The
College of New Jersey head baseball coach Rick Dell earned his 600th
career baseball coaching victory on April 30 as the Lions topped
Rutgers-Newark, 8-1. Currently in his 23rd year at the helm of the
TCNJ baseball program, Dell's career record stands at 600-299-10.
The former men's soccer coach at TCNJ, Dell compiled a record of
182-60-23 in men's soccer and now has a combined collegiate coaching
record of 782-359-33. His 600th baseball victory improved the Lions
to 20-12 overall and marked the 20th time during his tenure that his
teams have compiled 20 or more wins in a season.
Dell's TCNJ baseball squads have netted NCAA Regional Tournament
appearances 12 times since 1985. The Lions have appeared in the NCAA
Regionals from 1985-87, 1990-94, from 1998-2000, and again in 2002.
In 1991, his program enjoyed its greatest baseball campaign ever,
going 34-15-1 and finishing runner-up to the University of Southern
Maine in the NCAA Championship game of the Division III World
Series. That same year, Dell was rewarded with a selection as the
Coach of the Year by the New Jersey Baseball Coaches Association
while also earning NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors as well.
In 2000, TCNJ captured the NJAC Tournament Championship, their first
since 1981. At year’s end, Dell was named the ABCA/Diamond Sports
Company Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year after
guiding his team to its third straight NCAA Regional Runner-up
finish.
The 2002 Lions made a return trip to
the College World Series after winning the Mid-Atlantic Regionals as
the No. 6 seed. The Lions finished in fourth place at the 2002
Division III College World Series and Dell was named the 2002 ABCA
NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year. In
addition, he was recognized by his peers with the 2002 Roy Van Ness
Award, given annually at TCNJ.
A native of Trenton who excelled in
both soccer and baseball at McCorristin High School (formerly St.
Anthony’s), and nearby Mercer County Community College, Dell
assumed the head baseball coaching position at TSC midway through
the 1982 season.
In college, he starred for the
Division I Mountaineers of Appalachian State, playing both soccer
and baseball. After graduating in 1977, he went on to play third
base for the Lenior Kings for six years. The semipro team from North
Carolina won the state championship each year and posted two
national crowns.
Since 1989, Dell has spent his
summers instructing baseball players in abroad training amateur and
professional teams in Italy, Germany, Estonia, Australia, and New
Zealand with the United States Baseball Federation and Major League
Baseball International. Eight years ago, Dell was named the director
of the Greater Philadelphia Christmas Baseball Camp. In 1996, Dell
added Indonesia to his list of travels while working for USA
Baseball. In 1999, he traveled to the Philippines and New Zealand,
while serving as a coordinator for game development in Asia/Pacific
for Major League Baseball. Four summers ago, he became the first
representative from Major League Baseball to go into China, while
serving as a coordinator for game development in both Asia and the
Pacific. Eight years ago, Dell was selected to serve as a clinic
leader for Major League Baseball International European Tour, which
was held in Scandinavia in 1997. |