On Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, four Quakertown seniors were recognized for committing to continue their baseball careers at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery at the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f192587503
Matt Ciarrocchi – Moravian College (Baseball)
Major: History
Final list of colleges: Moravian, DeSales, Eastern
Reasons for choosing Moravian: “I just liked the campus and where it was located. I like the academics they offer for my major, I liked the coach, and the players are awesome.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in baseball at the collegiate level? “I always wanted to play baseball in college, and it started to become a reality beginning of last year when I saw how far I’d come along with pitching. Then it came full circle this year.”
Coach Jon Pallone says: “Matt was 4-0 for us this year as one of our main starting pitchers. He came in relief to save the day against Pennridge, had great starts against CB East, Pennridge, and CB West. He had 29 strikeouts in 25 league innings. He will be going off to Moravian College next year to study Secondary Education Social Studies."
About Matt:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite TV show: SpongeBob
Favorite music: Country
Mason Hicks – Harford Community College - Md. (Baseball)
Major: Sports & Exercise Science
Final list of colleges: Harford, Lackawanna, Clarion
Reasons for choosing Harford: “I chose Harford because they have a great reputation of getting players to D-1 schools.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in baseball at the collegiate level? “Ever since I was a little kid I’ve wanted to play in college. I started playing for a travel team around middle school, and then really started to work hard because I knew it was something I wanted to accomplish. It’s been a big goal of mine.”
Coach Jon Pallone says: “Mason was a two-year captain and demonstrated great leadership and communication. He spent about half the year at catcher and the other half at first base, but in practice, he took reps in the outfield as well. He is a very versatile player. This season Mason had some pretty clutch home runs, such as a grand slam when down 6-3 in the seventh at North Penn as well as in the playoff game against Spring-Ford. Mason added a new dimension to his game and was second on the team in league stolen bases. Next year he will be heading to top notch Harford Community College in Maryland.”
About Mason:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite TV shows: That 70s Show
Favorite music: Hip Hop/Rap
Dennis Pierce – West Chester University (Baseball)
Major: Media & Culture
Final list of colleges: West Chester, East Stroudsburg, Delaware State
Reasons for choosing West Chester: “It’s just a great baseball program. I took a visit, I really liked the campus, and the media and culture program is pretty good there.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in baseball at the collegiate level? “Around middle school, I started playing for a travel team, and that’s when I really started liking it. I stopped playing football at that point, and I just focused on baseball.”
Coach Jon Pallone says: “Dennis led the team with five league home runs, batting average, walks, runs scored and doubles. He did not, however, lead the team in singles, and that is because he had 14 extra base hits compared to only four singles. On the mound, Dennis was our closer. He pitched 4.2 hitless innings in relief against state champion Souderton. He hit the game-winner in extra innings at North Penn, also earning the win on the mound, and he also earned the win against Council Rock South at home at MSI an hour and fifteen minutes from Quakertown. He had 21 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched with a 3-1 record and a save.”
About Dennis:
Favorite food: Chicken Quesadillas
Favorite TV show: The Flash
Favorite music: Hip Hop
Sam Rice – Clarion University (Baseball)
Major: Communications
Final list of colleges: Clarion, Misericordia
Reasons for choosing Clarion: “I chose Clarion because the campus is beautiful, I liked the area, and they just got a new coach within the past couple of years.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in baseball at the collegiate level? “I always wanted to play when I was young, and when I joined my travel team, that’s when the recruiting started.”
Coach Jon Pallone says: “Sam earned the win on Senior Night versus playoff bound Southern Lehigh, throwing four innings, striking out four. He is a very interesting person who our entire team loves and respects. He will be going to Clarion University next year.”
About Sam:
Favorite food: Sam
Favorite TV show: The Office
Favorite music: The Beatles
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