By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
June 30, 2010

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Joe Filandino, an outstanding three-year pitcher for West Virginia University and later an assistant coach for the Mountaineers, has died.

    Joe Filandino was a three-year standout for the Mountaineer baseball team from 1982-84 and also spent four seasons as an assistant coach from 1986-90
WVU Sports Communications photo

Filandino, 48, was a key member of the 1982 Mountaineer team that came within two games of reaching the College World Series. Filandino was on the mound for the final game of the season against South Carolina, a 2-1 Gamecock victory.

“That was the game when we played in front of the biggest crowd in our school’s history,” recalled WVU baseball coach Greg Van Zant, Filandino’s teammate that season. “There were about 5,000 there, the place was jam-packed, and we’re throwing Joe out there, who hadn’t pitched a lot that year because he had been injured.

“Well, he went out there and South Carolina’s hitters had no chance,” Van Zant recalled. “They beat us 2-1 and the second run they scored that ended up beating us was a pitch that he threw that hit the front lip of the plate, went straight up in the air and went over the top of the backstop. That’s how hard Joe threw.”

West Virginia finished the 1982 campaign ranked 16th in the country by Collegiate Baseball.

Filandino, a Norristown, Pa., native, came to West Virginia from Valley Forge Military Academy. In three seasons for the Mountaineers, the hard-throwing right hander compiled a 12-4 career record that included a 7-2 mark with a 1.71 earned run average in 1984. That season, Filandino notched five complete game victories, helping the Mountaineers to a 22-11-1 record. He was also the third pitcher in school history to fire a no-hitter when he blanked Duquesne in a five-inning game on March 28, 1984.

“That no-hitter was the first one we had in a long, long time, if I remember correctly,” recalled Van Zant.

Filandino only fanned one Duquesne batter, but he didn’t allow a walk and only four balls reached the outfield. He was drafted in the 12th round by the San Diego Padres and pitched one season with Spokane in the Northwest League before arm troubles forced him to give up the sport.

Joe joined Dale Ramsburg’s coaching staff in 1986 and spent five seasons working with the Mountaineer pitchers, helping WVU to an Atlantic 10 title and an NCAA tournament appearance in 1987.

“Everybody liked Joe,” Van Zant recalled. “He was just a really good guy, a really good teammate, and just a real likeable guy. He was always smiling, laughing and joking, but when it came down to baseball he was a real big competitor.”

Van Zant provided an example of Filandino’s great sense of humor.

“After a game Coach Ramsburg had the team assembled in the dugout and he said something to Joe and Joe wasn’t paying attention to him,” Van Zant said. “Well, Rammer wasn’t happy with Joe and got on him about it. Joe told him the reason he didn’t hear what he said was because he couldn’t hear very well in one of his ears.

“Coach felt really bad about it and apologized to Joe for getting on him. As it turned out, Joe didn’t really have a hearing problem, but he kept that going for years, even when they were coaching together,” Van Zant laughed. “He had to keep faking like he couldn’t hear out of one ear. At some point Rammer finally found out Joe was joking with him, and they had a big laugh about it. Coach really liked Joe.”

“Joe was the best I ever saw at telling a joke with a straight face,” added former sports information director Joe Boczek. “He was just a great guy with a wonderful sense of humor who really enjoyed life. It’s such a shame he’s not with us anymore.”

Filandino was a long time employee at USP Hazelton where he was a maintenance supervisor. He is survived by his wife, Melanie Robinson Filandino, and three sons: Michael, Tyler and Devin.