The successful 2023 season enjoyed by the Roadrunner Baseball team -- culminating in a national championship -- exceeded all expectations and has boosted players, coaches and an entire program alike in many positive ways.

In a long and storied history of national success, the Roadrunner Baseball program added another crown jewel to its resume this spring -- an 8th overall NJCAA championship!

Overall Impact on Program

Coach Rob Valli's Roadrunners finished a spectacular 2023 season by defeating Dallas College-Eastfield, 15-7, at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, TN on June 1 to win the NJCAA Division III National Championship, the 8th title in program history and the first since 2013. The win capped off an amazing campaign in which RCSJ compiled a glittering 53-5 overall record.

Valli, who completed his 15th season at RCSJ-Gloucester, has a 582-131-2 record at GCC/RCGC. He was aformer head coach at Temple University and has nearly 700 career wins as a college coach to his credit. He has also served 9 years as a Major League Baseball scout.

"Winning the national championship continues to validate the strength of our program," said Valli, who also guided Gloucester County College to a national title in 2005. "We've established a consistent brand where players can come to us and know they will develop and be better players when they leave. Our players are consistently offered scholarships too when they leave here."

Impact on Players

Several players say this past season has had a major impact on their lives and their collegiate careers.

Leadoff hitter Scotty Young, a freshman who came to the program from Mission Viejo, CA and who will move on to Rutgers University next season, said there was no way you could beat the Roadrunner culture.

"We worked hard for 9 months build a family that no one can beat -- we pushed each other so no one could slack off," said Young. "It was great going to battle with these guys! Now we're the best in the country!

Quite often, great high school players are recruited to play for Roadrunner Baseball thanks to the program's reputation. Such was the case with slugger Aaron Graeber, a two-time Region 19 Tournament MVP and recent NJCAA Division III World Series MVP. Graeber, a strong candidate for All-American honors, enjoyed a breakout 2023 campaigm, finishing second in the nation in home runs (18) and RBIs (102). He proved to be the one player a team could count on to produce in clutch situations. He will move on to the University of Delaware next season.

"Aaron (Graeber) is a great college player and one of the greatest we've ever had here at Rowan Gloucester, which is saying something," commented Valli.

For some players, coming to RCSJ Gloucester was simply a chance to receive some solid coaching advice that helped change their careers.

Rocko Brzezniak, a former St. John Vianney star from Matawan, NJ, made a major change to his batting style early in the season with some help from Valli. During a home game vs. Camden County in early March, the coaching staff had him switch from a "no stride" swing to a leg kick. Immediately, he ripped a home run to help topple the Cougars -- and he continued on a tear right through the college World Series.

"My season changed completely," he commented. "I was seeing the ball better and getting the barrel on the ball more often."

Sophomore infielder Cole Fowler, one of the team's top power hitters, commented that coaches Valli, Greg Chew, and Austin Darrow had a major impact on hi style of play.

"The coaches were fabulous and they made me a much better hitter," said Fowler, a former Clearview Regional High School standout. "After this season, I definitely want to continue playing baseball at a four-year school."

For all the players, winning at a national level is something they will always remember.

""It's crazy that we played almost 60 games and lost only five times," said sophomore pitcher Devin Sweeney, who moves on to Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL next season. "Our pitchers were challenged at times, but we knew we would always pick it up against anybody."

By The Numbers

So let's review the numbers one more time from this dream season:

Overall record: 53-5
Championships won: NJCAA Division III national title; North Atlantic District and Region 19 crowns; Garden State Athletic Conference championship.
Individual Honors:
Coach Rob Valli, NJCAA World Series Tournament Coach of the Year; North Atlantic District / Region 19 Coach of the Year; GSAC Coach of the Year.
Aaron Graeber: North Atlantic District Tournament MVP; NJCAA Division III World Series MVP; GSAC Player of the Year.
Jimmy Bruno: NJCAA Division III World Series Defensive Standout

"Our lineup was deep from top to bottom," said Valli. "When it counted, our hitters were relentless. The combination of Scotty Young, Aaron Graeber, Rocko Brzezniak and Felix Diaz allowed us to stay ahead in just about any game. And our pitching was consistent and stable throughout the season."