Tag: Justin Sinibaldi

Rutgers baseball hires former William & Mary head coach as new pitching coach

Mike McCrae is the new pitching coach at Rutgers.

On Thursday night, Rutgers baseball’s search for a new pitching coach came to an end.

According to D1baseball’s Kendall Rogers, former William & Mary head coach Mike McRae will become the new pitching coach. After three seasons with the Tribe, McRae will now call Piscataway home.

While McRae’s most recent experience is as a head coach, he was the pitching coach at VCU for four seasons. During his tenure, the Rams’ pitching staff became one of the most dominant in the A-10. In three of his four seasons, they posted a sub-4.00 ERA. In 2018 and 2019, the Rams held opponents to a below .235 batting average.

After finishing the 2023 campaign with a 28-25 record, Rutgers will turn to McRae to fix their pitching staff. The Scarlet Knights struggled on the mound, posting a 5.61 ERA. They also were unable to limit hard contact, allowing 48 home runs and 80 doubles. Only one pitcher in, Justin Sinibaldi, posted an ERA under 4.00.

SCOOP: Former William & Mary head coach Mike McRae will become the new pitching coach for @RutgersBaseball, @d1baseball has learned. McRae had three solid seasons as the head man for the Tribe. Before that, was a successful PC at VCU. That’s a really nice hire for #Rutgers.

— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 6, 2024

Although McRae has his work cut out for him, he has a track record of success. That will be key for a Rutgers team that was carried by their offense. If McRae can mirror his success from VCU, then Rutgers pitching should experience a needed turnaround.

Rutgers baseball: No Big Ten baseball team ranked in updated top 25

There aren’t any Big Ten baseball teams ranked this week.

Despite an impressive 18-7 start to the season, Rutgers baseball is still not ranked. In fact, no team in the Big Ten made the cut in the most recent Top 25 rankings.

Earlier this season, Iowa and Indiana were ranked. Like the rest of the conference, they are now on the outside looking in as March winds down. 

So far this season, the only top-25 team Rutgers has faced is North Carolina. In a two-game series against No.19 North Carolina in mid-March, the Scarlet Knights went 0-2 while being outscored 22-15. Last week, the Tarheels were ranked 23.

Justin Sinibaldi goes the distance for @RutgersBaseball. Complete game shutout for the big lefty. Final line:

9 IP, 110 pitches
4 H
0 R
1 BB
9 K pic.twitter.com/vKRQXH2gYZ

— Brian Recca (@brian_recca) March 22, 2024


After a disappointing series against the Tar Heels, Rutgers has bounced back quickly. In their last eight games, Rutgers has posted a 7-1 record partly due to an offense that has been on fire.

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While the recent rankings were disappointing for Rutgers, they still have had a few reasons to celebrate over the last week. That includes Justin Sinibaldi, who was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday. Last Friday, he held UConn scoreless in nine innings of work.

Looking ahead to April, Rutgers will get to prove itself against some of the best teams in the Big Ten. That will include a series against Indiana and Iowa on the road.

Rutgers baseball: Justin Sinibaldi named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week

Rutgers baseball’s Justin Sinibaldi got a weekly honor from the Big Ten.

Last Friday, Rutgers left-hander Justin Sinibaldi dazzled on the mound, holding UConn scoreless in nine innings of work. Due to his latest masterpiece, Sinibaldi had a reason to celebrate on Monday. He was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.

As Sinibaldi set the tone for the series against the Huskies, he struck out nine batters while allowing four hits. The Bridgewater native became the first pitcher in program history to throw a shutout since Howie Grey in 2016. In his latest win, Rutgers needed every bit of Sinibaldi’s brilliance.

The Huskies were able to keep Rutgers scoreless until the seventh inning. Rutgers offense then broke through, putting three runs on the board. That is all offense fans would see before the game came to a close.

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Justin Sinibaldi goes the distance for @RutgersBaseball. Complete game shutout for the big lefty. Final line:

9 IP, 110 pitches
4 H
0 R
1 BB
9 K pic.twitter.com/vKRQXH2gYZ

— Brian Recca (@brian_recca) March 22, 2024

Through 41.2 innings of work this season, Sinibaldi has posted a 3.02 ERA and struck out 40 batters. He already has four wins, only one short of matching his career high. Rutgers has had a good chance of winning whenever he has been on the mound.

While the season is far from over, the 2024 campaign is already shaping up to be one Sinibaldi won’t forget. He is on pace to set new career highs in multiple categories, including strikeouts, innings pitched, and games started.

As long he builds on his recent success, more weekly awards could be on the horizon.

Justin Sinibaldi providing Rutgers baseball with solid innings

Justin Sinibaldi is off to a strong start for Rutgers baseball.

Since making his college debut during the 2021 season, Justin Sinibaldi has become a crucial part of Rutgers rotation. As the Scarlet Knights have gotten off to a 13-6 start, the talented left-hander has set the tone on the mound.

Through five outings, Sinibaldi has pitched to a 3.86 ERA and posted a 3-0 record. He has also struck out 31 batters and allowed two home runs. His success has partly been due to his control.

In 32.2 innings, Sinibaldi has only walked two batters. His latest masterpiece came on March 17 against Winthrop. The Bridgewater, New Jersey native allowed one run in seven innings while adding two strikeouts to his resume. For the third time this season, he did not walk a batter.

 

Although the 2023 campaign is far from over, Sinibaldi has been Rutgers best pitcher. He currently leads the Scarlet Knights in innings pitched, strikeouts, wins and earned run average. Opponents are also only hitting .246 against Sinibaldi.

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With over a month left in the regular season, Sinalbdi is on pace to set new career highs in wins and innings pitched. He is making the most of his senior season while giving Rutgers a chance to win every time he steps on the mound. That is a welcome sign for Rutgers, which has high expectations for the 2024 campaign.

Rutgers has two players ranked in D1 Baseball’s Top 150 Starting Pitchers

On Thursday, Rutgers baseball received two players ranked in D1 Baseball’s Top 150 Starting Pitchers Preseason Rankings.

On Thursday, Rutgers baseball received two players ranked in D1 Baseball’s Top 150 Starting Pitchers Preseason Rankings. Rutgers right-handed pitcher Christian Coppola received the No. 67 ranking, and left-handed pitcher Justin Sinibaldi received the No. 146 ranking, according to D1 Baseball.

Coppola, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound sophomore pitcher, held a 5-5 record for the Scarlet Knights in 2023, striking out 71 batters in 66 innings pitched. Also, the Galloway, New Jersey native logged an ERA of 3.68 while letting up 27 earned runs and 61 hits in 13 games.

Coppola received All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors for his efforts last season and was a D1Baseball Freshman All-American. In his first season with the Scarlet Knights, Coppola received the Big Ten Freshman of the Week Award and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Award, picking up wins against Georgia Southern, Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, and Illinois.

As for Sinibaldi, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound senior pitcher held a 5-1 record last season. The Bridgewater, New Jersey native logged a 2.64 ERA while giving up 14 earned runs in 47.2 innings pitched. Sinibaldi recorded 46 strikeouts and 20 walks in 13 games last season.

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In three seasons with the Scarlet Knights, Sinibaldi holds a 4.63 ERA and has logged an 8-2 record. He made 45 appearances throughout his Rutgers career, recording 98 strikeouts, 52 walks, and 59 earned runs in 114.2 innings pitched.

 

Justin Sinibaldi created optimism for the future during promising junior campaign

It was a strong season for Rutgers pitcher Justin Sinibaldi.

On Thursday afternoon, the Rutgers baseball season came to a disappointing end with a 6-4 loss to Michigan State. While the pitching struggled, there were a few bright spots. One of them was Justin Sinibaldi, who continued to show why the future in Piscataway is bright.

In two innings of work, the New Jersey native struck out three batters and did not allow an earned run. While Sinibaldi kept the Spartan bats in check, Rutgers offense came to life and briefly took control of the game. As Sinibaldi did during the regular season, he stepped up when needed most.

During his junior campaign, the talented lefthander posted a career-best 2.64 ERA in 47.2 innings. While splitting time between the rotation and bullpen, Sinibaldi struck out 46 batters and held opponents to a .264 batting average. After struggling with his control in the past, Sinibaldi was a different pitcher.

Due to his success, the Bridge-Raritan High School product will be crucial next season. He set career bests in every category, and for the first time in his college career, he posted an ERA under 5.00. With Sinibaldi and Christian Coppoli leading the way in 2024, Rutgers’s pitching will be tough to face.

While Rutgers fans have a long wait until opening day, the 2024 season already appears promising, with Sinibaldi on the rise.

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Rutgers spring athletics are piling up the wins in April

The spring sports for Rutgers are having some solid seasons.

With the spring in the air, softball, baseball, and lacrosse have returned for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers athletics have been hard to stop lately and have seen their win total grow. Over the past week, men’s and women’s lacrosse recorded their most significant victories of the season and proved experts wrong. However, the highlights don’t stop there.

In a season full of ups and downs, Rutgers baseball has rediscovered its winning ways and gotten impressive performances on the mound. While baseball thrived, Rutgers softball hit a roadblock in what has otherwise been a stellar season.

Against Ohio State, they lost the last two games of the series after winning the opener. There were still a few bright spots, and they will have a chance to get back on track against Penn State starting Friday. For Rutgers fans, this weekend is full of entertaining matchups.

Check out what is going on with spring sports around Rutgers!

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Justin Sinibaldi providing Rutgers with solid innings while playing multiple roles

Justin Sinbaldi is performing well for Rutgers baseball.

For Rutgers baseball, the 2023 season has been a rollercoaster ride. Through 18 games, the Scarlet Knights have gone 15-13 and are 1-2 in in the Big Ten. While the 2023 campaign has already featured a few unforgettable moments, Justin Sinibaldi has been an innings eater on the mound.

In eight appearances, the Bridgewater native has posted a 4.08 ERA while striking out 28 batters. His second on Rutgers in innings pitched with 28.1 and tied for the team lead in appearances. While his time has been split between the bullpen and rotation, Sinibaldi has taken the ball whenever called upon.

Additionally, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School product is only eight innings short of tying his career high. In 2022, he appeared in 20 games and pitched 36 innings. He has the pace to pass that mark partly because he has seen more time in the rotation. Sinibaldi only needs to make three more starts to match his total from last season.

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When Sinibaldi has been asked to pitch five innings, he has been one of Rutgers best arms. In his four appearances of that length, he has never allowed more than two runs. On Tuesday, he had his best outing of the season, pitching five scoreless frames against Hofstra. He gave the Scarlet Knights a chance to win and allowed the bullpen to rest.

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Entering play on Thursday, Rutgers is ranked tenth in the Big Ten. As they look to close that gap, Sinibaldi should see plenty of action. He has proven that he will take the ball regardless of the situation and provided Rutgers with an arm they can count on.

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