Piscetta Learned to Control Powerful Arm at Wooster Before Playing Pro Ball for Four Years

Tim Pettorini knew Rob Piscetta had a “big-league arm” the first time he saw him, but it took some time developing at The College of Wooster from 1984-1987 before Piscetta got his shot with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 6-4, 215-pound right-hander from New Milford, Conn., came to Wooster with a strong fastball, however, it was “usually high and out of the strike zone,” joked Pettorini. Piscetta’s very first start was a rough one, as he allowed seven runs in 1.1 innings, but then bounced back to reveal his potential, throwing 13.0 scoreless innings during the remainder of his opportunities as a freshman.

Piscetta became a regular member of the rotation his sophomore season, helping the Fighting Scots to a share of the very first North Coast Athletic Conference championship. He went 3-3 with a 5.70 ERA over nine starts and one additional appearance, but was still struggling with his control, having walked 36 in 47.1 innings.

The experience he gained his first two years resulted in increased confidence and maturity, transforming Piscetta into one of the best in the league the next spring. He started out as Wooster’s No. 2, but ended up leading the team in both ERA (2.90) and strikeouts (74), while going 7-2 during 68.1 innings en route to first-team all-NCAC honors.

Piscetta raised his game another level as a senior, setting a then-school record with 12 victories (12-2), including one over NCAA Div. I Youngstown State University. Out of 13 games started, he completed nine, and in the process, accumulated a 2.94 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 82.2 innings, leading the Scots to the conference championship. For his efforts, Piscetta was the 1987 NCAC Pitcher of the Year and a third-team All-American, as well as first-team all-region and all-conference.

Thankful for Pettorini’s lenience early on, Piscetta said, “My first two years were developmental and I appreciated Coach P.’s patience. The last two years were tremendous and I look back at them with great fondness.”

Piscetta wound up with a 24-8 career record, 3.64 ERA, and 196 strikeouts, nearly an average of one every inning (212.2 innings). His win and strikeout totals ranked third and fifth, respectively, in the Scot annals at the time of his graduation. Currently, he’s tied for sixth in games started (36), seventh in complete games (18), tied for ninth in wins, and 10th in strikeouts.

In addition to putting his name in the school records, Piscetta’s last two seasons gained attention from several professional scouts. The Dodgers took him in the 27th round of the 1987 draft, and although he never made it up to Major League Baseball, he had a successful run, pitching for four years within their organization. He even represented the Dodgers in Australia as a player/coach on a national team, and as a scout.

“He’s one of the all-time greats here,” commented Pettorini, who has coached Wooster to a spot in the top-25 of the final NCAA Div. III national rankings 17 of his 26 seasons. “He was the first great pitcher that I really recruited, so I have a special feeling for that. He was part of my second recruiting class, and that’s the one that really kind of got us going.”

Piscetta, who earned a bachelor’s degree in geology, is still involved in athletics, as he’s worked for Wilson Sporting Goods Co., since 1999, currently as a regional sales manager (northeast). He married 1989 Wooster alum Colleen McCauley, and they reside in nearby Sharon Ctr., Ohio, with their daughters – Madeline (13) and Kate (10).