JACKSON, Tenn. - Tommy Cepparulo, a former pitcher for the Union University baseball program, earned a spot as an umpire in the NCAA Division I Baseball Regional in Gainsville, Florida. Cepparulo has climbed the ranks in the umpire world and has spent the last several years calling Division I baseball games in the ACC, Conference USA, and Big South. 

Cepparulo was one of six umpires to be assigned to the Gainsville Regional hosted by the University of Florida in May of 2026. He said, '"The day the selections came out I was riding home with my daughter from getting her drivers license. Another umpire text me and said congratulations. I replied for what, and he sent me a picture of the list that had been emailed out. My daughter and I both had the biggest smile on our faces. To know that only 96 umpires get selected was pretty cool knowing that I was one of those. The next day I received the email about going to Gainesville."

While at Union, Cepparulo played for the winningest coach in Union baseball history and local baseball legend, Andy Rushing. Rushing said, "I am not surprised that Tommy rose to this high level of umpiring. He approached this with the same intensity as he did as a player. He has always had that closer mentality."

Cepparulo played baseball at Union in 1994 and 1995 as a junior and senior. He was a pitcher, mostly used as a closer for the Bulldogs. In 1994, he helped Union to a 30-win season with 10 appearances, two saves, a 1-1 record, with 23 strikeouts and only nine walks in 18.2 innings of work. He followed that up with his best season a senior in 1995, helping Union to 33 wins and another poseason appearance. He appeared in 20 games with five saves and a 5-2 record. He recorded 39 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 36.3 innings of work 

"Probably one of the coolest things was walking into the umpire locker room in Gainsville and seeing my locker with my name plate above it", said Cepparulo. "It all became so surreal then. Another pretty cool thing was walking out to home plate for my plate job and just looking around and telling my self "WOW". I also remember going to replay on my first close call in the Florida and Miami game and telling myself 'I sure hope I got this right'. And when the replays guys in Pittsburgh came back with call confirmed, I exhaled." 

Cepparulo is currently an assistant professor fo crimminal justice at Jackson State Community College, where he also played two seasons of baseball before transferring to Union. Since graduating Union, he has worked in law enforcement and taught and coached in high school. 

-UNION-