Rutgers Baseball and HC Steve Owens have landed their first player from the Transfer Portal this offseason as Lafayette outfielder Pete Ciuffreda committed to the program this week.
Ciuffreda is a 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior outfielder who was a three-year starter with the program. After hardly playing in 2020, he earned a starting role in 2021 season and played in 31 games where had a breakout season, slashing .304/.443/.451 with 31 hits, nine doubles, two home runs, 28 RBIs, twenty walks, and a .894 OPS.
After that, Ciffreda had an even better season in his junior season slahing .330/.438/.494 with 58 hits, twelve doubles, five home runs, a career-high 42 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. Ciuffreda also had a .932 OPS which was also a career best.
In his final season at Lafayette this past year, Ciuffreda’s power numbers jumped. He finished the 2023 season with a .265/.397/.497 slash line. He also recorded 50 hits, 39 runs, five doubles, 114 wRC+, and a .895 OPS. He also broke the program’s record for most home runs in a single season with 13 total while earning All-Patriot League First Team.
The Scarlet Knights quickly got involved in Ciuffreda's recruitment and were able to lock him in for the next season. He will likely compete for a starting role in the Scarlet Knights outfield from day one as Rutgers could lose two outfielders to the MLB Draft this offseason.
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