Hall of Fame
Ponticelli, a native of Detroit and graduate of Detroit Osborn HS, received three varsity baseball letters in 1977, 1978 and 1979. He also participated as a member of the junior varsity on the Tartars' 1975 football and 1976 baseball squads.
Ponticelli joins fellow teammate David Zelmanski and then-assistant coach Angelo Gust as a member of the 1994 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Class.
During his four-year baseball career Ponticelli was a prolific batter as a rightfielder, first baseman and third baseman. His prominent position was rightfield.
Upon finishing his career after the 1979 season Ponticelli's .354 career batting average was the Tartars' sixth all-time best, and currently it is ranked 10th in the Tartars' record book. His .422 average in 1978 was then the team's seventh-best season mark and still ranks 10th in the record book.
His 1978 season was his best. Besides batting a team-high .411 Ponticelli set a team single-season record with 34 RBI. Zelmanski finished right behind him with 33 RBI. After the 1978 campaign Ponticelli was voted to the NCAA Division II Baseball All-America Second Team. He was also named to the All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and NCAA District IV Baseball All-America first teams. Ponticelli led the GLIAC in batting in 1978 with a .488 average.
Ponticelli was named captain of the 1979 squad, and he finished second on the squad in batting with a .325 average and 20 RBI. Upon conclusion of his final season Ponticelli was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team and NCAA District IV Baseball All-America Third Team.
In both 1978 and 1979 Ponticelli was voted to the College Division Baseball Academic All-America First team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Majoring in business administration, Ponticelli carried an A average, the highest student academic honor awarded at the winter commencement. He graduated with highest honors with a Bachelor's in Business Administration in December 1979.
In spring 1980 Ponticelli was awarded, by the NCAA, one of its postgraduate scholarships. The scholarship is awarded to former student athletes who exhibit excellence in both academics and athletics. Ponticelli used the scholarship to attend Michigan State, where he received his Master's in Business Administration in 1981.
Ponticelli played both baseball and football at Detroit Osborn. He earned All-City Baseball First Team honors in 1974 and 1975, and was an All-City Football Honorable Mention selection his senior year. While attending Wayne State Ponticelli played summer baseball in the Detroit Adray League.
In 1981 Ponticelli went to work for Kraft General Foods. He presently is vice president of marketing for the Tombstone Pizza Corp., a subsidiary of Kraft.
Ponticelli and his wife, Maribeth, are parents of daughter Jessica and son Tyler. They reside in Northbrook, Ill.
