11-07-2025
Always learning, Mundelein's Daniel Pacella seeks new challenge in the SEC. Or, after MLB draft, in the pros.
There's plenty of baseball ahead for Daniel Pacella, but where the Mundelein graduate plays it is very much up in the air.
In the wake of his third straight standout season at Illinois State, Pacella has transferred to national power Mississippi.
But there may be another option on the horizon. The MLB draft will be held Sunday and Monday, and the 6-foot-4, 235-pound outfielder has had at least informal conversations with nearly every team.
'I honestly haven't thought about the draft much,' Pacella said from Oxford, Mississippi, where he has been working out for the past three weeks. 'The round projections are pretty loose. You get a call and then analyze what they're willing to give you.'
Unpredictability isn't the only reason the draft doesn't weigh on Pacella's mind. He's genuinely excited about playing for Mississippi, which won the Men's College World Series in 2022.
'Securing a spot at a school where I feel I can make an impact was very important,' he said. 'Right now, I'm taking care of business here, getting comfortable with the school, my teammates and the facility. I know I'll have two really good avenues to choose from, which is awesome.'
Pacella is in this position largely because he can really hit. That was evident when he was promoted to Mundelein's varsity team for the stretch run of his freshman season in 2019, and he became a key contributor for the 2022 Class 4A state runner-up.
'One thing you could always see was that he enjoyed the conversations about hitting a baseball,' Mundelein coach Randy Lerner said. 'He always had a good feel for how he felt when pitchers were beating him and potentially how to adapt. He was always willing to ask questions and responded well to feedback. He never felt that he was too good to do that.'
Pacella's success has continued at Illinois State. In 2023, he tied the program record for home runs by a freshman with 16 and broke the freshman record for RBIs with 56. He was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team in each of the past two seasons and leaves Illinois State ranking second in both career home runs with 45 and career RBIs with 169.
Pacella capped his Redbirds career by hitting .355 with 20 home runs and 59 RBIs as a junior.
But every baseball season has pitfalls. Pacella has had to maneuver through some of those in college, beginning with the first two weekends of intrasquad scrimmages during his freshman year. He went 0-for-13 with 11 strikeouts.
'I called him into my office and told him he'd have to be willing to make some adjustments,' Illinois State head coach Steve Holm said. 'He's an extremely talented young man, and he came in pretty highly regarded. But there's also a mental side to baseball, and him being receptive to making some changes helped unlock his skills.'
Pacella looks back on that meeting as a crucial moment in his career.
'I remember feeling like whatever we needed to do to get me back on track, I'd be willing to do,' he said. ''Tinkering' would be a good word to use. We simplified a lot of things in my swing. We took out my leg kick, widened my base and got my hands to the ball faster.
'Coming out of high school, you can easily be overwhelmed by velocity and spin, and that really made a big impact on my career.'
Pacella performed well enough that season that agents began reaching out. He picked Chicago-based Mark Pieper, whose client list includes Justin Verlander and Paul Skenes.
'That was the first time I felt like playing pro ball was doable,' Pacella said. 'I didn't want to be my agent's No. 1 focus so I'm not the main guy they're making money off of. I can play my game, and he'll support me.'
Pacella's well-earned reputation as a middle-of-the-lineup slugger created another obstacle this season. Pitchers chose not to throw him many strikes.
'It was about the middle of the season, and I was chasing a lot and getting myself out,' he said. 'I was feeding on the food they were giving me. I talked to coach, and that helped add a level of plate discipline I never had.'
Learning that lesson will only help Pacella later, whether he's a senior in the SEC or a minor leaguer. But as he continues to refine his approach, certain principles aren't likely to change.
'I've never been one to hold the bat on my shoulder,' he said. 'My whole approach at the plate has always revolved around doing damage.'
