Baseball All-Conference Teams

NJAC Leaders | NJAC Tournament Central

PITMAN, N.J. (May 3, 2017) – Five members of the Rutgers University-Newark baseball team were named All-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), it was announced Wednesday morning by the league office.
 
Freshman second baseman JC Ball, junior third baseman Brian Boulineau and junior center fielder Anthony Perconte earned second-team all-league accolades, while junior catcher Justin Marks and sophomore shortstop Ryan Zucker were named honorable mention All-NJAC.
 
The group helped the Scarlet Raiders to a record of 23-13-1 in the regular season and the team's first berth in the NJAC Tournament since 2011.
 
"I am very happy for the five players who were recognized on the all-conference team," said Head Baseball Coach Mark Rizzi. "Our program has not had this many selections since 2011, and I think it is a reflection of the talent on our team. The best part is they will all be back next year."
 
Ball has been splendid for the Scarlet Raiders, getting better and better as the year has progressed. He hit .344 in conference games, tallying 22 hits in 64 at-bats with a .406 slugging percentage. Overall, Ball is hitting .306, with 15 stolen bases, 15 RBI, 29 runs scored, four doubles and a triple. Since moving from shortstop to second base early in the year, the Elizabeth native and Zucker have provided very strong defense up the middle for the Rutgers-Newark pitching staff.
 
The R-N rookie totaled 11 multi-hit games over the course of the season including five different contests where he had three hits. He also had an eight-game hitting streak at one point and was named to the D3baseball.com National Team of the Week on April 18.
 
Boulineau currently boasts a .297 batting average with 34 runs scored, 33 hits, 11 doubles and three homers. The junior tops the Scarlet Raiders with 36 RBI and is second on the team in both slugging (.495) and on-base percentage (.456). The junior had 12 RBI in 18 starts inside the conference, hitting .278 with a .429 on-base percentage and a .426 slugging percentage. He totaled seven multi-hit games, had an eight-game hitting streak and reached base in 16-straight games which was the fifth-longest mark on the Raiders this year. Boulineau was also named the NJAC Player of the Week after helping Rutgers-Newark to a 2-1 start to the season back in February.
 
Perconte has been excellent all season for Rutgers-Newark and going into the team's second game in the conference tournament has reached base in 22-straight contests. He has picked up multiple hits in 15 games, and is batting .354 overall with 45 hits, 41 runs, six doubles, two triples and a homer. He has worked 29 walks for a team-high .478 on-base percentage and he has driven in 33 runs which is tied for second on the Raiders. In conference games, Perconte is hitting .345 overall, totaling 20 hits in 58 at-bats with 14 walks.
 
The junior has played a sparkling center field with 92 putouts and no errors, and he leads the NJAC with 25 stolen bases in just 28 attempts.
 
"JC, Brian and Anthony's selection to the second-team is well-deserved," added Rizzi. "JC was one of the best all-around freshman in the conference, Brian had a very strong offensive year for us and Anthony has been as good as anyone I have seen – he just missed a first-team selection."
 
Marks has been a warrior behind the plate for Rutgers-Newark throughout his career and again this year. The third-year player is hitting .278 overall, with 32 hits and 30 runs scored. Marks has 22 RBI and an excellent eight stolen bases in 10 tries, ripping eight doubles, one triple and one homer as well. Defensively, he is outstanding in all aspects, most notably gunning down nine would-be base stealers. Entering the NJAC Tournament game against The College of New Jersey on Friday, Marks will put a 19-game on-base streak on the line which is currently the second-longest mark on the team (Perconte, 22).
 
Zucker has been a key to the Rutgers-Newark success this year, playing shortstop and hitting at the top of the lineup. He currently boasts a .329 batting average and a .405 on-base percentage, and he has scored 36 runs. Zucker is second on the squad in runs scored, and leads the team in hits (50) and multi-hit games with 17. The sophomore had a team-high 25-game on-base streak earlier in the year, notched a career-best nine-game hitting streak and drove in multiple runs in four different games.
 
"I am very proud of Justin and Ryan making honorable mention," added Rizzi. "Both made great strides at the plate and were as good as anyone in the league at their respective positions."
 
Rutgers-Newark and top-seeded TCNJ will square off on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at Jim Hynes Stadium in Union. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for seniors, students and children.
 
Fans unable to make the trip should visit www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com for links to follow the action live.