By: John Jay Sports Information
This week, johnjayathletics.com caught up with former student-athlete Joseph Ayala ('07). Ayala was a three-year veteran of the baseball team. In his final season in 2007, the Bronx native earned the victory in the CUNYAC Championship game against CCNY after firing six innings. The pitcher/third baseman picked up six wins during the regular season in 2006 and led the team with a .386 batting average in 2007 to be named a CUNYAC all-star in both seasons. After John Jay, Ayala went to work in the New York Police Department.
1) Where has life taken you since you graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice?
After graduating from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, I became a duly sworn New York City Police Officer. For the last 11 years, I've had the privilege to meet and work with some of the greatest cops in the NYPD. I'm presently a Detective assigned to the Elite Gun Violence Suppression Division.
2) What personal or professional accomplishment(s) are you most proud of since you graduated?
My greatest personal achievement I'm most proud of since graduating John Jay is to be blessed with four beautiful kids and an amazing wife. With regards to a professional accomplishment, being the recipient of the 'New York City Police Department Combat Cross Award' was a tremendous honor.
3) What are you most proud of from your time as a Bloodhound?
During my time as a Bloodhound, I had the opportunity to play baseball with a very special group of coaches and players who shared an incredible chemistry. We had unwavering dedication and commitment which resulted in record setting seasons and eventually led to a 2007 City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) championship.
4) What advice would you give your college self/current Bloodhounds?
If I could offer some advice to the current Bloodhounds, it would be to put God first in everything you do and to revel and soak in the moments on the field. These will be some of the best years of your life.
5) What did you learn in your time at John Jay that has stayed with you in your post-collegiate life?
One thing I learned that has resonated and stayed with me in my post-collegiate life was to not allow my fear of failure outweigh my desire to succeed. As a Bloodhound, our team slogan was "John Jay Never Dies". We possessed tenacious spirit and battled hard every game to the very end. Even in times when things didn't work in our favor on the field, we never gave up. We worked really hard, reconditioned our minds, and expected to be successful.
6) Are you still involved with sports? If so, how?
I'm still involved with the sport I love. Currently, I'm a pitcher in my 12th season with the NYPD baseball team.
2019 Baseball Update: The Bloodhounds started the season in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the fourth consecutive year. Senior
Zach Hyde was named the CUNYAC Player of the Year after recording a .331 average with 43 hits, 33 runs, four home runs, 23 RBI's, and 33 stolen bases. He concludes his John Jay career with 180 hits, tied for third all-time in program history. Catuogno was tied for first in the conference with 51 hits. Napier drove in a team-high 25 RBI's and led the pitching staff with 42.1 innings. For their efforts, both players were named CUNYAC all-stars.
To view all of the previous Alumni Spotlights, please visit www.johnjayathletics.com/alumnispotlight.
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