Radford University Athletics

Joe Raccuia, a 1995 Radford graduate, returned to his roots on July 10, 2007 when he was named the fifth head coach in Radford baseball history. Having now completed his 12th season as the head man for the Highlanders, a Radford uniform has been a winning fit for Raccuia. Throughout his 14 seasons in a Highlander uniform, Raccuia has been a part of 428 total wins as a player (1994-95), assistant coach (1996) and head coach (2008-present), better than 54 percent of the program’s all-time victories dating back to 1985.

Raccuia’s most successful season at Radford came during a historic 2015 season as the Highlanders finished with a 45-16 record, setting a new school record in wins. The season also saw the programs first Big South regular season and conference championships, while earning a trip to the NCAA Nashville Regional. In the regional, Radford went 2-2, including wins over No. 3 Indiana and No. 4 Lipscomb.

Radford finished Big South play with a 20-4 record, earning Raccuia the Big South Coach of the Year award. Raccuia became only the third Radford head coach to earn the honor.

Including a record six all-conference selections in 2015, 41 of Raccuia’s players have earned all-conference honors.

The 2015 squad posted a .289/.386/.425 line, while leading the Big South with 122 doubles and 362 RBI. The Highlander bats were led by Big South First Team selections Josh Gardiner and Patrick Marshall. Gardiner narrowly missed the Big South batting title, finishing second with a .368 average, while leading the league with a .451 on-base percentage. Marshall led the conference and set a new Radford single-season record with 59 RBI. Big South second team member Hunter Higgerson finished with 25 doubles, leading the Big South and setting a new Radford season record. Higgerson finished second behind Marshall in RBI, driving in 53 runs. Shane Johnsonbaugh earned 

Big South second team honors after leading Radford in hits (76), runs scored (50) and walks (38).

Radford can attest their 2015 success to their pitching staff and bullpen. The Highlanders finished with a 3.95 ERA, a new single-season record. Radford ranked second in the Big South, holding opposing batters to a .255 average. The Highlanders only allowed 276 runs, their lowest since the 2000 season. Big South First Team member, Ryan Meisinger was named a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award after leading the NCAA in saves with 17. Meisinger finished his career with a 2.60 ERA, a new Radford career mark. Michael Boyle earned Big South First Team honors after leading the Big South in wins (10) and finishing second in innings pitched (105.1). With the 10 wins, Boyle became the first Highlander to lead the league in wins, while setting a new Radford single-season record.

The 2015 senior class concluded their careers with a 137-93-1 overall record, the most wins for a four-year class in program history. The group led Radford to three consecutive 30-plus win seasons.

The success of the 2015 season continued during the 2017 season as the Highlanders played their best baseball when it mattered, outscoring opponents 29-8 in the Big South Tournament to run the table for four straight tournament wins to capture their second tournament championship in three seasons. Radford earned a trip to the NCAA Louisville Regional.

Radford matched a program record with six all-conference selections, highlighted by Big South Pitcher of the Year Zack Ridgely. The junior left-hander turned in a 7-5 record with a 2.84 ERA, striking out 85 in 95.0 innings, walking only 12 batters. Ridgely ranked ninth in the country with a 7.08 strikeout-to-walk ratio, while his 1.14 walks allowed per nine innings ranked 17th best.

Joining Ridgely on the Big South First Team were seniors Kyle Zurak and Danny Hrbek. Zurak put together a breakout campaign that earned him a semifinalist spot for the Gregg Olson Award. The eighth-round selection by the New York Yankees finished his season with a 2.40 ERA, sixth best in program history. Zurak finished with a 4-4 record and nine saves in 25 appearances with four starts. In only his third career start, Zurak tossed his first complete game in the Big South Tournament Championship, striking out nine batters. Hrbek earned first team honors after making the transition to a two-way player for the Highlanders, stepping into the Saturday role on the mound. In his third career start, Hrbek tossed the first nine-inning no-hitter in program history with a 4-0 win over Quinnipiac on March 4. Hrbek struck out nine, falling an error shy of a perfect game.

Radford received big contributions from second team members Jonathan Gonzalez, Kyle Butler and Spencer Horwitz. Gonzalez hit a career-best 12 home runs, while driving in a team-high 44 runs. Butler stepped into a starting role due to injuries early in the season, finishing with 70 hits and 48 runs scored, both coming as team highs. Horwitz put together one of the best offensive freshman seasons in program history, earning a spot on the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American team after leading the Highlanders with a .311 average. Horwitz finished second with 64 hits, while driving in 34 runs on 11 doubles and eight home runs.

Highlander pitchers were especially good in Big South play, ranking third with a 3.09 ERA, walking only 63 batters in 212.1 innings. Opposing conference foes only hit .241 off Highlander pitching. Zurak led the league with a 1.03 conference ERA, striking out 40 in 26.1 innings. Ridgely came in fifth with a 2.13 ERA.


2019 proved to be a special year for Raccuia as he passed 400 wins in his career as a head coach. He guided the Highlanders to a 30-27 record overall and a 19-8 record in conference play to secure a second-place finish in the Big South regular season standings. Then in the Big South Tournament, Radford defeated Charleston Southern to give the program at least one postseason victory for the ninth straight year.


Kyle Butler and J.D. Mundy earned their places on the All-Big South First Team, Andrew Szamski and Bruce Hudson made the Second Team, Spencer Horwitz was named Honorable Mention and Straton Podaras was selected for the All-Academic team. Horwitz went on to become the 13th player drafted into Major League Baseball under Raccuia - a 24th round choice by the Toronto Blue Jays.

In 2018, Raccuia became the fourth coach in Big South history to win 300 games in a career as he earned the honor with a 9-5 victory at Jacksonville State on Feb. 24. In addition, Raccuia became the third Big South coach to win 150 conference games with a 4-3 victory at Liberty on May 12.

After leading the conference in wins, Austin Ross became the eighth pitcher under Raccuia to be named to the All-Big South First Team. Ross finished the 2018 campaign with a 9-4 record, ranking 30th nationally in wins.

Offensively, Radford ranked second in the Big South and 49th in the country with 269 walks. With 19 triples, the Highlanders were 23rd nationally, while serving as the most by a Highlander team in 10 years.

Getting players to the professional ranks has been a staple for Raccuia during his time as the headman at Radford. Raccuia has oversaw 12 players drafted in the MLB First Year Player Draft, with four players signing non-drafted free agent contracts.

In 2012, Eddie Butler was the 46th overall selection of the Colorado Rockies in the draft - the highest draft selection in Radford University program history and the first Big South Conference player to be selected in the draft’s first round. On June 6, 2014, Butler became the third Radford player to make it to the big leagues with his MLB debut for the Colorado Rockies.

The 2012 and 2015 seasons saw three Radford players drafted, joining 1997 as the only years that Radford has had three players selected in the same year. Pitcher Ryan Meisinger made his big-league debut for the Baltimore Orioles in June of 2018.

Raccuia’s success has come both on and off the field of play, including facilities, player development, recruiting and academics.

On his watch, two major baseball facilities have opened: Sioros Center and Williams Field at Carter Memorial Stadium. The stadium, which opened on April 8, 2011, became the cornerstone of Radford’s program thanks in part to Raccuia’s extensive fund-raising and planning efforts. The project went from conception in the Fall of 2010, to completion during the 2011 season as a result of his work. Raccuia also spearheaded the work done to the playing surface and dugouts in time for the 2010 season. All of the improvements to the facilities marked the first major capital upgrades since Raccuia’s playing days at Radford.

On the academic side, the program has earned several honors under Raccuia. The 2008 season saw Alex Gregory collect the second Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in program history. During the Raccuia reign, Radford has placed 11 players on the Big South All-Academic Team and two on the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.

In Raccuia’s first season with the Highlanders, the team produced 24 wins, the most since 2000. The final total was a 14-game turnaround from the 2007 season. Radford snapped Charlotte’s 17-game home winning streak, the second-longest home streak in the country at the time. Radford finished the season with three all-conference selections and two all-tournament picks.

The 2009 season marked a turnaround for the program finishing 26-24 overall and 16-9 in conference play. Raccuia’s second season with the Highlanders was marked by a fourth-place finish and the No. 4 seed in the Big South Conference Tournament. The tournament saw a Radford come-from-behind win against No. 22 Coastal Carolina, 11-7. The Highlanders trailed 7-6, before scoring five ninth inning runs. Jeff Kemp put together one of the best Radford freshman seasons in program history, earning first Big South Freshman of the Year award in program history. Kemp was also named Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.

In 2010, the Highlanders posted a third-place Big South finish for the first time since 2000, while becoming the first Radford team to hit better than .300 and post an ERA lower than 6.00 since 1995. The Highlanders put pressure on their opponents with a high-octane attack on the base paths, stealing a single-season record 143 bases, ranking in the nation’s top 10. Radford put together a late-season surge, winning 16 of their last 26 games and 11 of their last 17 Big South games. 

The 2011 season brought a new national standard for collegiate aluminum bats, the Highlanders never missed a beat offensively, ranking NCAA’s Top 40 in doubles and stolen bases. Radford finished in the Big South’s top three in slugging percentage and triples. Radford’s biggest improvement came on the mound, where Radford starters became the first staff in the history of the program to post sub-4.25 ERAs, start 15 games each, work better than 85 innings each and strikeout more than 55 batters each. In addition, Abram Williams set the school and Big South regular season saves records.

The program continued to develop in 2012, as members of Raccuia’s first recruiting class wrapped up their careers.  The Highlanders placed three seniors on the Big South First Team and one senior on the second team. Many of his recruits wrote the final successful chapters of their careers with records - Brett Mollenhauer became the school’s all-time leader in games played and at-bats. Eddie Butler became the first Highlander to be named Big South and VaSID Pitcher of the Year. Radford distinguished itself as the top defensive unit in the Big South with a school-record .978 fielding percentage. The Highlanders finished in the NCAA’s Top 20 in defense.

The 2013 campaign saw the Highlanders post 30 wins for only the third time in school history. Radford defeated its highest ranked opponent ever when the Highlanders upended #4 Virginia, 9-8, in Charlottesville. Jeff Kemp garnered first-team All-Big South and VaSID All-Virginia team selections.

The 2014 squad posted then a school-record 33 victories, including 10 wins over NCAA Tournament teams. Hunter Higgerson recorded the Big South’s RBI champion and along with Lee was named second-team all-conference. Patrick Marshall earned first team All-Big South honors. The 2014 senior class earned 123 wins - which previously served as the most wins for a four-year class in program history, including the first back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2013 and 2014.

Before returning to Radford, his path home was a busy one, ranging from the head coaches’ job at Marist to the recruiting coordinator position at Alabama. In each case, Raccuia has had a successful run, setting the stage for his return to his alma mater.

A Buffalo, N.Y, native, Raccuia spent two seasons as the Crimson Tide’s recruiting coordinator and hitting instructor. He saw six of his position players taken in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft after just one year on the job. Raccuia also brought an improved offense to Tuscaloosa in 2006. The Crimson Tide hit .291 in his first season, with 50 home runs and 394 RBI, compared to a .281 composite average during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.  Among hitters Raccuia coached in his two seasons at Alabama was Detroit Tigers All-Star catcher Alex Avila, who was an all-SEC selection in 2007 under Raccuia.

Raccuia’s stint at Alabama came after spending two seasons as the head coach at Marist College. He compiled a 58-51 record with the Red Foxes, including a 39-15 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. He was named the 2005 MAAC Co-Coach of the Year and led the Red Foxes to a berth in the 2005 Baton Rouge Regional. Seven Marist players earned All-MAAC honors under Raccuia’s tutelage, including the 2005 MAAC Pitcher and Relief Pitcher of the Year. Raccuia’s teams had a total of nine MAAC All-Academic Team selections.

Prior to Marist, Raccuia was an assistant coach at George Mason for four years, including a promotion to associate head coach in his final two years. Raccuia was responsible for the Patriots hitting and defensive instruction and he helped recruit three freshmen All-Americans. He coached four all-conference position players in his final season at Mason, including the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year.

Before moving to George Mason, Raccuia spent four years as the assistant head coach at George Washington University, serving as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. In three years with the Colonials, Raccuia coached or recruited 14 players who earned All-Atlantic 10 recognition and 12 players who went on to professional careers. The GW class of 2002 had five players that Raccuia recruited taken in the MLB Draft, including former Washington Nationals and New York Mets reliever Mike O’Connor.

Raccuia’s coaching career begin at Radford in 1996. He assisted in every aspect of the program under his former coach Lew Kent. Raccuia played two seasons for Kent at Radford, serving as the team captain during the 1995 campaign and helping that squad to a then-school record for wins. Prior to playing at Radford, Raccuia played two seasons at Edison Community College. He served as the team captain his second year, leading that 1993 team to a school-record single-season win total.

Raccuia, who graduated with a degree in social science from Radford in 1995, resides in Radford will his three children: A.J., Joey and Emma.