Mark Rizzi enters his eighth season as the head coach of the Scarlet Raider baseball team. Since taking over as skipper in 2002, Rizzi has overseen dramatic improvements in many aspects of the baseball program. His philosophy of discipline and hard work has helped steer Raider baseball in the right direction as the program works to continue its winning tradition.
During his tenure as head coach, Rizzi has upgraded the schedule, expanded the program’s recruiting area, and increased visibility and awareness of the Rutgers-Newark campus throughout the state and region.
Each spring, The Scarlet Raiders have ventured to California to compete in two prestigious tournaments – the California Classic and the California Invitational. On the west coast, Rizzi’s teams have recently beaten perennial national powers University of Redlands and Eastern Connecticut and also had impressive wins over perennial Top 30 programs in California Lutheran and Ithaca. It also battled 2004 National Champion Chapman University and 2005 SCIAC champion University of La Verne. The schedule has also been bolstered by annual contests against National Top 30 regulars Johns Hopkins University, York (PA) College and DeSales University.
In 2005, the Scarlet Raiders qualified for the NJAC playoffs for the first time since 1992. They finished with the nation’s third-best fielding percentage. Rizzi guided his team to the conference playoffs again in 2006 and also captured the school’s second ECAC Metro Tournament title in the program’s history.
Several players have earned postseason recognition under Rizzi’s tutelage. Last spring second baseman Matt Connors swept all four Rookie of the Year Awards (NJAC, ECAC, Mid-Atlantic Region and NJCBA). In 2007 senior first baseman Bill Mercurio was named to the All-NJAC first team as well as claiming All-NJCBA and All-Region attention from the American Baseball Coaches Association. In 2006, junior lefthander Tom Reynolds earned All-Region and All-NJCBA honors with an 8-2 record. Senior right-hander Scott Barchetto was named NJCBA Fireman of the Year for collecting six saves in seven opportunities. In 2005, then junior shortstop Dave Sica was named First-Team All-NJAC and All-NJCBA for his outstanding offensive and defense. In Rizzi’s first year, outfielder Steve Ballerini was named Second-Team All-America and also garnered All-Region, All-State and All-NJAC honors. He was also named NJCBA Co-Player of the Year.
Ballerini played two years of professional baseball in Italy upon graduation, while 2007 senior righthanded pitcher Matt Kimbell played with the Newark Bears following completion of his college career.
It is clear that the Scarlet Raiders are pointed in the right direction to be a contender in the rugged NJAC for years to come. Rizzi and his staff continue to attract talented recruits, as they work toward the program's ultimate goal of competing for a national championship.
Before accepting the head job at Rutgers-Newark, Rizzi was a year and a half into a rebuilding effort at Bloomfield College. Taking over a program with just 12 players on the roster in May of 2000, Rizzi turned in a banner recruiting year. Although the Deacons went 11-26 in 2001, the season was highlighted by victories over Concordia (an NCAA Tournament team) and NAIA district champion Dominican. A shocking 2-1 victory over the Scarlet Raiders on March 28th snapped the nation's longest winning streak. He also completed a second outstanding recruiting effort at Bloomfield before leaving to accept the position at Rutgers-Newark.
Rizzi began his coaching career at his alma mater, Paterson Catholic Regional High School, where he resurrected the baseball program from an 0-23 season in 1992 to a state Parochial B championship appearance in 1999. Rizzi posted an 86-25 record during his final four seasons, which included four consecutive Bergen Parochial Scholastic League titles. His teams qualified for the state tournament in 1997, 1998 and 1999. His final team claimed the Parochial B North Sectional title and finished in the Star-Ledger Top 25 rankings. He was named Star-Ledger Passaic County Coach of the Year for his team’s accomplishments.
Rizzi also served stints in sports information offices at New Jersey City University (1988-90) and Seton Hall (1990-92) after training as a graduate assistant at Rutgers University (1986-88). He then taught in the public school system in Paterson for six years while coaching at the parochial high school. Before beginning his college coaching career, he served as the Technology Coordinator for the Lyndhurst (NJ) Public Schools for three years.
Rizzi is a 1986 graduate of Rutgers University, where he earned a Bachelor of arts degree in Journalism. He resides in Lake Hopatcong, NJ.
