Dominic Puccetti Signed to Active Roster, Set for Pro Debut Wednesday in Avon
WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 28) – The Washington Wild Things have signed LHP Dominic Puccetti, who pitched this season at Lander University to finish his collegiate career, to the active roster. Puccetti brings the active roster back to 25 players and he will start tonight in Avon, making his pro debut in the process.
Puccetti was a D2CCA All-Southeast Region Second Team selection this season at Lander after serving as the team’s ace and finishing the season 10-1 with a 3.84 ERA in 91.1 innings pitched across 16 starts. He led the team and Peach Belt Conference with 105 strikeouts, becoming the first Bearcat pitcher to eclipse the 100-strikeout mark since 2016. Opponents hit just .243 against Puccetti this season. Puccetti was also named NCBWA All-Southeast Region Second Team and All-Conference First Team SP for the Peach Belt.
This season, Lander won 43 games, the program’s third most in program history. The team claimed its first PBC Conference title in 11 years, a share of the PBC regular-season title and earned its first NCAAA Tournament appearance since 2016. Current Wild Things infielder Ethan Wilder played at Lander before coming to Washington but did not cross paths with Pucccetti, as Dominic’s only season at the school was this year.
The left hander made his way to Lander from Lawrence Tech, where he spent five seasons, the first of which was the shortened 2020 season. He had appeared in five games that year and fanned 17 to six walks in 9.1 innings. He’d go on to punch out 21 batters in 19.2 innings in 2021 before jumping from 19.2 innings to 52.1 innings in 2022. That season, Puccetti allowed just 41 hits and struck out 93 batters, working his way to a 4.99 ERA for the NAIA school. In 2023, he was 3-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 72 innings across 12 starts. He struck out 98 and allowed 60 hits and in 2024, he fanned 101 batters in 58.1 innings, allowing 44 hits and posted a shutout in 11 starts, going 5-3 with a 5.09 ERA.
His last three seasons are the top three single-season strikeout seasons in school history, and he holds the career strikeouts record at the school as well. He fanned 13 or more hitters in three games at LTU. He was All-WHAC Second Team in 2024 for the Blue Devils.
Puccetti is set to get the ball today in Avon to make his professional debut against the Crushers and righty Brandyn Sittinger, a former big leaguer. Washington is looking to even the series with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m.
