“It was one of those atmospheres where everybody pushed each other.” Mercyhurst University helped turn Vallimont from fringe prospect into the top pitcher of Marlins 2018 draft class.

“I thought if I put the work in, it doesn’t really matter where you go,” Chris Vallimont says. “People are still gonna find you.”

The hard-throwing right-hander is proof of that. Vallimont has spent most of his life in Erie, Pennsylvania, the fourth-largest city in the state, but 100 miles...

Continue Reading Division II star Chris Vallimont ready for next challenge: pro baseball