'It's Just Different': Interdonato, Boston College Baseball Embracing Change in 2026

BC head coach Todd Interdonato is confidently hoping the Eagles will take another leap in 2026 — even with a new-look infield.

Joe Sullivan / Boston College Athletics (bceagles.com)

When Todd Interdonato’s coaching persona takes over, he exudes a form of confidence which has two sides to it.

The tone in his voice is one that commands the attention of a busy crowd, and his way of conveying a message is stark and succinct. He is simply the epitome of the saying "strictly business."

But when the conversation shifts from baseball, Interdonato is a jokester. He is not afraid to let out his witty side when he wants to.

And when he does not, he reverts back into the mode which defines him — the one that his players are drawn to instinctively.

“I feel like since I’ve been here, I feel like our coaching staff's relationship with our players has been exceptional,” Interdonato said. “I feel like our guys are completely bought in. Our coaches do a really good job of communicating our language and what’s expected.”

Ever since Interdonato took over after former BC head coach Mike Gambino left for Penn State following one of the most successful years in program history — which culminated in a loss to Alabama in the 2023 Tuscaloosa Regional Final — his philosophy has steadily infiltrated the building.

Some of Interdonato’s coaching idiosyncrasies were foreign to his players in the beginning, but unity is at the heart of it all.

“If we shift our mindset and we think about it this way and we talk about it this way, I think we’ll gain more without really giving much up,” Interdonato said. “We’ve just tried to get our guys more convicted. … We want to make it a little more black and white, north and south, east and west. Just make it a little bit more binary.”

The Eagles have already seen Interdonato’s method of cultivating the program translate into success.

🦅 on site pic.twitter.com/SwaENnFCpG

— Boston College Baseball (@BCBirdBall) February 12, 2026

BC went from a 22-31 record in 2024 to 28-29 last season, and its conference record increased from 8-22 the first year of Interdonato’s tenure to 11-19.

There is still a ways to go until the Eagles reach the potential Interdonato sees in them.

But some of the highlights from his second year at the helm, such as defeating No. 9 Virginia on the road twice, capturing a series win over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, and going on a mini run in the 2025 ACC Championship, were signs that collective growth was coming to fruition.

“I think every single year that I’ve been coaching, which is 25 now, I’ve learned something, both positive and negative,” Interdonato said. “You just do your best to apply it to the next time you get a chance.”

“Really what we’re trying to do is continue to build on where we started. [2025] was better than [2024]. We’re hoping that [2026] is better than [2025].”

The transition is not coming without hurdles. This year, Interdonato expects there to be some major differences, primarily from a personnel standpoint.

The Eagles graduated three infielders in 2025, Patrick Roche, Vince Cimini, and Sam McNulty, who carried a combined 15 years of college baseball experience.

Filling their roles won’t necessarily be an expedited process, which gives Interdonato a grain of concern.

But he is confident that this group is equipped for the undertaking, whether it takes just a few games or a few weeks.

“I feel like I’ve said this now up to a dozen times, both publicly and privately: this team is just different,” Interdonato said. “It doesn’t mean it’s better, it doesn’t mean it’s worse. It doesn’t mean we’re more excited. It’s just different. It’s just a totally different team.”

“In the three years that I’ve been here, this is the biggest shift in terms of what the building’s like every day, and the personalities and the voices in the locker room. Again, it’s not to say that it’s better or worse. It’s just different, so I think, really, it’s both exciting and also has a little bit more anxiety to it because there’s just a lot more unknowns.”

Get after it 💪 pic.twitter.com/wRODe8rlQw

— Boston College Baseball (@BCBirdBall) September 18, 2025

Senior infielder Owen DeShazo, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound right-handed batter, certainly agrees with Interdonato’s sentiment.

He also sees the lack of field experience this season as an opportunity for players to earn their roles, which inevitably enhances the overall performance of the team — from top to bottom.

“It’s definitely weird not seeing Sam, Pat, and [Vince] everyday,” DeShazo said. “I think that gives an opportunity for a lot of guys to step up, whether it’s out on the field or in the locker room.”

One teammate that has gone the extra mile in a leadership position this offseason, according to DeShazo, is graduate-student infielder Nick Wang, who started 55 of 57 possible games as a sophomore in 2023 after transferring from Holy Cross.

Wang has been an integral member of the lineup ever since, and he is coming off a season-ending injury which forced him to make just 15 starts last year, in which he hit .317 with three doubles and two home runs.

In 2024, as a junior, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound right-handed slugger manufactured a .280 batting average with 12 doubles, one triple, 11 homers, and 44 RBIs — all of which finished in the top four on the roster. 

“He’s just a phenomenal coach,” DeShazo said. “Even when I got here as a freshman, he’s always trying to help people out. And I think that’s been a little bit more of a focus for him this year, and you can really see it.”

The additional cast of infielders consist of Sean Martinez, Ty Mainolfi, Esteban Garcia, Luke Gallo, Julio Solier, and Danny Surowiec, all of whom are just as affirmatively bought in to what DeShazo and Wang see in Interdonato.

Preseason Top 50 Third Baseman: Ty Mainolfi 🦅 pic.twitter.com/3K86uru5MJ

— Boston College Baseball (@BCBirdBall) February 4, 2026

As Interdonato mentioned, there are inevitably two sides to inexperience — anxiety and excitement.

The only way to find out how it unfolds is by trusting the process and sticking with the system they were selected to be a part of, which starts on Friday against Seton Hall in Ponce, Puerto Rico at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“I know I’m excited for our offensive group to get going this weekend,” DeShazo said. “I think we’re itching to get out there.”