27 minute read
All-Americans
29 PLAYERS • 55 HONORS
(Listed in alphabetical order)
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Doug Alongi 1993 ............................................. ABCA Third Team Pat Biserta 2010 ............................................. ABCA Third Team Bobby Brownlie 2000 ............................ Louisville Slugger Freshman 2000 .................... Collegiate Baseball Second Team 2000 ............................ Baseball America Freshman Mike Carter 2014 ............................ Louisville Slugger Freshman Jake Daubert 1998 ............................ Louisville Slugger Freshman Darren Fenster 1999 ............................. Rawlings/ABCA Third Team 2000 ..............................Rawlings/ABCA First Team 2000 ................................ Sporting News First Team 2000 .................... Collegiate Baseball Second Team 2000 .......................Baseball America Second Team 2000 ........................ Baseball Weekly Second Team 2000 ...........................................NCBWA First Team Jeff Frazier 2002 ...........Baseball America Freshman First Team 2004 .................... Collegiate Baseball Second Team 2004 ..................................USA Today Second Team 2004 ............................................. ABCA Third Team Todd Frazier 2005 ...........Baseball America Freshman First Team 2005 ............................ Louisville Slugger Freshman 2007 ............................Baseball America First Team 2007 ......................... Collegiate Baseball First Team 2007 ...........................................NCBWA First Team 2007 ...................................... Rivals.com First Team 2007 .........Baseball America Preseason Third Team 2007 ........................ NCBWA Preseason Third Team 2007 ...... Collegiate Baseball Preseason Third Team Glen Gardner 1986 ..................ABCA/Baseball America Freshman 1987 ........................Collegiate Baseball Third Team Tyler Gebler 2010 ..........................Collegiate Baseball Freshman Pete Hall 1961 ........................................AACBC Second Team 1962 ........................................AACBC Second Team Mike Higgins 1993 ............................................. ABCA Third Team Patrick Kivlehan 2012 .......................... Baseball America Third Team Jim Kohl 1990 ............................................. ABCA Third Team Ryan Lasko 2021 ..........................Collegiate Baseball Freshman Joe Lynch 1986 ............................................. ABCA Third Team Scott Madison 1996 ............................................. ABCA Third Team Jaren Matthews 2008 ...... Baseball America Freshman Second Team 2008 ..........................Collegiate Baseball Freshman Billy McCarthy 2001 ...................................... NCBWA Second Team 2001 .................... Collegiate Baseball Second Team 2001 ............................................. ABCA Third Team James Monahan 1952 ............................................ AACBC First Team Adam Neubart 1996 ............................................Mizuno Freshman Steve Nyisztor 2010 ..........................Collegiate Baseball Freshman Mike O’Brien 1997 ............................ Louisville Slugger Freshman Harding Peterson 1950 ............................................ AACBC First Team Walter Porter 1953 ...........................................AACBC Third Team Gaby Rosa 2014 ............................ Louisville Slugger Freshman Jeff Torborg 1963 ............................................ AACBC First Team Ray Van Cleef 1951 ............................................ AACBC First Team Pete Zoccolillo 1998 ......................................... NCBWA Third Team 1999 ......................................... NCBWA Third Team 1999 .......................... Rawlings/ABCA Second Team
DOUG ALONGI
1993 ABCA Third Team
Alongi was one of two All-Americans on the 1993 squad, which was one of Rutgers’ finest. He helped lead RU to a school record in wins (38) at the time while finishing with a .371 batting average, nine home runs, 39 stolen bases and 143 total bases. He set RU single-season records at the time with his stolen bases (39) and total bases (143). His nine homers placed him 10th on the all-time single-season list that year. Alongi also recorded 18 doubles and six triples, ranking him fourth and second on those single-season lists, respectively, when he achieved the feats. Alongi made just one error in right field and led all RU outfielders with 14 assists. Alongi also claimed Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors as well as ECAC and NJCBA recognition. He was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Fame in 2018.
PAT BISERTA
2010 ABCA Third Team
Biserta, a First Team All-Big East selection, hit .368 with 17 doubles and 18 home runs during his junior season in 2010. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 24th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and signed with the club over the summer. The outfielder ranked fourth in the Big East in slugging percentage (.688), fifth in home runs and total bases (161). Biserta tied for sixth on the school’s career home runs list with 25 in his first three seasons “On the Banks.” His 86 hits tied for ninth on the Rutgers single-season hits chart. Biserta’s 161 total bases were second-best in a season in school history, while his .688 slugging percentage was fifth-best. He was named the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association (NJCBA) Division I Player of the Year in 2010. The Scarlet Knight opened the season splitting time as RU’s designated hitter and left fielder and took over the reins full time in left field early in the 2010 campaign. He started all 56 games for RU with three outfield assists as a junior. Biserta was honored as the Pro-Line Athletic National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) as a junior after hitting .550 (11-for-20) with three home runs, three doubles and a triple to drive in 13 runs and score nine in four victories in a week’s span. He owned a .337 career batting average (160-for-475) with 37 doubles, three triples and 25 home runs in his three seasons as a Scarlet Knight. He drove in 99 career runs and scored 89 in three seasons.
BOBBY BROWNLIE
One of college baseball’s biggest surprises in 2000, Bobby Brownlie arrived on the scene and emerged as one of the top young players in the nation. In 2000, Brownlie posted a 10-1 record, including a perfect 7-0 mark in the Big East. He fired eight complete games and posted an ERA of just 2.55, fourth-best among all freshmen in the country. He was on the mound when Rutgers clinched the 2000 Big East Regular Season Championship, outdueling Notre Dame’s Aaron Heilman for the crown. He then collected two wins in the Big East Tournament, including a 1-0, complete-game shutout of Seton Hall in the title contest. He closed his season with a 4-3 win over Army in the opening round of the NCAA Championship, running his win streak to 10 games and tying the single-season win mark at Rutgers. His 89 strikeouts established a new school record, and he allowed just a .247 opponent batting average.
MIKE CARTER
2014 Louisville Slugger Freshman
Mike Carter was a third-team all-conference selection and started 52 games in centerfield for the Scarlet Knights as a rookie. He helped pace the Scarlet Knights’ offensive efforts with a team-leading 67 hits, the fourth most by a Rutgers freshman since 2000. Carter batted .318 from the leadoff spot, including .355 in league games, making him a vital piece on offense. Carter played tremendously in centerfield, making only one error in 152 chances. He was named to the 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team at the end of the season. Carter was also named the Division I Rookie of the Year by the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association.
JAKE DAUBERT
1998 Louisville Slugger Freshman
Jake Daubert enjoyed a fine offensive season in 1998, batting .368 in his inaugural college season. In addition, he set or tied eight Rutgers records, the most impressive being the single-season RBI mark, which he eclipsed by knocking in 64 runs. Daubert was named Rutgers’ first Big East Rookie of the Year and, at the end of the season, was named to the Louisville Slugger/TPX Freshman All-America squad.
DARREN FENSTER
1999 Rawlings/ABCA Third Team 2000 NCBWA First Team 2000 Sporting News First Team 2000 Rawlings/ABCA first Team 2000 Baseball America Second Team 2000 Collegiate Baseball Second Team 2000 Baseball Weekly Second Team
Going on to become a manager in the Boston Red Sox organization, Fenster also served as an assistant coach with Rutgers. He was a two-time All-American, becoming the first RU player to achieve First Team honors in 2000 since Jeff Torborg in 1963. Fenster led Rutgers in hitting for the second-straight season in 2000, posting a .433 average, which included a new school-record 101 hits in a season. Along the way, Fenster also set the school mark for career hits with 315, becoming the first RU player to reach the 300-hit mark. In addition to his 101 hits and .433 average, Fenster scored 59 runs, drove in 55, collected 23 doubles and hit a career-high four home runs. He also led the team with 182 assists at shortstop, committing just 10 errors. In 1999, Fenster, known initially for his defensive work at shortstop, enjoyed a breakthrough offensive season, leading the team in batting with a .424 average, including a .505 mark in conference action. Batting in the second spot in the order, Fenster provided stability to the Rutgers offense, which ended the season ranked seventh in the nation in team batting average. Fenster’s .424 mark was the sixth-best single-season mark in Rutgers history at the time and his .505 Big East average was the best in 12 seasons. A model of consistency, Fenster hit safely in 50 of 56 starts, collecting 37 multiple hit games. He also continued to play flawlessly in the field, stabilizing the defense from his shortstop position for the third year in a row.
JEFF FRAZIER
2002 Baseball America Freshman 2004 Collegiate Baseball Second Team 2004 USA Today Second Team 2004 ABCA Third Team
The 2001 Star-Ledger High School Player of the Year, Frazier’s adjustment to the college game came quickly. He was the first true freshman since Darren Fenster in 1997 to start the season opener and proceeded to start all 57 games in left field for the Scarlet Knights. After an 0-for-3 effort in the season opener, Frazier was 7-for-14 over his next three games and was hitting as high as .424 through the first 17 games of the season. After dipping to a season-low .353 on April 14, Frazier went on a seven-game tear from April 17 through April 26, raising his average to .392. He was 15-for-24 (.625) with seven home runs, 14 runs scored and 22 RBIs during that span. In 2004, he hit a team-best .382 overall and .365 in Big East play. He was among the league leaders in several offensive categories, including average (2nd), home runs (13, 2nd) and RBIs (59, 3rd). He also led the league in hits with 79 and finished tied for third in doubles (16). Frazier was also third in slugging percentage (.657). He led the Scarlet Knights in batting average, at bats (207), runs (59), doubles, total bases (136), slugging percentage, hits, sacrifice flies (4), RBIs and home runs, tying the single-season record he set in 2002. He finished his career ranked first in school history with 34 home runs.
TODD FRAZIER
2005 Baseball America Freshman 2005 Louisville Slugger Freshman 2007 NCBWA Preseason Third Team
2007 Baseball America Preseason Third Team 2007 Collegiate Baseball Preseason Third Team 2007 Baseball America First Team 2007 NCBWA First Team 2007 Collegiate Baseball First Team 2007 Rivals First Team
Frazier, the younger brother of Rutgers All-American Jeff Frazier, was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 34th overall pick in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft in 2007. He was named a consensus First Team All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball Writers and Rivals.com. Frazier was also the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America District II Player of the Year. Frazier, a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award, was one of nine District Players of the Year from around the nation. The shortstop painted himself throughout the Rutgers record book, finishing in the top-six in every single-season offensive category as a junior in 2007, excluding triples. Frazier broke the Rutgers single-season record for home runs (22), home runs by a leadoff hitter (22), runs scored (87), walks (62), doubles (24) and total bases (187) in 2007. He also finished second in slugging percentage (.757), second in at-bats (247), tied for third in runs batted in (65), fifth in hits (93) and tied for sixth in stolen bases (25). Frazier also placed himself on several Rutgers career record charts in just three seasons. He finished as the Scarlet Knights’ all-time leader in home runs (42) and runs scored (210), second in walks (138) and total bases (434), third in hits (241), slugging percentage (.625) and stolen bases (65), and fifth in runs batted in (152). Frazier, who played with the USA Baseball National Team in the summer of 2006 and starred on the Toms River East American Team that won the 1998 Little League World Series title, was named the unanimous Big East Player of the Year in 2007. He finished the season ranked among the Big East leaders in virtually every offensive category and was fourth in the nation in home runs (22), fourth in runs per game (1.38), eighth in walks per game (0.98) and 11th in home runs per game (0.35). Frazier was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
GLEN GARDNER
Gardner was one of the most outstanding players in Rutgers history and one of a select group of Scarlet Knights to be chosen as two-time All-Americans. A 1986 Baseball America Freshman All-American, Gardner was second on the team in hitting that year with a .398 batting average while leading RU in hits (70), RBIs (45), home runs (6), total bases (102), slugging percentage (.580) and on-base percentage (.470). In 1987, Gardner followed his impressive debut by collecting Collegiate Baseball All-America honors. Gardner led the team in hitting at .368 despite missing 13 games with a hand injury. He finished second on the team in homers (8) and RBIs (45) and was named to the NCAA East Region First Team. Gardner also achieved All-Atlantic 10 honors for the second time.
TYLER GEBLER
2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman
Gebler broke the Rutgers single-season school record for saves with 12 in his first season “On the Banks.” He left second on the school’s career saves chart with 16. The closer posted a 1.74 earned run average and struck out 18 in 36.0 innings spanning a team-high 28 appearances. Gebler’s ERA in league contests was 1.80. The freshman did not surrender an earned run in 23 of his 28 appearances, including shutout performances in his first five appearances that included scoreless innings against No. 4 Georgia Tech and No. 12 Miami. The freshman also posted shutout performances in his final six appearances of the season. Gebler appeared at least once in every series in his rookie season. He posted his first collegiate save to seal RU’s first win of the season against Purdue. Against FAU, he came in with a 2-0 lead and the bases loaded in the eighth and induced a fly out to get out of the jam and then retired the side in order in the ninth to earn the save and help snap a 12-game losing streak to FAU. In an 8-7 win at Georgetown, he came in during the eighth inning and with the tying run on third with two outs and induced an inning-ending fly out and worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. In a 7-5 win at Georgetown, and came in midway through the eighth with the tying run at the plate and just one out and induced a ground ball to the shortstop with the bases loaded to get a fielder’s choice for the out and an inning-ending fly out to get out of the jam. He posted a scoreless ninth for the save. The freshman held Notre Dame hitless in 3.1 innings of shutout relief to help RU earn a come-frombehind win in the series finale. He picked up his 10th and 11th saves against eventual Big East Champion St. John’s in the final regular-season series and notched his 12th save against Connecticut to preserve a onerun lead in the Big East Championship.
PETE HALL
1961 AACBC Second Team 1962 AACBC Second Team
Hall is another Scarlet Knight to garner multiple All-America honors. In 1961, the third baseman from Bound Brook led the Scarlet Knights in hitting at .397, runs (21), hits (31), RBIs (30), doubles (6), home runs (4), and made just five errors while starting in every game.
MIKE HIGGINS
1993 ABCA Third Team
The Scarlet Knights’ catcher battled Doug Alongi in almost every offensive category while captaining Rutgers during the 1993 season. He was second in hitting with a .370 average, drove in 56 runs, then a school record, tied Alongi for team honors with nine homers and led the Scarlet Knights in doubles (20). His 39 walks and 20 doubles were both second on the all-time season record at that time.
PATRICK KIVLEHAN
2012 Baseball America Third Team
Winning the first league triple crown in Big East history (.402, 10, 36), Kivlehan had one memorable season for the Rutgers baseball team. He played on the football team for four seasons prior to walking-on in the spring and becoming the most feared hitter in the conference. Kivlehan became the third player from RU to earn Big East Player of the Year after hitting .392 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs in his first season playing the sport since high school. “Patrick winning Big East Player of the Year is just an amazing accomplishment as far as I’m concerned,” Fred Hill said. “Not having played baseball in four years and to do the things he did is a testament to his hard work. He was also a lifesaver for our team because one of our better players, Russ Hopkins, was injured the day before practice started and he picked up right where Russ left off. He’s got to be very proud of himself, the coaches certainly are proud of his accomplishment.” The third baseman took home four weekly league honors during the course of the season, including the Big East Player of the Week on March 26 after collecting seven hits and reaching base safely in 12-of-15 plate appearances against Seton Hall in the first conference series. During the season, Kivlehan recorded 24 multiple-hit games, including three contests with four knocks. He concluded the season having reached base safely in the last 27 games, adding 14 games with at least two RBIs, adding 24 steals. Kivlehan was drafted in the fourth round by the Seattle Mariners and made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres.
JIM KOHL
1990 ABCA Third Team
Relief ace extraordinaire, Jim Kohl was one of the keys to Rutgers’ run in the East Region, where it finished one game shy of the College World Series. Kohl finished with a perfect 8-0 record and three saves while appearing in 22 games and starting just two. Even more impressive may be his team low 1.85 ERA or the fact that he walked just eight batters in 39.0 innings. In the 1990 tournament, where Rutgers went 4-2, he recorded 8.2 innings of scoreless relief.
RYAN LASKO
2021 Collegiate Baseball Freshman
Also part of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Lasko led conference freshmen and ranked fifth overall following the regular season with 11 homers. He became the first Rutgers player to reach double digits in a season since Patrick Kivlehan in 2012 and the first RU freshman to crush 11 long balls since Jeff Frazier in 2002. That included two-homer performances in victories at Purdue and Northwestern. Lasko recorded 30 RBIs, 22 walks and 74 total bases for a .474 slugging percentage. He had 10 multiple-hit games and nine contests driving in multiple runs in becoming the first Scarlet Knight to earn All-America status in the Big Ten era. Defensively, Lasko paced Rutgers outfielders with 122 putouts, making 30 starts in center, eight in right and two in left.
JOE LYNCH
1986 ABCA Third Team
As a designated hitter, Lynch was third on the Scarlet Knights with a .364 average. He also smacked three home runs and drove in 30 runs. A captain in 1986, Lynch had 55 hits with 11 doubles and two triples. His .470 on-base percentage tied for team honors as well. Lynch also collected All-District II, Atlantic 10 and All-East honors following the season.
SCOTT MADISON
1996 ABCA Third Team
After missing all of 1995 due to elbow surgery, Madison returned to the mound and made an impact by beating some of America’s top teams on his way to an 8-3 record and a 2.33 ERA, which ranked 15th in the country. Madison earned First Team All-Big East honors and was the most dominant pitcher in the conference from the beginning of the season to the end. He finished 1996 with eight complete games and a school-record four shutouts, which now ranks second in the program record books. His 92.2 innings was the second-highest total in school history. Madison finished his career with a .772 (17-5) winning percentage, which ranked eighth all time when he graduated.
JAREN MATTHEWS
2008 Baseball America Second Team Freshman 2008 Collegiate Baseball Freshman
Jaren Matthews earned a pair of Freshman All-American honors in 2008. The rookie slugger, who was also named a Third Team All-Big East selection by the league’s coaches, was one of two Scarlet Knights to start all 53 games in 2008. The freshman finished the season with a team-best 10 home runs and 54 RBIs. He hit .294 overall with a team-best 63 hits, including 11 doubles and two triples. He also earned 21 walks and was successful in eight of his nine stolen base attempts. Matthews’ RBI total tied for seventh-most in the Big East, while his home run total was tied for ninthmost in the conference through the regular season. During regular season league play, the Scarlet Knight tied for the Big East lead with 30 RBIs. He tied for second in the league with seven home runs and ranked 11th with a .570 slugging percentage during conference action. Matthews was second on the team in hitting with a .328 batting average, with six home runs, 28 RBIs and 41 runs scored to earn All-Big East Third Team honors for the second-straight season as a sophomore in 2009. Matthews hit .305 with 17 doubles and seven home runs as a junior in 2010.
BILLY MCCARTHY
2001 NCBWA Second Team 2001 Collegiate Baseball Second Team 2001 ABCA Third Team
Billy McCarthy, from Washington Township, N.J., transferred to Rutgers in 2000 after two highly-successful seasons at Radford University. The move back home proved to be a beneficial decision for both RU and McCarthy. The junior right fielder batted a team-high .421 (20th best in the country) and added seven home runs, 21 doubles, 56 runs, 11 stolen bases and a team-high 65 RBIs while playing exceptional defense and providing an all-out hustling style of play. His .421 average led the Big East Conference. A First Team All-Big East pick, McCarthy earned All-Tournament honors after an outstanding showing in the NCAA Regional in Lincoln, Neb. At season’s end, he was selected in the sixth round by the Atlanta Braves (195th overall) and signed a contract to play professionally for several years before retiring after the 2007 season.
lege World Series team.
JAMES MONAHAN
1952 AACBC First Team
The Scarlet Knights’ left fielder led the team with a .400 batting average, 26 hits and 17 stolen bases. He was second on the team in home runs with two and RBIs with 18. Appearing in all 17 games, he made just three errors. He was also a member of the 1950 Col-
ADAM NEUBART
1996 Mizuno Freshman
The outfielder was named Mizuno Freshman All-America after leading Rutgers in eight offensive categories. The Livingston, N.J., native was the first freshman to lead the team in hitting since 1986. He appeared in 54 games with 51 starts and finished the season batting at .333. At the time, he broke Rutgers freshman records for the most runs scored (45) and doubles (15). Adept in the field, he recorded outfield assists from both right and left field. He had the only grand slam of the 1996 campaign, the difference maker in Rutgers’ 11-7 win over Providence. After the 1996 season, he was selected to try out for Team USA.
STEVE NYISZTOR
2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman
RU’s starting second baseman in 2010, Nyisztor appeared in all 56 games and started all but one contest. He led the Scarlet Knights with a .410 batting average, earning Second Team All-Big East honors in his rookie season. His 94 hits were tied for fourth-best on the Rutgers single-season hits chart. He drove in 51 runs and scored 52 from the No. 3 spot in the lineup. The freshman collected 24 extra-base hits, including 17 doubles, three triples and four home runs. He stole 11 bases on the year. The middle infielder was excellent defensively with just three errors in 278 chances. He helped turn 45 double plays. Nyisztor, who was also named the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Division I Rookie of the Year, led the Big East with a .434 batting average in league games. He ranked fourth overall in the league in hitting and first among freshmen at the conclusion of the regular season. The true freshman owned a 26-game hitting streak during the regular season and hit safely in 36 of his last 38 contests. He collected a season-high five hits twice in his rookie season at FIU (5-for-7) in March and in the Big East Tournament against Connecticut (5-for-6). The first-year Scarlet Knight recorded 27 multi-hit games and drove in three or more runs in a contest on seven different occasions.
MIKE O’BRIEN
1997 Louisville Slugger Freshman
A designated hitter/first baseman, Mike O’Brien was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team, as announced by Collegiate Baseball. O’Brien appeared in 38 games for the Scarlet Knights, starting 31. He batted .302 with 11 doubles, six home runs and 36 RBIs. His six home runs were the most by an RU freshman since Angel Echevarria hit nine in 1990. He hit a robust .348 against the Big East and was named to the Big East All-Rookie team.
HARDING PETERSON
1950 AACBC First-Team
Catcher Harding Peterson was the lone All-America choice from RU’s 1950 College World Series team. Known for his defensive ability, he made just two errors behind the dish in 27 games. He hit a respectable .276 while driving in 23 runs which tied for second on the team. His grandson, Sean Peterson, was a relief pitcher with the Scarlet Knights in 2009 and 2010.
WALLY PORTER
1953 AACBC Third Team
Catcher Wally Porter was selected to the All-East (NCAA District II) first team and chosen by the American Association of College Baseball Coaches on its All-America Third Team following his junior season. He was chosen primarily for his defensive capabilities. No bases were stolen against Porter in the 1953 season. At the end of the 1954 academic year, Porter received the Donald Leslie Coursen Award as the school’s most outstanding senior athlete.
GABY ROSA
2014 Louisville Slugger Freshman
Rosa stepped into the Scarlet Knights’ rotation in 2014 and proved to be one of the most productive pitchers on the staff. He appeared in 15 games while starting 11 and compiled a 6-3 record. The six wins were the most by a Rutgers freshman since 2006. Rosa posted a 2.91 earned run average and struck out 30 batters. Rosa led the American Athletic Conference in fly outs forced per game with 15.01. He was named to the 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team at the end of the season. Rosa was also named the American Athletic Conferences Co-Rookie of the Year at the conference tournament.
JEFF TORBORG
1963 AACBC First Team
A 1963 All-America choice, he set the school record for batting average (.537). His slugging percentage that year (1.032) is also a single-season standard. He led the 1963 Scarlet Knight team with 21 RBIs and six home runs. In his three-year career, Torborg batted .390 and set the career slugging percentage mark at .684. In his career, the Scarlet Knights were 40-13-1. Torborg went on to manage in the major leagues and is still found in the Rutgers record book today.
RAY VAN CLEEF
1951 AACBC First Team
Centerfielder Ray Van Cleef was chosen by the American Association of College Baseball Coaches following his senior season where he batted .378, scored 22 runs and smacked two triples - all team-highs. He made just one error in centerfield while playing in all 23 games. In 1950, Van Cleef paced the Scarlet Knights with a lofty .404 average, 44 hits, 15 extra-base hits, 35 runs and 18 stolen bases. He was a first-team District II choice and the MVP of National Baseball Tournament.
PETE ZOCCOLILLO
1998 NCBWA Third-Team 1999 NCBWA Third-Team 1999 Rawlings/ABCA Second Team
Zoccolillo, one of three players to earn All-America honors in consecutive seasons, was named to the 1998 NCBWA Third Team, 1999 NCBWA Third Team and Rawlings/ABCA Second Team during his final two seasons. In 1998, Zoccolillo was the team’s top offensive threat, slugging a club-record 12 home runs while knocking in 59 runs and batting .387. He followed up his outstanding 1998 season with a record-breaking 1999, setting 10 school records and two Big East marks while leading Rutgers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. He left the Rutgers baseball program as the all-time leader in eight offensive categories and the single-season leader in two others.
