Baseball was a big part of Dario Pizzano’s life from an early age, as he represented his hometown, Saugus (Massachusetts) American Little League all-star team that went to the United States Championship game in the 2003 Little League World Series.
At Columbia, Pizzano holds the program’s single-game record with six hits and ranks in the top 10 in all-time in slugging percentage (second), on-base percentage (seventh), doubles (tied fourth), home runs (second), RBIs (ninth), and total bases (fourth). The 2012 Ivy League Player of the Year was a three-time conference first team selection.
Pizzano hit the ground running when he arrived in Morningside Heights. He raked in his first season, posting a league-leading .741 slugging percentage and finished the season batting .374 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs. His 12 home runs set a program single-season rookie record. Following his rookie season with the Lions in 2010, he was named Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Year, Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, and Ping! Baseball Freshman All-American.
Pizzano’s junior year 2011 saw him land on Second Team All-ECAC after leading the Ivy League in home runs and total bases. Pizzano led the team in batting average, hits, and RBIs, along with those categories. Pizzano’s stellar senior season in 2012 saw him tie Columbia’s career home run record with former Major Leaguer and Columbia Athletics Hall of Famer Gene Larkin. The College Baseball Insider preseason All-American batted .409 with 20 RBI during Ivy League play and led the team with 16 doubles, 31 walks, and 36 RBIs.
The Seattle Mariners selected Pizzano in the 15th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He began his professional career in the Mariners’ minor league system, making his debut with the Everett AquaSox, a short-season Class A team. Pizzano spent several seasons working his way through the Mariners’ minor league affiliates, showing consistency at the plate and earning a reputation for his solid approach to hitting. He played for Mariners affiliates Jackson Generals (Double-A), Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) and Tacoma Rainiers (Triple-A). Pizzano then signed with the New York Mets organization and appeared in games with Double-A Binghamton before playing in the Independent Leagues in 2020 and 2021.
In 2021, Pizzano represented Team Italy in the European Championship Tournament, helping the Azzurri win a bronze medal. A year later, he competed with Italy in the Haarlem Honkbalweek 2022 Tournament in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Pizzano is a Registered Client Service Associate for J.P. Morgan and the Director of Fundraising for MS4MS (Mission Stadiums for Multiple Sclerosis).
