By Rich Fisher, Contributing Editor
If all goes well, Joe Drulis will soon reach a milestone that few baseball coaches achieve.
The Notre Dame High, Lawrenceville, skipper needs one victory for 400 in his career and has two chances to get it against Lawrence High or the Lawrenceville School Apr. 25.
That’s a massive number but it only speaks to one aspect of what Drulis feels is his true calling as a leader.
Since providing stability to a position that had four coaches in five years before he took over in 2001, the 1975 ND grad’s main mission has been to mold young men into valuable community members.
“He wants us to be good baseball players but good people first,” senior pitcher Josh Klena said. “That’s big with us, to be good people on and off the field. He does a great job of stressing that, making sure we’re all involved and doing service.
“We’re praying before every game. He holds us accountable. If something goes wrong, we talk about how to make it better.”
A parishioner of Our Lady of Good Counsel, West Trenton, Drulis has his team pray the Hail Mary “Because that’s Our Lady” and it ends with the Mary Queen of Peace because “our world needs peace in the biggest way with all the conflicts. I have them pray for peace because that would make our country a lot better.”
Drulis, who taught for two years at Notre Dame right out of college, wastes little time revealing his beliefs to the ND baseball community. In his preseason meeting with players and parents, he suggests the importance of making a connection with God.
“I tell them, ‘We all have busy schedules; if you can’t make service on a weekend you can still make time to have a dialogue with God through prayer, or reading Scripture,’” Drulis explained. “I try to instill that because I can at Notre Dame. We’re not a public school. We talk about making a connection with God and respecting others.”
Through his faith has come victories. Drulis’ career mark of 399-177-2 includes six Mercer County Tournament championships and several trips to the South Jersey Non-Public A finals.
In discussing the significance of 400 wins, Drulis was typically humble.
“It’s an indication I have had a lot of great players and a lot of outstanding assistant coaches that helped all of us build the program to where we are and the success we have had,” he said.
Drulis was a teacher at Bensalem High School, Pa., for 35 years, and it’s usually tough for someone who’s not working in the same school where they coach to remain in that position. When he arrived 26 years ago, assistants Bill Romano and the late Jerry Wargo were in the building, which helped immensely.
Romano – who’s being inducted into the NDHS Hall of Fame next month – is still by Drulis’ side, along with his current staff of pitching coach Bob Reilly, Jim “Bo” Burrows, Bob “Duke” DeLuca (a Eucharistic minister and religious education teacher in St. John the Baptist Parish, Allentown), Jeff Kearns, Gary Conover and Steve Elliott.
The staff’s dedication to Drulis is like that of his players.
“He’s a great leader; someone you want to be around,” Klena said. “I truly love him as a coach because of what he’s done for me. He took a chance on me as a 14-year-old four years ago. Watching him lead our teams has been great. I’m super blessed to play for him. He knows what he’s talking about.”
Drulis also knows that teaching what is important beyond the diamond, is as much a part of coaching as showing a kid how to throw a curveball or get his hips into a swing. That is why, in recent weeks, the Irish players have helped with the Mercer Miracle League and played in an Autism Awareness fundraiser.
“That helped show our players we’re so blessed and lucky to have our health,” Drulis said. “We’re doing community service projects so they can better themselves as people and as community members.
“We’re gonna do a Cancer Awareness game next week against Trenton. It’s kind of a message to their parents. Don’t put off that screening. Your life is important to yourself and others.”
Drulis’ attitude comes from his upbringing at Notre Dame, where he learned about discipline and the core values of respect, communication and integrity.
“We can instill that at Notre Dame, and I can do it as a coach,” he said. “Sports provide such great lessons. In life you’re gonna have ups and downs. You’re gonna have those tough moments and how do you respond? Sports helps them learn those lessons.”
