Podcast: Rhode Island coach Raphael Cerrato on team-building

Raphael Cerrato took over as the Rhode Island head baseball coach in 2014. (URI Athletics)

University of Rhode Island baseball coach Raphael Cerrato joined The Base Path Podcast to reflect on the state of college baseball with host Dan Guttenplan.

Cerrato and his staff are adjusting to the NCAA’s recent rule changes, including limiting roster sizes to 34 for the 2025-26 season. The Rams coaches have scaled back their recruitment of players through the transfer portal after a high water mark of six new transfers prior to the 2024 season. This year, the Rams will have only three new transfers.

“The transfer portal is tough,” Cerrato said. “I don’t love it at all. I would say most coaches are going to say the same. What’s going on with this? Are you going for education? And it’s tough with the chemistry, you want to be able to keep a kid and develop that chemistry with the team. Now, I don’t know how much that’s going to happen.

“I want our kids to have a good experience. Obviously winning and competing for championships is a big part of that. If someone wants to leave and try to do something else, there’s not a lot you can do. But we’re not going to be the kind of school that’s going to just go after transfers. I want to develop kids. I want to bring kids as freshmen and develop them. If you develop them so well that they move on to an SEC school or ACC school, then you’re doing your job.”

WATCH THE PODCAST WITH RAPHAEL CERRATO

Cerrato also talked about the rise of travel baseball in New England, with most high school and prep players now playing for AAU teams in the summer and fall.

“I think probably one of the biggest differences is kids are definitely throwing harder,” Cerrato said. “There’s no doubt. They’re training year-round. They’re doing these velocity programs. Most of it is good. I get it. A kid who’s throwing 82 or 83 mph in high school is probably not getting recruited by a Division 1 school, especially a right-handed pitcher.

“So, we know that they have to throw harder. Well, some of these kids aren’t ready for that, and they get injured. So, I understand the reasoning behind trying to throw harder. But just because you throw harder doesn’t make you a better pitcher. We’ve looked at data too. There’s an increase in walks in college baseball. That has gone up significantly in the last 10 years. Velocity has gone up, the stuff has gone up, but they’re not necessarily becoming better pitchers.”

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