Twin brothers Eric Recchia, Paul Recchia have found success with Rutgers—Newark baseball

Junior infielder and right-handed pitcher Eric Recchia and junior right-handed pitcher Paul Recchia are twin brothers who both play for the Rutgers—Newark baseball team. The duo has played for the Scarlet Raiders (19-19, 4-14) for three seasons and has made a positive impact on the team.

The Recchia brothers fell in love with baseball when they were young, watching the New York Yankees. They went on to play little league baseball before playing for their alma mater, Randolph High School. Once Rutgers—Newark recruited the brothers, they knew it was the perfect place to play baseball at the collegiate level.

“It was a great option because of the academics and also the conference, the NJAC conference is really competitive,” Eric Recchia said. “When we visited, we really liked what we saw."

The brothers have been impressive at the plate this season. Eric Recchia owns a .358 batting average and has hit nine homers, which are both team-highs. His 35 runs batted in (RBI) is the most out of any Scarlet Raider currently. Paul Recchia, on the other hand, is hitting .269 and has 18 RBI in 38 games.

“It’s great having a brother that plays the same sport because we could always hit together and throw with each other … It’s also great to have someone that’s willing to always be honest and sometimes, get advice that maybe you don’t love to hear, but you need it so that’s a big part of having a brother,” Paul Recchia said.

Paul Recchia’s favorite memory at Rutgers—Newark thus far is getting to play college baseball with his brother every day.

“We definitely had some great memories growing up playing every team together, but the most memorable thing is just being able to play college baseball with him,” Paul Recchia said. “It’s a great feeling to be able to both be playing at the college level and I think that’s going to go down as my favorite memory.”

When it comes to who the better brother is, they both have different opinions.

“It’s tough to compete with his power, but I think I can hold my own against him,” Paul Recchia said.

Eric Recchia has the more clear-cut answer but still gives credit to his twin.

“I have confidence in myself so I would say myself, but Paul is a good player," Eric Recchia said.

The duo still has more time left with the Scarlet Raiders and will look to continue making memories and finding success on and off the field.