Joe Rizzo not only made the Oakton varsity baseball team as a freshman, he was the Cougars’ best hitter.

Rizzo led Oakton in batting average as a ninth-grader in 2013, earning second-team All-Concorde District honors as a utility player. He helped the Cougars win the district title, finish Northern Region runner-up and win a game at the state tournament.

As a sophomore, Rizzo moved from third base to shortstop, where he earned first-team All-Conference 6 honors. He also garnered second-team all-region accolades as a utility player, helping Oakton win a second consecutive district/conference title.

Now a rising junior, Rizzo is committed to play baseball at the University of South Carolina. He recently took part in a Q&A via email with The Connection.

*Connection: You’re committed to the University of South Carolina. What made the Gamecocks the right choice for you?

Rizzo: I was focused on the larger conference (SEC) because of the level of competition, and there was a real fit between my skills and what South Carolina needed. My comfort level was high with South Carolina because the program, the coaching and the university offered the greatest opportunity to grow as a ballplayer and as an individual.

*Connection: Are you being recruited to play a specific position?

Rizzo: At USC, if you can hit, you're going to play. So even though many schools have seen me as a third baseman, you just never know what is going to happen. But I know that if I'm performing, then I'll have the opportunity to play.

*Connection: What made you decide to commit prior to your junior year?

Rizzo: I've noticed that during the recruiting process, schools are starting to recruit earlier and earlier. So this is not an early commit relative to how the process has been sped up.

*Connection: At what age did you realize playing college baseball was a possibility for you?

Rizzo: I've always had aspirations of playing collegiate baseball, but until colleges have an interest, you don't know if those aspirations will come true. So it was between my freshman and sophomore years in HS that colleges were taking an interest in me, and that's when I knew.

*Connection: You bat left-handed and throw with your right. At what age did you start batting from the left side? Was it a difficult transition?

Rizzo: From the moment I first picked up a bat I was hitting from the left side. So I've been swinging lefty since when I can remember.

*Connection: What was it like playing varsity baseball as a freshman?

Rizzo: It was a tremendous experience. I knew my role was not going to be a team leader, but another piece to the team puzzle, so I was there to support my teammates in achieving our team goal of the district and state championship.

*Connection: What is your favorite baseball moment from your first two years at Oakton?

Rizzo: My favorite baseball moment was winning the second district championship, because that meant we won two district championships in a row.

*Connection: Better feeling: getting a clutch hit, or making a highlight-reel defensive play?

Rizzo: They are completely different feelings. The clutch hit is a team accomplishment, where I can drive in runs toward winning a game. A highlight-reel defensive play is an individual accomplishment, which is a completely different feeling. Both feel great!

*Connection: What is your favorite food?

Rizzo: Pasta with meatballs and sausage. Can't get enough.

*Connection: Who is your favorite music artist? Why?

Rizzo: I listen to a variety of artists, from rap to rock to country, and I don't have an individual favorite music artist. However, my parents took me to a Bruce Springsteen concert, and it was the greatest concert I've ever been to.

*Connection: What is your favorite movie? Why?

Rizzo: I have many favorites such as ‘Road to Perdition,’ ‘Full Metal Jacket’ and others, but my favorite is ‘Moneyball,’ because it involves looking at baseball at a completely different way.

*Connection: What is your favorite hobby outside of baseball?

Rizzo: I don't know if this is a hobby, but we have barbeques every weekend out in the cul-de-sac with all our neighbors, and that is a great time. We do a whole bunch of things as neighbors: Wiffle Ball, KanJam, and a fire pit.

*Connection: What location is the farthest you have traveled from the Washington, D.C. metro area?

Rizzo: I've been up and down the East Coast, from NYC to Miami, Fla. I hope next year I will be traveling to the West Coast.

*Connection: Are you a pro sports fan? If so, who are your favorite teams?

Rizzo: Baseball: the Nationals and the Yankees; football: the Redskins and the Giants; hockey: the Caps.