Roadrunner Baseball will open its Spring 2023 season Saturday, Feb. 18, at Division II Southern Maryland College -- and it is no surprise that Coach Rob Valli and his squad enter the campaign with the highest of expectations.
Following a 2022 season in which the Runners earned a North Atlantic District / Region 19 championship and a spot in the NJCAA Division 3 National Championship Tournament, the Runners look very much like national contenders again. Valli, with a large contingent of sophomores, has reloaded the roster with a solid recruiting class of freshmen and transfer prospects.
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Valli -- who has 529 career wins as a Roadrunner coach in 13 seasons and 641 career wins – will feature plenty of depth and experience throughout the lineup as his squad eyes a return to the D-III National Championship Tournament. The team, which enters the 2023 season No. 3 nationally in the NJCAA Division 3 National Rankings, will face a tough challenge in their opener against Southern Maryland College Saturday afternoon.
See season preview below.
2023 Season Preview
Head Coach: Rob Valli; 14th season at RCSJ-Gloucester; 529-126-2 record at GCC/RCGC; former head coach at Temple University; career record of 641-338-2.
Assistant Coaches: Greg Chew (pitching coach), Austin Darrow (assistant coach), Jon Gonzalez (Assistant Coach).
Last Season 44-9 overall, 26-2 conference, North Atlantic District Champions, qualifier for NJCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
2023 Outlook: Preseason No. 3 in NJCAA Division III National Rankings; District and GSAC preseason favorites.
Opener: Saturday, February 18, at Southern Maryland College, game time at 12 noon.
Home Opener: Middlesex College, March 3, start time at 2 pm.
Returnees to Lineup: Felix Diaz, So., 3B, Immaculata High; Jimmy Bruno, So., SS, Paul VI; Aaron Graeber, Fr., OF, West Deptford; Chris Biolsi, So., OF, Edison; Greg Cristino, Fr., 1B, Haddonfield; Adam Aquillino, Fr., 2B, Highland Regional; A.J. Tropiano, Fr., OF, Paul VI; Sean Brown, Fr., SS, Montclair;
New Additions to Lineup: Justin Kilyk, Fr., C, Raritan/Wagner College; Wyatt Hoffman, Fr., C, Eastern; Andrew Marx, Fr., C, Kingsway; Rocko Brzezniak, Fr., 3B, St. John Vianney; Cole Fowler, So., Inf., Clearview/Goldy Beacom; Edwin Hernandez, Fr., SS, Olney; Colin Hughes, Fr., OF, Camden Catholic/Neumann University; Andrew Woodward, So., 2B, Holmdell Juan Peralta, Fr., SS, Clifton; Scotty Young, So., OF, Mission Viejo, CA.
Returning Pitchers: Ethan Shaub, Fr., LHP, Haddon Twp.; Jason Kinnerman, So., RHP, Paul VI; Devin Sweeney, Fr., LHP, Pennsbury High/Univ. of Delaware; Ryan Widmeier, Fr., RHP, Cherry Hill West/FDU-Teaneck; Kevin Opanel, Fr., RHP, Neumann-Goretti; Steven Maiers, Fr., RHP, Kingsway; Patrick Taney, Fr., LHP, Cherry Hill West; Thomas Goldberg, Fr., LHP, Kingsway.
New Pitchers: Ethan Dodd, FR., RHP, Egg Harbor Twp./Rutgers; Ricky Glascock, So., Southern Regional/Rutgers-Camden; Lucas Hampel, Fr., Kingsway; Tim Hartman, Fr., RHP, Rancocas Valley; Danny Kerr, FR., RHP, Bishop Eustace/Rutgers.
Season Outlook: The Runners begin the season No. 3 in the NJCAA D-III preseason rankings. Valli's team is expected to emerge as the favorite to win the Garden State Athletic Conference crown and a top contender in both District and National Tournament competition.
As always, Coach Rob Valli's roster will feature a solid balance in pitching and hitting throughout the lineup. On the mound, Ethan Shaub will again be among the best in Region 19 once again and has a solid supporting cast. Graeber is coming off a solid 2022 campaign in which he slugged 9 home runs and collected in 54 RBIs, and he should again lead a potent and dangerous lineup.
The Runners also will face some of the top competition in the nation in both Region 19 and in non-region games. They will be tournament tested prior ro beginning post-season competition.