Joe Litterio 2015 Season Review
May 27 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The 2015 season marked the first for Rutgers baseball in the Big Ten Conference. Head coach Joe Litterio reflected on the year in the following Q&A with ScarletKnights.com.
Takeaways from the season: "A lot of factors go into looking at this season. We were in a new conference for the third straight year, landing in the Big Ten at the point where the conference has been its best in a long time. I believe six teams were ranked at one point during the season. I don't think we played as well as we could have, and that goes to where pitching and defense really hurt us. However, to take two-of-three from a ranked team (Iowa) later in the year shows progress and that we have the talent. We just need to put it together from the start."
Thoughts on the Big Ten the first time around it: "I thought the Big Ten proved to be more of a physical league. Any team's one through nine in the lineup can hurt you if you make a mistake here or there. I think it is just something that we are going to have to get adjusted to on the field and recruiting-wise."
Thoughts on how having a young team now will help down the road: "I'm hoping that helps a lot going into the next couple years. I think they've all gotten the experience they needed. You have to learn how to deal with both success and with adversity. Hopefully they see what it takes to be successful and now going into their upperclassmen years they can really apply that and understand what is needed to be more consistent."
Thoughts on for the second straight year without graduating a senior starting pitcher: "That's great. I noticed many of the Big Ten teams and all the experience out there in the lineup and on the mound. That's going to be us next year and the year after. That's something I am excited about."
Main highlights for the year: "Obviously taking two-of-three from the Hawkeyes was a big highlight. The Ohio State walk-off win was something exciting during our first Big Ten home weekend. We had a chance to come back and win that next day, it just didn't go our way, but that was a big one. Taking two-of-three from Purdue in our first weekend of the Big Ten season was big. The Seton Hall weekend was good, the in-state rivalry weekend is more of what we're used to, that kind of baseball. We were able to win the series, which shows that we are still on pace to where we have been."
Thoughts on adjusting to big road game crowds: "That is something that I talked about early on this year, not just the baseball and the lineups in the Big Ten. I think it's some of the atmosphere that we're going to have to get used to, and that's playing in front of over 3,000 people on the road. It's something these kids have to get adjusted to. That's part of the learning process of moving conferences. We also have to get used to the all the travel. Some of the trips you take a plane ride and then get on the bus for a couple hours more. That's all part of it, but we knew what we were getting into."
On the Big Ten and recruiting: "Being in the Big Ten is great. Now we can say hey we have a home, the Big Ten is our home and this is where we'll be from here on out. As far as recruits, if you're a local recruit the Big Ten is your best option around here, as far as baseball is concerned. It is the top conference in the tri-state. That going forward with recruiting is going to help us big time."
How do you feel the seniors adjusted to a new league in their last year: "I think it was tough in different ways for those guys. They were all full-time players and had to lead a young team that was pretty much dominated by the sophomore class. When there are only three of the older guys it's tough to do the right things, but I think they did a good job. Obviously Vinny (Zarrillo) keeps his actions to the field and leads by example in terms of his performance. Joe (D'Annunzio) is a kid that goes hard gives a 100 percent each day. Jon Young was a very consistent arm in the bullpen and I'm happy that he wound up getting the win in his last performance out on the mound, beating a ranked team. All three of them had good years and they are going to be missed."
