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Can-Am New Jersey Jackals

Rucci leads Can-Am's overlooked

by Melissa Chodan
July 29, 2005 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
New Jersey Jackals


The independent leagues across the country serve as places where dreams are cultivated and baseball players are given a second chance to follow their dreams.

Many of the players are from top tier NCAA Division I and II schools and have spent some time in affiliated ball.

But independent baseball has also become a place where Division III players can get their big break too.

Division III schools are scarcely visited by scouts and many of the players in these colleges, who wish to continue their baseball careers, must create their own opportunities and draw attention to themselves.

NCAA guidelines prohibit Division III programs from offering athletic scholarships and other perks. As a result, many top high school players go to Division I and II programs.

While many Division III programs are overlooked by scouts, several solid ballplayers fall into these programs either because of the intense bylaws enforced in Division I and II schools, financial restraints or injury.

Mike RucciThe Can-Am League is host to at least three rookies making their professional debuts with the league after graduating from Division III schools where they dominated in their respective conferences.

The biggest stand-out so far has arguably been the New Jersey Jackals' Mike Rucci. He is an integral part of the defending champions' catching platoon.

He has served as a sure-handed backstop for the team and currently carries a .266 batting average.

Rucci is a 2005 graduate of Rowan University, located in Glassboro New Jersey, 30 minutes East of Philadelphia.

Rowan plays in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, one of the top tier conferences in all of Division III athletics. The NJAC is usually the home for many nationally ranked teams.

The rigors and intensity of the conference surely played part in preparing Rucci for professional ball.

In his senior year at Rowan, Rucci batted .386 with 10 homeruns and 58 RBI. He claimed many honors including New Jersey College Baseball Association player of the week, NJAC player of the week, American Baseball Coaches Association All-America second team, ABCA Mid-Atlantic Region first team and the Eastern College Athletic Conference All-Star team.

Rucci is joined in the CanAm League by former NJAC rival Brian Weingart who now plays for the Brockton Rox.

Weingart is a 2004 graduate of William Patterson University, located in Wayne New Jersey. During his time at William Patterson he also claimed NJAC second team honors.

This season the catcher is hitting .250 in limited action, partially because of an injury suffered behind the plate earlier in the season.

Weingart's teammate, infielder Shawn Abell joined the Rox during the CanAm All-Star break after a short dealing with the San Diego Padres organization.

A graduate of Virginia's Lynchburg College where he received first-team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference honors twice, Weingart has only seen four games with the Rox so far.

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