STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University baseball team was late arriving back on campus for the athletic department's annual awards banquet on April 29. The Gothic Knights were busy breaking major team and individual records. For those in attendance at the banquet, it was worth the wait. NJCU amassed one of the greatest hitting performances in Division III history, annihilating the single-game school record for hits with 30 and senior shortstop/center fielder Michael Martucci (Bayonne, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) went 5-for-7 to become the program's all-time hits leader with 197 as NJCU routed the College of Staten Island, 22-10.
 
Martucci entered the day with 192 hits, needing four to tie Rob Sumner's program standard of 196 (2005-08). The four-year standout, who earlier in the day earned All-New Jersey Athletic Conference honors, unleashed an offensive tsunami on the first place team in the CUNYAC conference, finishing a home run shy of a cycle. Martucci had three extra-base hits—two doubles and a triple— while scoring twice and driving in a pair. Furthermore, Martucci  extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 32.
 
Meanwhile, NJCU's 30 hits are four more than the previous program record of 26, set in 1991 against Hunter and matched in 2004. NJCU (15-20, won 2) had 13 extra-base hits in the game including 11 doubles. Both are also single-game school records and the 11 doubles are one shy of the NCAA game mark.

Video of 196th and 197th career hits
 
NJCU and Staten Island (21-12) also broke the NCAA Division III single-game record for doubles by both teams with 16 (11 NJCU, 5 CSI). The previous record was 15, set in 1999 and matched in 2005.
 
With Martucci destroying career records, senior first/third baseman/right fielder Alex Weinstein (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin) is finalizing one of the greatest individual seasons in the program's 68-year annals. Weinstein, who entered the day with 42 RBIs (third in single-season history), needing six RBIs to break a seemingly unreachable 27-year-old school record of 48 by Hall-of-Famer Rich Levens in 1988, is suddenly within striking distance with 46 runs batted in. Weinstein notched four RBIs—all in the first two innings—and was 3-for-7 with four RBIs and two runs scored.  
 
Additionally, Weinstein became just the third individual in school history to register 60 hits in a season (60 in 35 games). Already the single-season record holder for doubles, he now has three more than the previous mark with 20. He has 157 career hits.

 
While Martucci and Weinstein rightfully stole the show, several other Gothic Knights had truly noteworthy efforts. Sophomore second baseman Nick Ruscingno (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) was 5-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs and freshman center fielder Dmitri Rueger (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck), like Martucci, was a home run shy of the cycle, finishing 4-for-6 with four RBIs, three runs, a double and triple in the leadoff spot.
 
Catcher/first baseman Andrew Niech (Avenel, N.J./Colonia), only a junior, extended his own career program doubles record to 39, notching two more in the win while moving into the Top 10 in school history with 149 hits in 110 games. Niech was 4-for-7 with three RBIs and three runs.
 
Meanwhile, sophomore designated hitter Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) was 3-for-4 with three runs and two doubles, freshman left fielder Chris Stevenson (Belmar, NJ/Red Bank Regional) had two runs and two RBIs, and sophomore left/right fielder Eric Giordano (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin) scored twice. Sophomore first/third baseman Zach Buchholz (Colonia, N.J./JFK-Iselin) and freshman first baseman Mike Ramirez (Old Bridge, NJ/Saint Joseph-Metuchen) each tallied two hits.
 

NJCU used three pitchers on the historic day and the third, sophomore right-hander Joe Stone (Metuchen, NJ/JFK-Iselin), was the most effective, earning his first victory of the season (1-1). He threw the final 5.1 innings, allowing just one run and two hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 58 pitches.
 
Sophomore Taylor Born (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) made his one plate appearance in the game meaningful. When he was hit by a pitch in the top of the eighth it was the 21st time he's been plunked in 57 career games, matching the all-time record by Paul Krajewski (1992-94, 21).
 
CSI did manage 10 runs and 13 hits and first baseman Francis Munoz, shortstop Chris Moran and designated hitter Allen Smieya were the top hitters for the Dolphins with Munoz batting 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs and Moran and Smieya accounting for two RBIs and two runs apiece. Third baseman Josh Mercado had two hits including a double.
 
CSI utilized six pitchers with Robert Jannace losing (0-2) after allowing six runs and seven hits while facing just 10 batters in the first two innings.
 
For NJCU, the game was decided in the first three innings as the Knights scored four times in the first inning when it doubled four times and added nine runs in the second when 14 men came to the plate to seize a 13-1 lead. NJCU tacked on five more in the third and led 18-5 before coasting.
 
When NJCU opened the game with four consecutive hits, Martucci doubled in the first inning and doubled again in the second before generating a two-out RBI triple to right in the third for his 195th hit. With the game already decided, Martucci tied the program record with a leadoff single in the seventh. With two outs in the eighth, he deposited the first pitch he saw into right field as a bloop single inside the right field line for the record-breaking 197th hit before being pinch run for so he could be properly congratulated in the dugout by his teammates.
 

 

NJCU BASEBALL 100-HIT CLUB
RANK	HITS	NAME	YEARS
1.	197	Michael Martucci	2012-14
2.	196	Rob Sumner	2005-08
3.	177	Rob Gonzalez	2009-11
4.	167	Phil Zaffarano	1994-97
5.	160	Rich Levens	1986-88
6.	158	Nick Cucinello	1990-93
7.	157	Alex Weinstein	2012-15
8.	154	Dave Long	1987-90
9.	149	Andrew Niech	2013-15
	149	Jonathan Thomas	2001-04
11.	148	Charlie Auletto	1993-95
12.	143	Sean Costello	1984-87
13.	141	Brian Veneziano	1997-00
	141	Michael Fiorentino	2009-11
15.	139	Ruben Borges	2005-07
16.	135	Andrew Rivera	2010-13
	135	Eric Martinez	1996-98
18.	134	Romano Lake	1987-90
19.	123	Joe Wells	1978-81
20.	122	Anthony Squeglia	1986-89
21.	121	B.J. Fearon	1994-96
22.	120	Ray Nazzaro	1982-85
	120	Alex Mena	2007-10
24.	119	Rick Pizzuti	1997-99
25.	118	Anthony Caivano	2002-05
26.	117	Steve Stiller	2001-04
27.	114	Justin Pelka	1996-99
28.	112	Pat Moore	2002-04
29.	111	Jose Fulgencio	2007-08
	111	Anthony Mackow	2005-08
31.	110	Denis Peguero	2001-04
	110	Jeff Gajewski	1993-96
33.	108	Tom Burke	2008-10
34.	107	Paul Grasso	1991-93
35.	106	Phil Lospalluto	2002-03
36.	105	Mark Hoyer	2008-09
37.	105	Ken Witte	2009-11
38.	101	Jim Roselli	1986-89
	101	Alfredo Monagas	1979-82
Updated: Thru 4/29/2015

  OF NOTE:

• The previous single-game school record for hits was 26 vs Hunter on March 28, 1991 and matched vs. Baruch on April 20, 2004. NJCU also had 25 hits against USMMA on April 20, 1994.
• The 30 hits are also the most ever given up by Staten Island; the previous high was 28.
• The previous NCAA Division III record for doubles by both teams was 15—April 7, 1999 when Wesleyan (CT) (12) and Western Connecticut State (3) combined for 15; it was matched on May 9, 2005 by Marian (WI) (12) vs. Maranatha Baptist (3).
• NJCU's 11 doubles are one shy of the record of 12 accomplished four times—Wesleyan (CT) vs. Western Connecticut State on April 7, 1999; Wheaton (MA) vs. Roger Williams, April 9, 2004; Marian (WI) vs. Maranatha Baptist, May 9, 2005; Carthage vs. Lakeland, May 5, 2011.
• Alex Weinstein (157 hits) passed Dave Long (1987-90, 154 hits) for seventh place in school history. Weinstein's 60 hits this season are tied for third in single-season history:
  • Charlie Auletto, 71, 1994
  • Rob Gonzalez, 62, 2009
  • Rob Gonzalez, 60, 2010
  • Alex Weinstein, 60, 2010
  • 4 players, 59
• Dmitri Rueger's 41 runs scored are sixth most in single-season history. The top five:
  • 46, Rob Sumner, 2005
  • 45, Rob Sumner, 2007
  • 45, Rob Sumner, 2006
  • 45, Rob Gonzalez, 2009
  • 43, Ken Witte, 2010
  • 41, Dmitri Rueger, 2015
  • 41, Sean Costello, 1986

• Andrew Niech has 15 doubles this season, ranking third in single-season school history behind teammate Alex Weinstein's 20 this year and Paul Grasso's 17 in 1993.
• Michael Martucci and Alex Weinstein extended the top two marks in school history in games played (145 and 143), games started (145 and 141) and most at bats (616 and 531).
• Michael Martucci moved into fourth place in school history in runs scored with 114, passing Rob Gonzalez (113).
• Alex Weinstein moved into fourth place in school history in runs batted in with 93, passing Dave Long (91, 198-90) and Ruben Borges (2005-07, 90) in the win. The Top 5:
  • 126, Rich Levens, 1986-88
  • 104, Rob Sumner, 2005-08
  • 95, B.J. Fearon, 1994-96
  • 93, Alex Weinstein, 2012-15
  • 91, Dave Long, 1987-90
• Alex Weinstein, who had just seven career doubles prior to the season and only two in the last two years, now has 27 career doubles, tied for sixth place on the career charts. Weinstein upped his all-time defensive records for putouts (982) and total chances (1090).
• Junior Andrew Niech upped his career hits total to 149 in 111 games, passing Charlie Auletto (148, 1993-95) and matching Jonathan Thomas (149, 2001-04) for ninth place in school history. Niech has 58 hits this season with 40 runs and 29 RBIs, after having 49 hits in 2014 and 42 in 2013.
• Eric Giordano has 90 hits in just 72 career games (47 in 2014, 43 in 2015).

WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU plays the final scheduled road game of the season on Thursday, April 30 at 6 p.m. when it faces St. Joseph's College (LI) in a makeup of a twice snowed out doubleheader (March 21, March 22) in a single game in Patchogue, NY.