By Jim Hague
When it comes to recruiting baseball players on the NCAA Division III level, it sometimes pays to have friends in the right places.
Rutgers-Newark head baseball coach Mark Rizzi has established a ton of friends and acquaintances among the coaching fraternity during Rizzi’s 30-plus years of coaching baseball in New Jersey.
So a little more than two years ago, Rizzi’s relationships in the game paid off when it came to the recruiting of junior outfielder and Scarlet Raiders’ co-captain Ryan Zucker.
Zucker was a product of Governor Livingston High School, where Chris Roof has been the long-time head coach. Rizzi has enjoyed a good working relationship with Roof over the years.
Zucker helped Governor Livingston win the NJSIAA Group II state championship in 2015.
Zucker also played summer baseball with the North Jersey Cardinals, coached by Rico Bellini, a former Seton Hall standout and Hall of Famer who played in the Cleveland Indians’ organization for four years in the 1970s.
“I saw Ryan play in the summer and Rico Bellini recommended him,” Rizzi said. “I knew that Ryan was a good player, but I believed in both Rico and Chris Roof. They spoke of Ryan’s work ethic and character and knew he would fit in well with us.”
Zucker expressed interest in enrolling in Rutgers-Newark’s business school to major in finance.
“I was talking about where I was thinking about going to college and Rico mentioned Rutgers-Newark,” Zucker said. “It was really Rico who did it. Rico just said, ‘You’re going to hear Newark and not want to go.’ To be honest, I was a little skeptical. But then I went to visit the campus and it was different than what I thought it would be. It was a lot more than what I expected.”
Then Zucker was introduced to Rizzi.
“I met Coach Rizzi and we hit it off right away,” Zucker said. “I knew Rutgers-Newark had a good business school. I knew I was going to get a chance to play right away. It seemed like a perfect situation for me.”
Zucker’s father had a background in business, so a chance to attend Rutgers-Newark’s business school appealed to him.
“Rutgers-Newark had a certain reputation that I liked,” Zucker said. “I was happy to get the chance to come here.”
Zucker didn’t exactly enjoy instant success in his first season with the Scarlet Raiders in 2016.
He earned a spot as the team’s regular second baseman, but batted only .198 with 23 hits.
“It was a learning experience for me,” Zucker said. “I always felt like I was a natural second baseman, but it took a little time to get used to it.”
Zucker played centerfield on GL’s state title team.
“I also hated losing,” Zucker said.
The Scarlet Raiders endured a 15-24 record during his freshman campaign.
“He’s the type of kid who just won’t accept failure,” Rizzi said. “He was willing to work hard to get the chance to contribute. I had a lot of confidence that he would get there eventually.”
Zucker went to work to improve his skills after his freshman season. He became almost fanatical in his weight training regimen to get stronger.
“My freshman year was disappointing,” Zucker said. “So I got in the weight room and worked on my strength. I also worked on my flexibility. I struggled with some injuries, especially in my legs. I had to change things up a little. I knew I had to get a little stronger, but I also needed to make sure I stayed healthy.”
Zucker called upon the wisdom of assistant coach Jake Campbell.
“I picked Coach Campbell’s brain a little to see what he thought could help me,” Zucker said. “I really learned a lot. I needed to build up my strength, but I also needed to eat right. I needed to get in the gym as much as possible to work on my bat speed. I think before my freshman season, I bulked up too much and that hurt me. I didn’t know what I should be doing.”
So with Campbell’s assistance with dietary needs and workout routine, Zucker was ready to have a breakout season as a sophomore.
That’s what transpired, as Zucker batted .325 last season with a team-high 52 hits and 22 RBI. He doubled the hit total he had as a freshman, going from 23 hits to 52 hits.
“Last year, he really surprised us with how much he improved,” Rizzi said. “He got stronger and became a better hitter.”
“I think the experience in the weight room helped me,” Zucker said. “Growing up, I was always a contact hitter, but I knew I had to be able to drive the ball better.”
Rizzi also expressed confidence in Zucker by placing him in the leadoff position in the Scarlet Raiders’ lineup.
“I love that role,” Zucker said. “I hit seventh or eighth in high school and I hit ninth for most of my freshman year. Coach (Rizzi) asked me if I wouldn’t mind batting leadoff and of course I wasn’t going to say, ‘No.’ I was willing to do whatever the team needed me to do.”
Before the 2018 season was set to begin, Rizzi asked Zucker to handle another role _ that being the Scarlet Raiders’ left fielder after playing second base and shortstop during his first two years.
“Going from shortstop to left field is a little tougher, but I was willing to try it,” Zucker said.
So now, there’s one thing for certain when Rizzi fills out his lineup card this season. It’s going to have Zucker at the top, playing left field. There’s no longer any need to move him around from position-to-position on the field and on the lineup card. He’s a fixture at the top.
“It’s nice knowing that I’ll be in there, but I can never have the attitude that I’m completely safe,” Zucker said. “I do feel pretty comfortable knowing that I won’t be moved around a ton. It’s nice knowing where I’ll be.”
Rizzi is also confident in Zucker’s leadership abilities that he named him as a co-captain along with senior catcher Justin Marks.
“He’s done a great job of leading the team in the off-season,” Rizzi said.
Zucker got the 2018 season off to a great start by going 5-for-9 in the first weekend against nationally ranked Roanoke College as the Scarlet Raiders gained a split of the two games in Virginia.
Zucker had three hits with two runs scored and an RBI in an 8-6 win and had two hits with a run scored in a loss in the nightcap.
For his efforts, Zucker was named as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Week, the league’s first honoree for the 2018 campaign.
“It felt pretty good,” Zucker said. “Everyone wants to get off to a good start. It’s nice to finally get the NJAC Player of the Week. It is secondary to winning.”
Zucker continued his fine play last weekend in North Carolina, helping the Scarlet Raiders gain two more victories to improve to 3-2. For the five games played so far, Zucker has nine hits, scored five runs, delivered two doubles and collected four RBI, batting .471 in the process.
“Ryan can play anywhere, because he’s a good baseball player,” Rizzi said. “He plays his heart out all the time. I love to watch him play. He’s a coach’s player. You want someone to treat the game professionally and that’s what Ryan does. He goes about his work like it’s his job. I wish everyone did that. He works so hard. He really is a coach’s dream and approaches the game the right way.”
Zucker is also an excellent student, posting a 3.6 grade point average thus far. He’s a junior and is on pace to graduate in May of 2019. Zucker already had an internship with a small apparel company in Clifton and will look for a job in that field when the time comes to hit the work force after graduation.
For now, Zucker is enjoying life with the Scarlet Raiders as the leadoff hitter for a team that could raise a lot of eyebrows in the tough and competitive NJAC this spring.
“It’s obviously very exciting,” Zucker said. “We have a great group of guys. I think they set the tone for Justin and me to lead them. I feel like they are my 38 best friends. I think when the time comes to compete, we expect a lot of ourselves this year. But I believe we have the opportunity to do something special this year. We’re off to a good start and we just have to keep it going. I think the start is a good confidence builder.”
The Scarlet Raiders have a doubleheader against the College of Mount Saint Vincent at Diamond Nation in Flemington this Saturday, then will hit the road to California March 9 to play 10 games in eight days, including a showdown with California Lutheran, the No. 2-rankeed NCAA Division III program in the nation.
So it’s safe to say that it pays to have friends in the baseball business. Ryan Zucker is proof of that.
“He’s the whole package,” Rizzi said. “He’s very smart, gets good grades, is a good player and a good leader. He feels comfortable where he is now and it shows. He’s what our program is all about.”
