One of the perks of Warwick graduate Micaela Abbatine’s job is a great office view.
All she has to do is walk out onto an adjoining balcony for a view from left field of one of the most beautiful stadiums in Major League Baseball (MLB): PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Only 27 years old, Abbatine is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Coordinator of Amateur Scouting. Among other things, she is responsible for identifying, drafting and signing domestic players, including high school, junior college, and four-year college prospects.
“I had always dreamed about becoming involved with MLB after I finished playing softball,” Abbatine said. “I think after being a player it is a natural fit as far as knowing how to evaluate and communicate with players and our personnel. It is a cool role and I can’t speak more glowingly about how much the Pittsburgh organization has helped me with my career.”
A standout softball player at Warwick, Abbatine went on to play softball at three Division I schools: the University of Maryland, North Carolina, and Providence. Abbatine, who holds an MBA in Sports Management and a Master’s Degree in Business, went on to play professionally in Europe and represented Team Italy. Her dual citizenship earned her a chance to represent the country in which her great-grandparents were born.
Abbatine joined the Pirates in June of 2022 as an intern in the scouting department and was promoted to Coordinator of Amateur Scouting last November. In that role, Abbatine manages day-to-day operations, working with scouts throughout the country as they try to find the next Paul Skenes.
Abbatine also travels to evaluate players, spending about 150 days a year on the road. She hopes to continue her scouting career and hope to one day be an MLB Scouting Director or Foreign Scouting.