STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Catcher Patrick Cantwell will never forget the 2012 Stony Brook baseball team's trip to the College World Series.

"That's a special run that nobody will ever be able to take away from me and everyone on that team," he said. "It was just lightning in a bottle that year, where our team came together. It was truly amazing."

Cantwell since has moved on to professional baseball, but he has stayed close to his roots.

As he gears up for big-league camp with the Toronto Blue Jays after re-signing in late December, the 29-year-old Cantwell stopped by his alma mater to work out at Stony Brook's indoor hitting facility.

"It's always fun to see the new faces that the coaches have recruited," said Cantwell, a West Islip native. "For me, it's a privilege. I'm so close. This is amazing to me. We didn't have this when I was here. It's nice to come back and see how the program has grown."

Cantwell was limited to 22 games and 69 at-bats at Triple-A Buffalo in 2019 due to a concussion. He nonetheless threw out a healthy seven of 22 would-be base stealers.

"I've been battling those a little bit," Cantwell said about concussions. "But that comes with the territory of being a catcher. It's just one of those things you have to overcome and keep moving forward."

Despite his prolonged absence during the season, Cantwell was named the co-recipient of the International League club's community service award.

A third-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2012, Cantwell was a two-time All-America East first-team catcher after seeing action in the outfield earlier in his collegiate career.

He threw out an eyepopping 60 of 90 base stealers during his tenure with the Seawolves.

One of his memorable moments came in the College World Series opener against UCLA in 2012. His 369-foot solo homer against right-hander Adam Plutko accounted for Stony Brook's lone run in that defeat. Plutko has gone on to make 40 appearances (32 starts) with the Cleveland Indians over the past four seasons.

"I didn't hit many home runs. I still don't," Cantwell said with a laugh. "But I was fortunate enough to do it in our first game of the College World Series. It was a pretty special moment for me and my family. I got lucky on a good pitch and I managed to hit it out."