Road to the Hall of Fame: Mike Rucci

GLASSBORO, NJ - There is no better time for giving than the holiday season, which is why it is fitting that Rowan baseball head coach Mike Dickson was able to give Mike Rucci a gift unlike any other during December of 2019. What was that special gift? None other than an official announcement that Rucci would be welcomed into the Rowan Shirley O’Day/Joy Solomen Rowan University/Glassboro State College Athletic Hall of Fame with the Class of 2021. 

The news came to Rucci by surprise while being surrounded by the baseball team’s student-athletes and coaches. When asked about the experience, Rucci did not hold back describing what occurred in that moment.

“It was amazing. One thing that I said to those guys was why I love being a part of Rowan. The caliber of kids that are on the team right now are of the same caliber as the guys we had from 2002 to 2005. They came from the same background and have the same mentality, so it was really like fast forwarding a bit and being able to see what I went through as a player from the perspective of a coach.”

For Mike Rucci, the moment was a culmination of the time and energy he poured into Rowan baseball as both a player and a coach. His contributions to the team came over nearly a 20-year span, which began in 2002 when he was a freshman.

During his freshman year, Rucci solidified his role on the team as the starting catcher with a big bat. During his sophomore season, he would move to third base for most of the year. Rucci then returned to catcher during his junior season and was behind the plate in every single game in 2004 and 2005. Over his four-year college career as a starter, he appeared in 173 of the possible 180 games, proving to be an ironman in the sport.

Not only was Rucci durable, but he took major advantage of his opportunities. He put up historic numbers for Rowan, as he held five of the school’s all-time batting records by the time he graduated, holding the marks as the career leader in doubles (56), home runs (39), hits (228), total bases (405), and RBI (200). Rucci was named to the All-America Second Team in 2003 and 2005 for his impressive seasons.

While his individual accomplishments are historic and have helped land Rucci into the Hall of Fame, he does not take all of the credit for his records. Rather, he attributes much of his success to his former teammates. 

“The team success definitely led to my individual success,” said Rucci when asked what motivated him to work toward achieving his accomplishments. “Being around great players makes you want to step up your game... When your teammates push you because they want to be great, it makes you want to follow them... With that said, I was able to get a lot of RBIs because the guys around me in the lineup got on base.”

The team-first, individual-second philosophy is one that Mike Rucci helped establish during his playing career. Not only was that culture contagious in the dugout, but it helped lead to overall team success as well. During his four years, the Profs won three consecutive NJAC titles, compiled a 138-43 record and won two regional championships to advance to the NCAA Division III College World Series in both 2004 and 2005. 

After Rucci’s senior season, he continued to play baseball for two seasons at the independent level with the New Jersey Jackals. During his time with the Jackals, he received an invite to work out for the Boston Red Sox. However, Rucci decided to hang up the cleats and focus on his full-time career as an educator. 

“My entire family, my mom, my dad, my sister, and my wife, are all teachers. Education is something that I am passionate about and has always been in my family.”

Today, Rucci continues to work as an English Language Arts teacher in an elementary school. While his playing days may have ended with the Jackals in 2006, that did not mean he was done with baseball. In the years that followed, Rucci became a head high school baseball coach, which allowed him to combine both of his passions of education and baseball.

Eventually, Rucci stepped away from the high school coaching scene to pursue other opportunities. Aptly, a chance arose for Rucci to return to Rowan exactly 10 years after he graduated and he accepted a position as an assistant coach for the baseball team in 2015.

Not only did the coaching position allow Rucci to reunite with the school that he smashed records and baseballs for, but it also allowed him to give back to both the sport and the team. He stayed at Rowan as an assistant coach from 2015 to 2020 and in each of those years, the Profs had a winning record. 

While Rucci has always been a team-first guy, the individual success of one specific player was what made his return to Rowan special. Rucci got to coach Alex Kokos, who would break Rucci’s career hits record during the Profs’ run to the 2021 College World Series, finishing with 230 hits. 

To this day, Rucci continues to praise Kokos, as he built a strong connection with the player who broke his own record. “Kokos was the first player I recruited when I started coaching at Rowan,” said Rucci. “Seeing him break my record felt perfect, as if everything came full circle. I like to joke with Coach [Dickson] that I should get the credit for his 230 hits, but he was an incredibly talented player that earned it.”

All in all, Mike Rucci has earned a spot in the Rowan Athletic Hall of Fame for his contributions to the university as a player and coach. On the field, he was able to contribute hits, runs, wins, and all-time records for the Profs during his tenure, while also establishing a team-first mentality that still floats around the dugout today. As an assistant coach, he was able to reinforce that culture and help the younger generation of Profs develop into better players and men. The legacy that Mike Rucci left on the Rowan baseball program will forever be recognized through his induction to the 2021 Hall of Fame. 

The 2021 Rowan/Glassboro State Athletic Hall of Fame Class also includes John Bunting – Football Coach (1988-92), Mary Marino – Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach (1987-97, 1988-97 and 1999-07), Moriah Holmstrom  – Field Hockey (1997-2000), Tiffany Miller – Softball (1994-97), Bob Pfeffer – Baseball (1975-78), and Rob Scott – Basketball (1994-98).  The induction ceremony will take place on Homecoming Weekend on Sunday, October 24. To buy tickets - PURCHASE