Rutgers University Athletics

2020 Spring Academic All-Big Ten

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Career Highs
IP: 5.0, Iona (4/24/19)
SO: 3, three times

2020 (Senior): Pitched in five games with one start ... named Academic All-Big Ten (6/10) ... logged 6.2 innings ... struck out three in two frames versus Saint Peter's (3/4) ... went three innings in a start against Wagner (2/25) ... made season debut at No. 3 Miami (2/15).

2019 (Junior): Appeared in eight games with four starts ... logged 12.1 innings with 10 strikeouts on the season ... tossed a scoreless frame with a pair of strikeouts at No. 21 Indiana (5/17) ... earned first win by pitching a season-high five innings with one run allowed against Iona (4/24) ... made first start of the season with two scoreless innings versus Monmouth (3/13) ... made Rutgers debut at New Orleans (2/23).

Prior to Rutgers: Pitched the 2017 and 2018 seasons at Rowan College at Gloucester County … team ranked as high as No. 1 in the National Junior College Athletic Association's rankings … struck out 42 in 46.1 innings in 2018 with an 8-2 record as a sophomore … had three complete games … named First Team All-Garden State Athletic Conference and NJCAA Second Team All-America … also earned Academic All-America honors … played high school baseball at St. Augustine Prep.

Personal: Son of John and Shannon Parkinson … has two younger sisters, Kathryn, who plays field hockey at Towson, and Emily ... a human resource management major.

Know Your Knights
One word to describe Coach Owens: Determined
Favorite Rutgers athlete, past or present: Todd Frazier
Best player ever competed against: Jordan Brewer
Major: Human Resource Management
I chose my major because: When I transferred to Rutgers, HR was the major where most of my credits transferred. By choosing HR, I will be able to graduate on time, which was a goal of mine.
Favorite place to hang out on campus: Hale Center
The person I most admire is: My dad. I respect his hardworking nature and he supports me in everything that I do.
If I wasn’t playing baseball, I’d be: Pursuing a career as a food critic.
Favorite professional athlete: Michael Phelps
Favorite professional sports teams: Philadelphia Phillies/Eagles
One word to describe myself on the field: Diligent
One word to describe myself off the field: Curious
Few people know that I: Enjoy cooking.
Person who had greatest influence on my athletics career: My dad
I started playing my sport because: I grew up in a family that always went to Phillies games. I was always around baseball with my older cousin and I wanted to play.
I chose Rutgers because: I was given the opportunity to pursue my baseball career at an elite level while also receiving a top-tier education, all while being less than an hour from home.
Favorite cereal: Reese’s Puffs
The movie I have watched the most in my lifetime: The Pink Panther
The best actor/actress to play me in a movie: Vince Vaughn
Favorite musician/group: Harry Styles
The first song I knew all the words to: "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
If I could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, I would win a gold medal at: Reciting Pink Panther movie quotes.
Famous people I have met include: Danny DeVito
Rituals I have before, during or after a game: I’m not too superstitious
Favorite all-time gift received: Apple Watch
Pets I had growing up: Timber, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, and Duke, a boxer
My favorite Halloween costume growing up: I often went as a baseball player
The place in the world I would most like to visit: Barcelona, Spain
The website I visit most often: YouTube
My favorite teacher: Coach Iaconelli (junior and senior year of high school for AP History and Honors Holocaust & Genocide)
The quotes that most resonates with me: “Nobody cares, work harder.” “Never panic, just manage.”
If my life was a book, the title would be: “Anything but A Walk in the Park”
If I could choose any color when buying a new car it would be: Dark gray
My spirit animal: Grizzly Bear
One thing on my bucket list is: To travel to as many countries as I can.
Phone app you cannot live without: Twitter
What would you like to say to the R Fund donors who have provided for your scholarship and/or facility resources? I would like to thank them for providing us with donations that are the foundation of our program. Without the generous donors, we would not have a state-of-the-art weight room, new field or an amazing indoor complex. These facilities help us prepare to perform at an elite level.
How has Rutgers and donor support changed your life? Without the support of Rutgers donors, coaches and other faculty, I would not have the opportunity to play baseball at the highest collegiate level. I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to have attended Rutgers as a student-athlete for the past two years.