Jeff Melillo

Classroom

Melillo is a two-time winner of the Ron Kish Academic Award, which honors the RU player with the highest GPA on the team. Currently, his GPA is 3.62. In addition, he is a member of the National College Athlete Honor Society and the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee. Melillo has appeared on the Rutgers Deans List every semester since 2010. His major is Finance.

Character

As a catcher, Melillo is tied in with both the hitters and pitchers. He has emerged as a team leader in every sense, helping his teammates both on and off the field. He will be the first person to give someone a compliment when appropriate, but also is not afraid to point out ways in which others can be better.

Community

Melillo has participated in “Basebald” - an organization where players shave their heads for the St. Baldrick’s Children Research Center for kids with cancer. He also hopes to organize the Rutgers team in Cancer Vs. this season. The team plans on shaving their heads to raise money for cancer research. Additionally, Melillo has read books to elementary school and special education children for two summers.

Competition

On the field, Melillo has emerged as a top catcher in the Big East. He was named first team All-Big East in 2012 in addition to being named on the prestigious Johnny Bench Award watch list. He batted .311 with four home runs last season to help the Scarlet Knights reach the Big East Championships. The catcher caught 19 runners stealing from behind the plate. Over the summer, he was named first team All-New England College Baseball League after winning the batting title. He was one of the top 25 prospects in the competitive league and was a summer All-American. This year he is expected to be a force in the middle of the order in addition to a calming presence for the pitchers.