Lorenzo Morello looks forward to one more reunion with lifelong friend and teammate Alex Gattinelli. The two will reunite at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC next Fall as teammates -- something they experienced as a duo throughout their youth.
Most recently, the duo were teammates on the Roadrunners' 2019 Region XIX and NJCAA National runnerup squad, with both earning NJCAA All-American honors. Previously they played together at Washington Township High School as well as on various travel clubs. Gattinelli, a junior at Coastal Carolina, was a standout catcher for Coach Rob Valli's 2019 team that thrashed sister school Cumberland for the regional crown but was upset, ironically, by the Dukes in the National Championship finals.
"It will be great to be teammates with Alex again," said Morello, a sophomore slugger who committed to Coastal Carolina just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in March. "We've had a lot of success and good times together."
Morello's addition to the roster gives the Chanticleers additional power in a potent lineup. He was discovered by CCU scouts when they came to watch Gattinelli play during a Roadrunners' trip to North Carolina in early Spring 2019.
"They happened to watch me simultaneously and they found out that Alex and I were high school teammates," Morello said. "Everything picked up from there."
He credits RCSJ Coach Rob Valli for giving his career a boost. "Coach Valli has changed my life in a positive way -- baseball and life. I feel I have a better mentality on and off field thanks to Coach. He is the best at what he does, and it's because he cares about his players and goes out of his way to help us."
Lorenzo feels he has handled the COVID-19 pandemic well, although it is an experience he hopes never to experience again. "Like anyone else I can only work out in my back yard and with free weights at home," said. "It's hard. We can't play, we can't celebrate our achievements, and we can't look forward to a game tomorrow."
He hopes to regain his stride at Coastal Carolina following a 2020 campaign lost to the pandemic.
"i'd like to go to Coastal and help them bring another championship back to Conway," Lorenzo commented.
"I have always had a goal of getting drafted one day. I believe that the player development Coach Valli and the staff at Coastal provide me with will help me reach that goal one day."
See below for a recap of Lorenzo's career.
Lorenzo Morello Career Highlights
Name: Lorenzo Morello
High School: Washington Township, 2018
Scholastic Highlights: Played outfield and pitched for Minutemen in three-year career. Most memorable moment was playing on Olympic-Colonial team that captured the Carpenter Cup at Citizens Bank Park in 2018. Turned down chance to play baseball at Stockton University to play at Rowan College.
RCSJ Highlights:
Major/future plans: Health and physical education major who will move on to Coastal Carolina University, where he will join former high school and college teammate Alex Gattinelli on the roster.
Most Memorable Moments at Rowan College: Winning the Region XIX title over Cumberland and playing in the NJCAA National Championship Tournament. "We obviously wanted to win a national championship, but winning the region was a lot of fun," said Morello. "We would have traded it only for a national title."