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FROM PAGE 8or throw batting practice: From hitting baseballs off a tee at his grandparents’ house as a toddler to celebrating a PIAA championship with his father, Joe — an Ellwood City Lincoln High assistant coach — last month.“My dad has brought me up in baseball,” Ricciuti said. “My mom and sisters go to all my games and are always there. It’s pretty nice to have a family bring me up like that. It means a lot to me.”It’s certainly paid off for Ric ciuti, who established himself as one of the WPIALs most dominant pitchers throughout his career. As a result, the 6-' foot-3 right-hander earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Akron.His accomplishments have earned Ricciuti the title ofoff.”Ricciuti used the time to build up strength.“I hit the weights and the stretch bands and did a lot of running to get my legs in shape,” he said. “I really concentrated on that more than the throwing, but I got all that stuff done, too. I didn’t rush anything and it all went well.”Ricciuti came back to pitch in the playoffs for Ellwood City. However, he wasn’t back to 100 percent and the Wolverines were ousted by Burrell.“A lot of colleges saw me earlier in my career, but it’s said that your junior year is your most important year for everyone to see you. Sitting out a whole season might have scared a lot of colleges off.ing other sports, but decided baseball was his game.“I tried to play basketball this year, but my love wasn’t for basketball,” Ricciuti said. “I don’t want to play a game not going full strength with everything. The day I quit tha I just walked right over to the weight room and hung out with the baseball guys.”Ricciuti credits EllwoodLawrence County’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2002-2003. The winner was selected by the New Castle Newssports staff.“In 21 years of coaching, including some years in Florida, he is the best all-around high school pitcher that I have ever seen,” Ellwood City coach Jeff Fotia said. “His poise and demeanor on the mound are second toCity’s entire baseball program for turning him into an outstanding person, as well as adominant pitcher.“This place is incredible,” he said. “The coaches arewhy we won the WPIAL and state titles. They push us to be the best wecould be. They teach so morebeyond baseball — how to carry ourselves off the field ineverything. That really pushes us ahead of otherteams.”none.Ricciuti has the numbers to back up Fotia’s remarks. Ricciuti racked up a 31-3 career mark and won two WPIAL Class AA titles and one PIAAcrown.“I didn’t look ahead; I just went out there one game at a time and, before you know it, there’s 30 wins right there,” Ricciuti said. “I threw my heart out every game. If I didn’t sit out my junior year, I could have had 40.”Ricciuti missed most of last season with an underdeveloped muscle in his right rotator cuff.“It wasn’t an injury like most people think,” Ricciuti said. “It was just a precaution so something more serious didn’t happen down the line.“It helped me to sit out my junior year,” he said. “If not, I might not be where I am today. I didn’t want to do it at first, but I was told if I didn’t do it then, I might have to do it this year. I was going to sit out a week or two, but they ended up shutting me down for the season and it ended up payingAfter this season, they should know now.”Indeed. Ricciuti was the most dominant pitchers in the state. He racked up a 12-1 record with three saves and struck out 143 batters in 91 2/3 innings. He gave up 56 hits, 33 walks and 16 earned runs. At the plate, he hit a team-best .436 with 14 RBIs, 20 runs scored and six doubles. He hitRicciuti, who plans to major in business, is eager to get to Akron for the fall baseball season.“I am pretty excited to go there,” he said. “I am going to work to get in there and get my action.”Fotia is sure Ricciuti will.521 in the postseason.“I definitely wanted to come back this year all-out,” Ricciuti said. “My arm feels great now. It’s definitely 100 percentexcel with the Zips.“I think he will be an impact player right away; I think Akron is very, very lucky. There’s no doubt that he is ready for the next level,” Fotia said. I think he will be very good because he can throw the ball wherever he wants. He isnow.Too bad for any school other than Akron.“Akron stuck with me and I stuck with them,” Ricciuti said.Ricciuti, who played shortstop when not on the mound, was one of the team’s most athletic players.“He can dunk a basketball and could have been a free safety and quarterback in football,” said Fotia, also an assistant football coach and physical education teacher at Ell-not just a kid up there throwing the ball with velocity. He is spotting his pitches. It’s not an accident.”In addition, Fotia has no doubt Ricciuti will make anwood City. “In gym class, we have this iron man competition and he makes it look sooutstanding pro prospect once he becomes draft eligible after his junior year with the Zips.“If he can pitch a baseball to wooden bats, I think you’d really see how good he is because he would be sawing people off and breaking bats,” Fotia said. “It’s amazing what he’s done throwing to aluminum bats.”easy.Ricciuti thought about play-(Joe Sager can be contacted at jsager(gncnewsonline.com or by calling (724) 654-6651, extension 629.)
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New Castle News Holiday
New Castle, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Jul 04, 2003
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