JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University baseball program is coming off one of its greatest offensive seasons in its history. And despite some notable losses, the 2016 version of the Gothic Knights will make NJCU a formidable opponent as it takes the diamond for its 69th season of intercollegiate action.
 
Head coach Jerry Smith enters his fifth season at the helm of the program, coming off one of the winningest campaigns in school history with 17 wins in a weather-impacted 2015. NJCU was in nearly every game last year, thanks in part to an offensive lineup that scored 243 runs and mashed 77 doubles and 289 hits. The Knights were aggressive on the basepaths with 112 steals and got on base at a .415 percentage.
 
Among the most notable returners is senior and team captain Andrew Niech (Avenel, NJ/Colonia). In his first three seasons he has proven to be one of the most outstanding offensive players of all-time. He enters his final year as the program's all-time leader in doubles (40) and after a 60-hit season last year will take aim at the career hits mark of 199 set just last season by graduated senior Michael Martucci (Bayonne, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep). Niech, with 151 hits in 112 games, is ninth in school history, and just 49 hits shy of 200, which would break the record.
 

Among the 14 returning letter-winners include five starting position players. In addition to Niech, junior infielder Zach Buchholz (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin), junior second baseman/outfielder Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck), junior outfielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) and sophomore center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) also return. Rueger had a superb debut in 2015 with 40 hits, 42 runs and 28 steals as NJCU's leadoff man while Buchholz had a breakout year with 40 hits and a .454 on-base rate.
 
Junior Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin), who had 91 hits in his first two seasons, will miss 2016 with an injury, but the Gothic Knights get back sophomore first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex), who was enjoying a fabulous rookie campaign in 2014 with a .383 average and eight extra-base hits in 60 at-bats before an injury derailed his year.
 
While NJCU lost five impactful seniors from the 2015 team, this year's roster will feature a very successful recruiting class with a notable look as 19 of 27 players are from Central or South Jersey, including 12 from Middlesex County and five more from the Jersey Shore.
 
"This recruiting class provides us with the most depth we have had in our five-year tenure here at NJCU," Smith analyzed. "You cannot replace the seniors we have lost to graduation with a player, but collectively adding depth and having the returners each focus on getting a little better than they were the previous year can help alleviate those losses."
 
"Our expectations are to improve throughout the year. We constantly preach to this team that each day we want them to get a little better than the previous day. Though extrinsic goals such as a 20-win season and playoffs are always top of mind goals, we know those are just the by-product of us improving throughout the season."
 
Probably the greatest asset of this year's club is its depth. The program has 27 players—each with a different role, and has improved in many areas.
 
"We have 27 role players and each of them have a different role," Smith said. "Their buy in to their roles thus far has far exceeded our expectations. If we continue to excel at our individual roles and maintain the state of our current team chemistry we can collectively go to the places we want to go."
 
The Gothic Knights were picked as the New Jersey Athletic Conference's darkhorse this season by the league's head coaches. A nice sign of respect, it means NJCU is the team that may most surprise.
 
"It's a sign of progress," Smith noted. "We don't put too much stock in preseason ranking but it does show that the hard work the previous classes have put in aren't going unnoticed. It shows the coaches around our conference, whom we have the upmost respect for have seen the strides we have made up to this point."
 
Part of the success in recruiting for NJCU has been a consistent coaching staff. Pitching coach Nick Cesare and catching coach Raj Subramanian have been alongside Smith's side since day one and both enter their fifth seasons while Rob Pasternak, the infield coach, is back for his second season.
 
THE PLAYERS
 
The Pitchers
With the NJAC scheduling format consistent now with single games on Thursday and Friday and doubleheaders on Saturday, coupled with non-conference games sprinkled in, typically on Tuesdays, Smith has continued to break up his pitching rotation by conference and non-conference starters.
 

Sophomore left-hander Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen), who showed brilliant stuff as a rookie, including wins over Rowan and Stockton, will front the rotation. He was 3-3 last year with 32 strikeouts in 44.1 innings while making 10 appearances (10 starts). Sophomore right-hander Jose Ortiz (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy), who fanned eight in a two-hit shutout of a quality Dickinson College in his collegiate debut will be the No. 2.
 
Ramirez and Ortiz, each NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week winners last year, replace Delio Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) and Kevin DeMauro (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) at the top of the rotation. Delio Coutinho, who has received several minor league baseball offers since graduating, struck out 153 batters in 112.1 innings in 28 career appearances for NJCU while DeMauro fanned 120 in a record 55 career appearances over four years.
 
In a young rotation, freshman lefty Kyle Kafer (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown), who missed all of last year with an injury, and freshman right-hander Ray Liguori (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) will have a chance to make an immediate impact in NJAC games. Liguori, who can also play third base, is one of three recruits from Toms River South—a town known for its baseball—and all three can both pitch and play the field.  
 
In non-conference games, sophomore righty Jason Szurlej (Linden, NJ/Linden) and freshman righty Elijah Pereira (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) will get the ball. Szurlej performed well in that role last year, going 3-1 with wins over Baruch, CCNY and FDU-Florham. Pereira will also play middle infield.
 
Sophomore righty Anthony Keri (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) will be called upon in the middle innings. He made 16 appearances in relief as a rookie—second on the team behind only graduated senior Tom Colaiacovo, Jr. (Helmetta, NJ/Southern Regional), who made 18. Keri had a 3-2 record in relief in 2015. Freshman lefty Anthony Zicaro (Linden, NJ/Linden) also will throw in the middle innings.
 
Mid-to-late game relievers will be freshman catcher/right-handed pitcher Corey Nase (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) and freshman righty Nate Facey (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick).
 
Junior righty Joe Stone (Piscataway, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin), who has made 21 appearances in two years with nine starts, and sophomore righty Sean Gibney (Rutherford, NJ/Saint Mary-Rutherford), are the top candidates as the set-up reliever. Freshman Anthony Carfora (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) will be NJCU's closer and can also play second base.
 
Infielders
 
While Niech has played a majority of his career behind the plate, he may relinquish that full-time role to junior transfer CJ Pulcine (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan). Niech, Nase, sophomore transfer Mike Albunia (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and freshman Matt Jacobsen (East Windsor, NJ/Hightstown) will all see some time behind the dish.
 
Meanwhile, the dangerous bats of Niech and Berardi will be the top two options at either first base or designated hitter. Both are capable defensively, and powerful at the plate. The first base job opens with the graduation of senior Alex Weinstein (Colonia, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial-Iselin), a two-time All-NJAC performer, who set single-season records for doubles (22) and RBIs (50) last year when he had 64 hits and hit .410 to finish his career with 161 hits.
 
Smith noted that while some of the records Niech is chasing are out of his control, he is a mentally-tough player.
 

"This preseason he has done just that: he has prepared, maintained a good perspective, and has taken action in the leadership department. His talent is just a by-product of his business-like approach he takes every day—in school and in practice. His focus and his ability to keep his emotions under control in a sport that requires such characteristics to succeed is what makes us proud to have Andrew."
 
Junior Jeff Reinecke (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), a transfer from Rutgers-Newark, will start at second base. He played in 21 games last year for the NJAC rival Scarlet Raiders and had a .400 on-base mark.
 
With Martucci, who started a record 147 games at short or third gone, that job will be inherited by Buchholz, who enters the season with an active 17-game on-base streak and 47 career hits. He will start at either shortstop or third base. Freshman Nick LoGatto (Helmetta, NJ/Spotswood) is the other starter at shortstop. Junior Taylor Born (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield), has played in 57 games with 40 starts in two years. In just two years he is NJCU's all-time leader in being hit by pitches. He'll dust off and be NJCU's other starter at third base.
 
Outfielders
With Giordano out for the season after shoulder surgery, Ruscingno will move from second base to left field. A consistent hitter, he has 65 career hits in 65 games and if he stays on that pace, will become the 40th member of the 100-hit club later this season. Sophomore Chris Stevenson (Oakhurst, NJ/Red Bank Regional), a two-time NJAC Rookie Player of the Week last year, also will see time in left field.
 
Rueger, whose speed and skill led to a sensational debut in 2015, will roam the spacious center field of the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex for NJCU. After missing all of 2014 with a freak injury, he was 28-of-33 on stolen bases last year, drew 22 walks and had a .433 on-base rate.
 
Coutinho, who had 22 RBIs in a breakout sophomore season when he started 26 times (34 total games), is the likely starter in right field. Freshman Sean Erhardt (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) will see time in right and is NJCU's only left-handed hitting outfielder.
 
LOSSES and ADDITIONS
Discussing his major losses from last year, Smith noted: "You don't replace those guys with a player. You replace them with us collectively getting better each day and excelling at your own individual role. These roles were carefully defined based off of what the individuals do well, but also what our team needs. So, by taking both of those parts into consideration when defining these goals we believe we have enough to lose so much talent, but yet take another step forward."
 
Meanwhile, Smith is optimistic about his additions.
 
"All of the newcomers bring excitement. With basically half of our roster being newcomers it is a good mix of veterans and newcomers. The refreshing part is to see these returners sharing experiences with these newcomers to help speed up the learning process. This is much needed because within the first week of our spring trip we expect many of them to crack the lineup in one phase or another."
 
THE SCHEDULE | Full Schedule
While spring sports are always impacted by the weather, the Gothic Knights plan a 40-game schedule this season, beginning with an annual cross-Hudson County game with Stevens on March 2. The Gothic Knights will play 16 games in March, 23 in April and one in May, leading up to the NJAC Tournament which opens on May 3.
 

After many years of baseball spring trips in either Central, Eastern or Southwest Florida, Smith's club will head to Puerto Rico from March 9-12 for a six-game swing on that island commonwealth. The Knights will face Messiah and Oneonta State twice with single games against SUNY Canton and Arcadia as part of the 2016 Clemente Cup.
 
In addition to those neutral field games, NJCU will play 15 games at home and 19 on the road. NJCU opens its home schedule on Tuesday, March 22 against Lehman and the first NJAC games are a doubleheader against 2015 NCAA Division III World Series qualifier Ramapo in Mahwah on April 2. The first home NJAC game is April 8 against Rutgers-Newark.
 
In March, the Knights will also play home non-conference games with St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) on March 23, Maritime College (March 30) and Marywood (March 31). Road non-conference games in the first month see NJCU traveling to Mount Saint Mary in Newburgh, NY (March 16), Moravian in Bethlehem, PA (March 17), SUNY Old Westbury in Long Island (March 18), Drew in Madison, NJ (March 24) and Baruch in a game that will be played at Westchester Community College on March 29.
 
The entire 18-game NJAC schedule will be played in April. NJCU has just eight of those at home with contests against Newark, Kean (April 14), TCNJ (April 16), Montclair State (April 22), Stockton (April 28) and William Paterson (April 30). The TCNJ and William Paterson dates are both doubleheaders.
 
After the Ramapo doubleheader, the rest of the 10-game road conference slate includes Rutgers-Newark (April 7), Rowan (April 9), Kean (April 15), Montclair (April 21), Rutgers-Camden (April 23) and Stockton (April 29). Rowan and Camden are both doubleheaders.
 
The non-conference home schedule in April and May includes Penn State-Abington (April 19), Staten Island (April 27) and NYU (May 3). Road out-of-conference contests are St. Joseph's (LI) on April 3, Centenary on April 5 and FDU-Florham on April 12.
 
Kean was ranked fifth in the D3baseball.com Preseason Top 25 poll with Ramapo 18th and Rutgers-Camden also receiving votes. Stevens garnered 12 points in the preseason rankings (43rd place).
 
The total winning percentage last year of this season's 40 opponents was a combined .522. Overall, two opponents, Kean (35) and Ramapo (33) won 30 or more games last year while a total of 14 of 29 unique opponents won at least 20—Stevens (29), Rutgers-Camden (27), Old Westbury (26), Rowan (25), Staten Island (25), St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (24), Moravian (21), NYU (21), Arcadia (20), Marywood (20), St. Joseph's-Long Island (20), and William Paterson (20).

In addition to 18 NJAC games, NJCU plays opponents from 10 other conferences—Colonial States (2), CUNYAC (3), Empire 8 (2), Landmark (2), MAC Commonwealth (3), MAC Freedom (1), North Eastern (1), Skyline (5), SUNYAC (2) and UAA (1).

—www.njcugothicknights.com | @NJCU_Athletics—