If he had a preference, Elon Phoenix redshirt sophomore outfielder Alex Iadisernia would rather have gone viral with a walk-off homer or some other conventional moment. But sometimes, the unconventional works just as well.

In an April 2 game against James Madison, Iadisernia hit a line drive that was initially headed for center field. At that moment, a goose flew directly into the path of the ball, which struck the bird before ending up landing in right field for a double. 

It was reminiscent of a play that occurred in a Major League Baseball game back in 2001, when Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson struck a dove that got in the way of a fastball. Umpires ruled that play a no-pitch.

Fortunately for Iadisernia, he got a double out of the freak play, although the Phoenix eventually lost to the Dukes 8-4.

“I was so confused,” Iadisernia recalled. 

“I hit the ball, (and) I thought it was going to get caught or at least hit the fence. I saw it land in right field and I had no idea what was going on. It’s a cool story to tell, but I’ll definitely take the walk-off home run over that.”

Phoenix head coach Mike Kennedy has spent over 25 years as a head coach, all with his alma mater, where he was a catcher. He remembers the Randy Johnson play, but not many others like it until Iadisernia’s double.

“The timing of that bird coming across at the same time as the ball was pretty crazy,” said Kennedy, who served as a volunteer and graduate assistant for four seasons before taking over as head coach. 

Ever seen a bird hit by a line drive in game? Can’t say no now @JMUBaseball @ElonBaseball pic.twitter.com/aeUQczbm4J

— Hudson Halling (@hhalling5_) April 3, 2022

Iadisernia doesn’t need a wild viral video to prove how valuable he is to the maroon and gold. Through April 16, he’s slashing .339/.438/575 with four home runs, 33 RBI, 12 doubles, three triples, and 22 runs scored. Earlier this season, he was selected CAA Player of the Week after going 9-for-14 with a .714 OBP, 1.071 slugging percentage, four doubles, a triple, one run and six RBI.

Last season, Iadisernia was fourth in the CAA in hitters toughest to strike out (8.7), and has 23 walks and 22 strikeouts so far in 2022. It’s a testament to his plate discipline, something Kennedy considers one of his greatest strengths as a hitter.

“It’s rare to have a kid who has more walks than strikeouts,” Kennedy explained. 

“As a coach, that’s rewarding. You really love those guys who can command the strike zone as a hitter and have an understanding of what’s a strike and what’s not.”

On those rare occasions when Iadisernia gets in a slump or starts chasing pitches out of the zone, he reminds himself baseball is a game of ups and downs.

“The worst thing you can do is sit there and panic,” Iadisernia said. 

“You’ve just got to stay relaxed, go to practice, get your work in, stick to your routine, and it takes care of itself.”

Success came quickly for Iadisernia playing ball as a youth. He made an effort to listen to all his coaches, even in Little League. At Jackson (New Jersey) Memorial High School, he earned First Team All-Shore, First Team All-Group 4, and Third Team All-State honors in 2018. He was selected to the Perfect Game All-Tournament Team six times while playing for the Baseball U Club Team, and competed in the 2017 WWBA Underclass World Championship.

“The best thing about Baseball U is they got us into good tournaments, playing good teams and getting us in front of all the colleges,” Iadisernia said. 

“That’s when Elon saw me.”

Iadisernia’s freshman season occurred during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but he still managed to put up good numbers. He went 1-for-4 with a double, two runs, two RBI and two walks in the season opener against Delaware State. For the season, he batted .274 in 17 games with a triple, three doubles, 10 RBI and three stolen bases in four tries. He also led the team in runs (14) walks (11), and tied for the lead by reaching safely in eight consecutive games.

“I think those 17 games was good for me,” Iadisernia recalled. 

“I was able to go home and work on what I needed to. Obviously, the first couple of weeks, you’re a little excited. But once you get adjusted, it gets better.”

Things definitely got better for Iadisernia in 2021. He led the Phoenix at the plate and was third in the CAA in batting average (.368), and was third in the conference with a .626 slugging percentage. He finished among the top 10 in homers (10), runs scored (39), doubles (13) and on-base percentage (.448). He broke the program’s freshman home run record and became the first Elon player since 2017 to be named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

“The biggest jump for him came when he got stronger,” Kennedy said. 

“He’s always had a pretty good swing, pretty good command of the strike zone. You knew the hit tool was there. As he got stronger and put more time in the weight room, I think that’s where the bigger jumps came.”

Iadisernia has also spent time playing summer league ball with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League. In 55 games last summer, he hit .345 with a .414 OBP, 26 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 34 RBI. During the league’s All-Star week, he hit nine homers to finish sixth in the Home Run Challenge.

“It was probably one of the best experiences I ever had,” Iadisernia said of playing for the Mallards. 

“Looking back on it, I wouldn’t change a thing. Every night, there were probably 6- to 8,000 fans there. I met a bunch of good guys from all over the country and the Midwest and California. I definitely learned some stuff baseball-wise.”

One player doesn’t define an entire lineup. But when Iadisernia has a hot bat, the offense usually follows suit. When he struggles, it does as well.

In a 7-3 win over Army on March 18, Iadisernia homered in each of his first two at-bats, scored two runs and added a walk. In a 7-1 loss to East Carolina April 12, Iadisernia’s sacrifice fly proved to be the only tally the maroon and gold could muster. 

“With anybody that hits in your three- or four-hole for the history of my career here, you’re going to be good,” Kennedy said. 

“Your team’s going to play better and win more games. That’s the way it’s always been. Alex has just taken over that role for this team. When he’s good, we score more runs; when he’s not, we don’t.”

Kennedy named Iadisernia team captain before the start of this season. He’s not a vocal leader (although Kennedy admits he’d like him to be). His character shows up in the way he conducts business on and off the field.

“I’m not a rah-rah guy,” Iadisernia explained. 

“I’ll talk to guys on the side, help them get better. I’m not a big scream-at-people guy.”

Living close to a beach allows Iadisernia to enjoy the water when he’s at home during the summer. When he was younger, he played drums in a band until eighth grade, taking after his father Anthony, who was a musician. But baseball is Alex’s dominant pleasure almost year-round. Neither of his parents are big baseball fans, but they support their son 100 percent.

“They’ve stayed patient with me, taking me to my games, paying their money to help me get better at baseball,” he said. 

“But they’re also great about not being too down my throat about sports. Just by them watching over the years, they help me stay relaxed. They’ve sacrificed so much.”

Iadisernia is committed to getting faster and stronger, particularly if professional ball is in his future.

“Having that feeling where you can find a barrel every at-bat and just having that confidence, it’s a great feeling,” he said.