Tom Santore, better known as Tom "Murph" Santore, made a name for himself in Youngstown State athletics between 1961-65. Playing four years of baseball for the Penguins, Santore still ranks in the top five in several statistical categories.
A graduate of East High School in Youngstown, Ohio, Santore started for four years on Dom Rosselli's baseball team.
During his freshman year in 1961, Santore helped guide the Penguins to a 7-5 record. In 1964, Santore, who hit.389 as a junior, led Youngstown to a 19-1 mark as the Penguins qualified for the Division III Tournament. Youngstown's .864 winning percentage that year still stands as the best single-season winning percentage in school history.
During the 1965 season, Santore led the Penguins to a record of 16-6, including Rosselli's 100th career win, and again qualified for the Division III tournament. His team-leading .426 average in 1965 is the third-highest single-season batting average in school history, while his .706 slugging percentage also ranks third on the all-time single-season list.
Santore, who was elected team captain as a senior, is ranked third on the career batting average chart with a .348 career average. He also owns the school record for most runs scored in a game with four.
During Santore's four years in a Penguin uniform, Rosselli's squad compiled a record of 47-24. Santore credits Rossell as being the most influential person from his athletic career at Youngstown.
Santore received his Bachelor's of Arts degree in business and is currently a sales representative for R. L. Lipton Distributing Company in Youngstown, OH. He and his wife, Gina, have three children: Todd, a sophomore on the YSU baseball team, Frank, a senior at Boardman High School, and Leah, a sophomore at Boardman High School.
Though his baseball years are behind him, Santore still credits Youngstown State athletics for many of his successes in life.
