From Walk-On to Coach: Blancato’s TrueBlue Journey Comes Full Circle
8/17/2026 1:00:00 PM | Baseball
STATESBORO – Eight years ago, Sam Blancato arrived at Georgia Southern as a 17-year-old walk-on hoping for the opportunity to play college baseball. Today, after becoming a key contributor, graduate assistant and now full-time assistant coach, his journey has come full circle – and his love for the program and community has only grown along the way.
"Georgia Southern is a family – the baseball program, athletics and the community all incorporated into one," he said. "I'm fortunate to have been able to be at one place for almost eight years and build those relationships."
With his father being a Georgia Southern alum, Blancato's connection to the university began at an early age, as he grew up hearing his dad sing the Eagles' praises.
He recalls first visiting campus with his family in 2014 when Georgia Southern played Georgia, giving Blancato the chance to watch his cousin play for the Bulldogs.
"I remember going to the bookstore, and I got a Georgia Southern hat because my dad said, 'We're not wearing Georgia gear because we're not Georgia fans,'" he said. "I loved the campus because my dad had always spoken so highly of it. When I came down for a camp my junior year of high school, I became interested and got in contact with head coach (Rodney) Hennon. Georgia Southern was really the only coaching staff that ever got back to me. It was the only opportunity I had to play college baseball, so I took it and ran with it."
Arriving as a walk-on freshman, Blancato knew he had to put his head down and work to earn a spot on the roster. However, when COVID-19 upended his freshman season, he found himself down in the depth chart, using the uncertainty as motivation to prove himself.
"When spring came around, I got redshirted, and then COVID happened, so everything was thrown up in the air," he said. "It became even more nerve-wracking because we brought back everyone from the year before while also adding an entire freshman class. I felt like I was at the bottom of the totem pole, and that sparked a fire in me."
His work ethic quickly became his calling card.
"Our volunteer coach, Seth Lancaster, worked with me that year and spent a lot of time helping me put in the extra work," Blancato said. "I was at the field all day on defensive and offensive days. I was a switch hitter, so I tried to hit with both groups and expose myself as much as possible. I was trying to show that I was a hard worker and that I could play here."
After a year of relentless work, Blancato earned his opportunity, finding himself in the starting lineup in center field against No. 19 Tennessee in 2021.
"I didn't expect to play that weekend at all," he said. "Friday night, I was just fired up to be in the jersey. That was something I could check off the list – 'Hey, man, I did it. I made the roster.' So, going into Sunday, I had no expectations of playing. Parker Biederer had really taken me under his wing. He hadn't had a great Friday or Saturday, so Coach gave me an opportunity, and I remember Parker and all the guys being fired up for me."
After embracing his role as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, Blancato became a pivotal piece of the Eagles' lineup, starting the final 32 games of the historic 2022 season.
"We all made a commitment to be the best teammates we could be," he said. "Whenever an opportunity presented itself, we were prepared. I knew my spot wasn't safe, so I had to produce to stay in the lineup. Moving into 2023 and 2024, I tried to take on more of a leadership role, learning from guys like Noah Searcy, J.P. Tighe and Blake Evans, who led by example. It became more about trying to leave a legacy. I wanted to leave Georgia Southern baseball a better place when I was done playing."
The path to becoming a key contributor wasn't without its challenges.
Blancato endured a pair of hand injuries in the span of six months, testing his physical and mental resilience.
"I broke my right hamate bone in the fall ahead of the 2023 season," he said. "Something felt off at practice, and I had completely lost my grip strength. I had surgery on Oct. 20, and then 10 or 15 games into the 2023 season, I broke the left one. I ultimately decided not to have surgery until after the year, so playing injured was tough."
Testing him physically, the injuries also gave him an opportunity to reevaluate what baseball meant in his life.
"It grounded me," he said. "That's when I really started building my relationship with Jesus. Before that, baseball was definitely the focal point of my life, so the injuries gave me the ability to step back and appreciate what I have."
As his senior season came to a close, Blancato knew a graduate assistant position would be opening. So, when Hennon officially offered him the opportunity, the decision was a no-brainer.
"Coach took a chance on me when I was 17 years old as just a kid on campus," he said. "He gave me an opportunity to play for him, so there was nothing more I wanted to do than learn from him on the other side of things as a coach. I jumped on it immediately. There was really no other place I even considered besides here."
As Blancato grew into his new role, his experience as a former Eagle gave him a unique perspective.
"I felt more like a coach, and the coaches always treated me like one, even as a GA," he said. "I got to watch all of my former teammates finish their careers, which helped me build even stronger relationships. These past two years, I've tried to get to know the guys and put myself in their shoes as a younger coach. I know it can be easier for some guys to come to me, so I try to use that to help guide them however I can."
Eight years after arriving in Statesboro as a 17-year-old walk-on, Blancato now finds himself coaching the program he once dreamed of playing for.
For him, staying at Georgia Southern was never simply about baseball – it was about the people who believed in him, supported him and ultimately became family.
"Coach presented me with a job offer, and I remember telling him, 'To be honest, I've been waiting for this conversation,'" he said. "If the opportunity presented itself, there was no question I was going to stay at Georgia Southern. I shook his hand without even knowing the parameters because I knew I was going to be in a good place. I couldn't have done any of this without the support of the people around me."
