精东传媒

Kansas City, Kan. 鈥撀� Former 精东传媒 (精东传媒) pitcher Andrew DiPiazza signed to play for the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball League on Aug. 16.

DiPiazza left his mark at Mercer by leading the Vikings to back-to-back winning seasons. In 2016, he helped the Vikings to a 51-10 record, while in 2017 his efforts lead to a 48-14 finish.

鈥淎ll he did for two years here was win, and he got better as the stage got bigger,鈥� said Coach Carella. 鈥淒iPiazza would not have gotten to where he is today if it wasn鈥檛 for him showcasing his talents whenever he got the chance, and working extremely hard.鈥�

DiPiazza鈥檚 freshman season consisted of a 12-1 record, 84 innings pitched, a 1.50 ERA and 109 strikeouts. He was later named The National Junior College Athletic Association鈥檚 (NJCAA) Division II Baseball Pitcher of the Year.

鈥淗is sophomore year was similarly successful,鈥� said Carella. He, along with Dennis Brady and Nick Snyder, formed a trio of starting pitchers that are now all playing professionally. DiPiazza and Brady both earned spots on the 2017 All-Region 19 team during their sophomore year. That same year the team finished as the National Runner-up.

After leaving Mercer, DiPiazza transferred to Rowan University where he posted a 13-2 record, 2.26 ERA, and 163 strikeouts over 119 innings pitched for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. DiPiazza was on the 2019 Rowan pitching staff when he was drafted to play for the T-Bones.

Recently, on Aug. 20, DiPiazza played his debut game as a T-Bone against the Sioux City Explorers. Although the T-Bones fell 5-0, DiPiazza made an appearance during the fifth inning and pitched three straight outs.

鈥淭he best thing I can say about Andrew is that he is a winner and wants the ball in his hands," Carella added. "When he took the mound for the Vikings, he was a competitor and refused to lose."

DiPiazza pitches during an April 2017 game for the Vikings.