Dylan Darling’s First Pitch at Mets Game

Dylan Darling added a special highlight to his first year at St. John’s by throwing out the first pitch at a Mets game.

The left-handed point guard, who became famous for his role in St. John’s NCAA Tournament victory over the University of Kansas, had not played baseball since he was a child, focusing instead on football and basketball.

Still, he eagerly took on the challenge. Unlike Zubie Ejiofor’s pitch the previous year, which was pretty tame, Darling delivered his pitch from the mound. Unfortunately, it bounced before reaching athletic director Ed Cull, a former catcher at Stony Brook University.

“I totally bounced it and kind of blew it,” Darling admitted with a laugh. “But it was a cool experience. Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing. It’s kind of wild to think I just did that.”

Darling was at Citi Field with his teammates to celebrate St. John’s achievements in winning both the Big East regular season and the postseason. As a transfer from Idaho State, he played a crucial role and earned the nickname “Church Bell” after hitting a pivotal 3-pointer against Xavier, securing a come-from-behind win. Coach Rick Pitino jokingly remarked that he had “a ball the size of a church bell” that day.

One of his most significant moments was the buzzer-beater that knocked Kansas out of the tournament, propelling St. John’s to the Sweet 16.

Sadly, the Johnnies couldn’t go further, losing to Duke, the top seed, by a narrow five points in their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999.

“It’s a tough subject for me. I watched UW play in the national championship game, and though it didn’t go our way, we had a lot of accomplishments this year,” Darling reflected. “I’m excited about what’s ahead.”

He hasn’t made any decisions regarding his future yet.

Darling still has one year of eligibility left and seems inclined to return to St. John’s. During the season, Pitino mentioned the possibility of him becoming a team captain next year.

“We’re working on it,” he said. “We took our time figuring things out with the coaches. At first, we were just relaxed and not doing much, but now we’re considering what’s best for both ourselves and the team.”

“I really love St. John’s. The coaching staff, everyone here—I just love it.”

Currently, the only other Johnny, Sadiq Ibine Ayo, has entered the transfer portal. His relationship with Pitino is strong, and the coach believes exploring new opportunities might be best for Ayo in terms of playing time and NIL benefits. Pitino is actively helping him find a suitable spot for his last season.