All-American/Gold Glove winners

Ewing, NJ … The post-season awards continued to roll in for sophomore John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills). The College of New Jersey outfielder won the American Baseball Coaches Association-Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his outstanding defensive play during the 2014 season.
 
The announcement was made at a banquet last night (Thursday) in Appleton, Wisconsin, the site of the 2014 NCAA Division III College World Series. Rizzi becomes just the second Lion in program history to receive the award. Former catcher Mike Galeotafiore '12 earned the award in 2009.
 
"J.C. had a terrific year in center field," noted head coach Dean Glus. "He tracked down a lot of balls with his speed and that means more than just outs. It helped our pitchers feel more comfortable about attacking hitters and throwing strikes. J.C. had a great season and I'm extremely happy for him in receiving this honor. It's a proud moment for our program."
 
The quick and agile center fielder committed just one error, while chasing down 108 fly balls for a lofty fielding percentage of .991. He posted a season-high eight putouts against Messiah College. Rizzi also registered two outfield assists during the season. Against Daniel Webster, he gunned down a runner at home plate trying to tag up on a fly ball to center. Rizzi also threw out a runner at second base in a 7-4 win over Western New England University.
 
An ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic All Region Second Team selection, Rizzi also had an outstanding season at the plate and on the bases. He finished the season with a team-high .373 batting average with 56 hits and 39 runs scored. Rizzi owned an on-base percentage of .466 and was a threat to steal every time he reached safely. He stole 22 bases, which ranked second in the conference.
 
Rizzi, a finance major, was also named to the All-NJAC First Team as an outfielder.