Following a brilliant 2019 season in which they finished as NJCAA Division III national runnerup, coach Rob Valli and the Roadrunner baseball team are ready for even more success.
As they look ahead to the 2020 spring campaign, the Runners look very much like National Championship contenders. Valli, with 23 seasoned sophomores on his roster, has also reloaded with a solid recruiting class of freshmen pitching and hitting prospects, all of whom displayed their talents during the recently completed Fall 2019 season.
While most programs might experience a letdown following a national runnerup season and an impressive 42-11 overall record, Valli -- who has 443 career wins as a Roadrunner coach in 10 seasons -- and his staff refuse to be complacent.
"We are confident in our roster of players," said Valli. "We believe there is a good balance of hitting, pitching, and the ability to play defense. Athleticism is a strength and it gives us the option of moving players around the field in order to play the best lineup. It should be another exciting season. We will miss 11 scholarship and 2 professional draft picks from last year's team, but this group has the potential to be as good or better."
The recently completed Roadrunner Fall 2019 season and the Blue-Gold World Series held on campus showcased plenty of talent on the Roadrunners' roster. Valli's team played a 20-game schedule primarily against top regional NCAA Division I programs from the Big 10, Big East and Colonial Conferences, while also adding in a game against DIII power Rowan University.
"It's an ambitious schedule, but a great opportunity for our players to develop," said Valli. "The schedule is designed to be baptism by fire as a way to acclimate our freshmen to the fast pace of a college game."
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Valli's players also recently completed a week of The Blue-Gold World Series, an inter-squad competition held on the Roadrunner baseball complex in which team members were split into Blue and Gold teams. They focused on honing skills such as bunting, situational hitting, throwing, speed and base running, while pitchers took part in a home run derby -- among many activities.
Sophomore star right-hand pitcher Jack Billings enjoyed the competition as did his teammates.
"Unfortunately my manager skills were not good enough to win -- but it was still fun to hang out with the guys and work on our skills," said a smiling Billings, a former St. Augustine Prep star who hopes to continue his career at the next level once he graduates RCSJ Gloucester."
Other top returnees among the sophomores include pitcher Joe Marino, infielders Jose Correa and Dauri Genao, along with outfielder Lorenzo Morello. And with a talented cast of freshmen, the Fall 2019 season proved a perfect time to work on mechanics.
"This definitely builds both our team chemistry and our mechanics," Billings said. "Sometimes you don't know all the players, especially the freshmen and transfers. But this brings everyone together and helps a lot."
For now, Billings and his teammates are counting down the days and months until the start of the spring season in March 2020. And barring major injuries and unforseen circumstances, the Runners should once again be primed to make a solid run to qualify for the NJCAA Division III National Championship tournament.