Jim Henry

Democrat sports editor

It’s a story of remarkable perseverance.

From college walk-on to major league baseball player.

Former Florida State All-American shortstop Stephen Cardullo, a 24th-round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010 who played just two seasons of affiliated baseball and was signed by the Colorado Rockies earlier this year, has been promoted to the big leagues.

“It is absolutely unbelievable, an incredible story,” FSU assistant coach Mike Martin Jr. said Friday morning. “Man oh man oh man, what a great story. That is special, that is what it’s all about.”

The Rockies are at the Washington Nationals tonight.

Cardullo, 28, who had 81 at-bats in two Rookie Ball seasons (2010-11), was batting .308 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs at Triple-A Albuquerque (Colorado Rockies).

Cardullo had been playing independent baseball from 2012 through 2015, which included time in Canada.

He is listed as an outfielder on the Isotopes’ roster, but has also played first base.

Cardullo, from Coral Springs, walked on at FSU in 2007.

He played multiple positions before being moved to shortstop, where in 2009 he became just the the second shortstop in school history to earn first team All-America accolades joining Dick Howser (1957 & 1958).

Cardullo hit .376 in 62 games with 20 doubles, 10 home runs and 51 RBI in his first year as an everyday starter that season.

Cardullo Timeline