Former Shore Regional Baseball Star Excelling at Rutgers

The visiting team had just gone ahead by a run in the top of the 10^th inning on Feb. 19 when nearly 4,000 home fans made their voices heard at the University of Miami’s Mark Light Field in an attempt to rattle the visiting closer.

Rutgers sophomore lefty Rob Corsi had been handed the ball for a second straight inning and assigned the task of silencing the crowd at one of college baseball’s perennially strong programs. In just his second game for the Scarlet Knights since transferring from Duquesne University after the Dukes folded their program, the former Shore Regional star had been thrown into the fire in a showdown with the ACC power.

“I kept telling myself, ‘This is your moment,’’’ Corsi said. “This is where you can show that you can pitch in the Big East, and anyone who is doubting that, you can show them by beating a great team.’’

Corsi pitched a 1-2-3 inning for his second scoreless inning of relief to cap an exhilarating, 6-5 win for the Scarlet Knights. Then he drank in the sweet sound of silence.

 After taking in the moment, he jogged off the field toward veteran head coach Fred Hill Sr. as the Miami fans headed to the exits.

“Coach smiled and said, ‘Welcome to Rutgers,’’’ Corsi said.

It wasn’t originally supposed to be this way for Corsi, who starred for Shore in 2008-09, finishing 9-3 as a senior with a 1.34 ERA and a Shore Conference-leading 116 strikeouts in 78 innings while helping the Blue Devils reach the NJSIAA Group II final for the first time since 1993.

Corsi decided to continue his career at Duquesne, but before his freshman season began, he and his teammates were brought into a room for a meeting in January of 2010. They sat in stunned silence as they were informed that a baseball program dating back to 1888 was going to be disbanded as part of a strategic restructuring of varsity sports that also would eliminate men’s swimming, wrestling and men’s golf.

“No one said anything for a while,’’ Corsi said. “It was completely out of nowhere. There was a lot of anger, and a lot of disappointment. I lucked out because I was a freshman. You think about these other guys who are three years into a degree and don’t want to leave. I think they got the short end.’’

The Dukes entered the season knowing that it was essentially a farewell tour for a program that produced nine major-leaguers in its existence and once featured the late Art Rooney, the founder and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Corsi finished 1-4 with a 5.76 ERA in 16 appearances, including seven starts, as the Dukes finished a dismal 16-40. Corsi’s career, meanwhile, had hit a fork in the road.

At that point, it was as if he was a senior in high school all over again, getting recruited and trying to choose a program. Players from programs that fold are not subject to NCAA transfer rules, so they can play immediately at a new school without having to sit out for a year. He had to find a school where he was going to get a legitimate chance to pitch and feel at home.

The proximity of Rutgers to his home, the comfort level with a coaching staff that has several local ties, the lure of competing in the Big East, and, ultimately, an old friend from the Shore Conference led Corsi to choose Rutgers as his next destination. He was able to pick the brain of former Toms River South star Tyler Gebler, who excelled as a freshman out of the bullpen for the Scarlet Knights before becoming a starter again this season.

“I think what sealed the deal was Tyler Gebler,’’ Corsi said. “We talked every day, and he would tell me how the team was doing, what I could expect, and what kind of role would be opening up. He made me feel more comfortable, and I knew I had a buddy going in there.’’

Corsi’s next challenge became adjusting to life as a full-time reliever for Rutgers and proving that he could get Big East hitters out on a consistent basis after a shaky freshman year at Duquesne in the Atlantic 10.

“It made me work harder in the offseason,’’ he said. “If you want to hang with these Big East hitters, who are more polished, you’ve got to work even harder.’’

As a starter, Corsi was used to a set schedule in between outings, which was an immediate difference compared to life in the bullpen. Again, he went to Gebler for advice, as Gebler made the transition from a starter in high school to a closer at the college level. He also said that Rutgers assistant Bobby Brownlie, a former star hurler for the Scarlet Knights, was instrumental as well.

“It’s definitely tougher, but at the same time it’s great because you can help your team more during a week,’’ he said. “You get out of two jams, and you’ve had a big weekend.’’

Corsi flourished in the role, finishing 4-4 with a team-best 1.58 ERA over 40 innings covering 23 appearances this season for a team that finished 20-30. He was the only pitcher on the staff with an ERA under 3.00. He had 31 strikeouts in 40 innings, although he did finish with 21 walks.

“Every season you go in thinking, 'Do I still have it?'’’ Corsi said. “Right after the game in Miami, I’m thinking, ‘I can do this.’ Then it keeps snowballing until every time you go out there with confidence and can get the job done.’’

While Shore Conference fans remember Corsi for a dazzling, 12-6 curveball that left opposing hitters alternately buckling their knees or corkscrewing themselves into the ground, he said it was his fastball that was a major key to success. He wasn’t blowing people away with it, as his fastball sat in the 86-88-mph range, but he hid the ball well and hit spots to set up his curveball.

“I told myself that I had to work on my fastball,’’ he said. “It has a lot more movement, and I picked up some velocity. They had to honor the fastball.’’

Corsi said it has not been determined whether he will return to being a starter next season, but in the meantime he continues to hone his game. He is pitching for the Jersey Pilots of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League this summer, a team that also features two of his Rutgers teammates along with former Manasquan star and current Brookdale pitcher Karl Fiske. The aim is to continue to progress in a career in which he has made the most out of a potentially difficult situation.

If anything, the whole ordeal has taught him to savor every opportunity to take the mound, just like that night in front of all those screaming fans in Miami.

 “I was out there realizing that I should be thinking one pitch at a time,’’ Corsi said. “But at the same time, it was really hard not to get lost in that moment. That is something I’ll never forget.’’