Today we highlight sophomore catcher Alex Gattinelli, who has emerged as one of the NJCAA's top sluggers in Division III competition the past two seasons. Alex is enjoying another outstanding campaign as catcher and designated hitter. See his profile below.
Player: Alex Gattinelli
Sport: Baseball
Year: Sophomore
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 190
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Washington Township, NJ
High School: Washington Township
Position: Catcher; also sees action as designated hitter, and has played right field.
Current Stats: In 22 games played, Gattinelli is once again one of the NJCAA Division III's premier hitters. This spring he has a .410 batting average with three home runs and 26 RBIs. He has also scored 22 runs and has 3 stolen bases.
As a freshman in 2018, he was one of the nation's top sluggers, slamming 14 home runs and knocking in 53 runs to complement a .408 batting average in 44 games. Had he not missed 15 games due to injury, coach Rob Valli believes Gattinelli would have reached 20+ home runs in the 2018 campaign. He helped the Runners, 50-9 in 2018, qualify for the Division III National Championship Tournament in Greenville, TN.
Major: Criminal Justice; has 3.2+ GPA and was honored for academic performance on National Student Athlete Day this month.
Future College and Career Ambitions: Alex and teammate Nick Yoder have signed letters of intent to play at Coastal Carolina next year. Upon graduation, Alex hopes to enjoy a career in the State Police.
Hobbies: Likes to hang around his many good friends.
Favorite Pro Teams: All Philly professional sports teams.
Coach Rob Valli on Alex Gattinelli: "Alex has shown steady improvement as a block/receive catcher," said Valli. "He is an aggressive hitter with a good swing, with low strikeouts. He will perform well at the highest levels of DI college baseball."