Featuring John Flood  While he had numerous opportunities to extend his baseball career into college, Flood chose to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where he has some extended family members. He was involved in the Flames baseball program for five years, during which time, UIC won the Horizon League Championship all five years.Statistically speaking, Flood was pitching well at UIC until a shoulder injury forced him to have surgery and ended his playing days. The Flames were impressed with the work ethic and baseball knowledge of Flood, so they gave him a coaching opportunity. "The injury kinda turned out to be a blessing in disguise because that's how I started coaching," said Flood. "The UIC staff kept me on scholarship as a coach and I just fell in love with it." During his career at UIC, the team qualified to participate in two different NCAA Baseball Tournaments which was a thrill for Flood. "I got a couple of rings and we got to play in a Regional at Stanford and another one at Nebraska," said Flood. "It was a lot different atmosphere, there was a lot of buzz. I also remember going to places like Miami and Arkansas, it was a great experience."  In 2004, Flood appeared in three games out of the bullpen for UIC and surrendered just two hits. The 2003 season saw him appear in 13 games, making 10 starts with 6-2 record with a 3.68 ERA. He struck out a season-high eight batters and scattered 11 hits in a 11-4 victory over Cleveland State in the Horizon League Tournament, picked up a complete-game victory in which he allowed one run and six hits while striking out four batters, earned his first career-victory while giving up four runs and five hits in seven innings of work against Chicago State,scattered seven hits and struck out two batters in 5 2/3 innings to pick up a 4-3 victory over Wright State. He ranked ninth in the Horizon League in both ERA (3.68) and opposing batting average (.266), and was 5-1 in Horizon League action. Flood was a three-sport standout at Mt. Vernon High School, including four years as a varsity letterwinner on the baseball squad. On the mound as a senior, he led the Rams with 79 innings pitched and set a school record with 109 strikeouts, compiled a 2.30 ERA with a 6-4 record and a pair of saves, surrendered 53 hits and 26 earned runs. He helped Mt. Vernon to a 20-12 overall record. In the post-season, the Rams captured regional and sectional championships while earning a state tournament bid where they lost to the eventual state champs. Flood collected South Seven All-Conference honors as well as All-South accolades, was voted the team's pitcher of the year, earned all-conference and all-south recognition following his junior season after compiling a 4-1 record and leading the team in strikeouts and appearances, helped the Rams to a conference and regional championship as a freshman, was an Illinois State Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, earned the Presidential Award of Educational Excellence, also played football and basketball in high school. |
