Richie Rowe enters his second season as Allegheny College’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator in the spring of 2024.
In his first year as pitching coach, the Gators had one of the best staffs in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC). Allegheny finished among the top three teams in the conference in ERA (4.99), strikeouts (299), and batting average against (.264), while leading all teams with the fewest hits allowed (313) in 36 games. Additionally, two pitchers, Brent Herrmann (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) and Mark Schweickert (Glen Allen, Va./John Randolph Tucker) were recognized as All-PAC Honorable Mentions. Schweickert and then-senior Bobby Kusinsky (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) led all qualified pitchers in the PAC in opposing batting average at .181 and .185, respectively, in 2023.
Rowe, who serves as Allegheny’s first-base coach, helps with hitting, infield, and outfield duties, develops scouting reports, and organizes the team’s travel accommodations. On campus, he assists with game and facility management for home sporting events inside the David V. Wise Center.
During the summer, Rowe runs camps and showcases at Allegheny’s Robert M. Garbark Field to help garner exposure for local high school players. He also coaches travel baseball teams in the Pittsburgh area, working with the TCT Tigers Elite.
Before joining the Gators, Rowe spent two years at Division II Shippensburg University in a similar capacity under 2022 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Coach of the Year Matt Jones. As pitching coach, he helped the Raiders reduce their ERA by more than a run between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Two Raider hurlers were named All-PSAC performers, and one, Nick Zegna, was an All-Region selection. Zegna later signed a pro contract with the Glacier Range Riders in the independent Pioneer League.
No stranger to the PAC, Rowe was a two-way player and senior captain at Geneva College. As a senior in 2018, he led the Golden Tornadoes and ranked among the top 10 in the PAC in wins (5) and strikeouts (41), as Geneva compiled its winningest season in seven years. As an outfielder and first baseman, he walked more than he struck out and logged a career .395 on-base percentage.
A double graduate of Geneva, Rowe received his bachelor’s degree in sports and business management with a minor in coaching from Geneva in 2018. He then graduated with a master’s in higher education in 2020.
