYPD Combat Cross, the second-highest department award, granted to service members who have successfully and intelligently performed an act of extraordinary heroism.
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Currently, Ayala serves as the President of the NYPD Hispanic Society and is a member of the NYPD Baseball team.
