BASEBALL
2002
PRE-SEASON OUTLOOK

2001 RECAP: Montclair State University took a more conventional route to the Division III World Series In 2001, winning their 16th New Jersey Athletic Conference title and the conference's automatic bid to the national tournament. The Red Hawks advanced all the way to the championship round before dropping a 3-2 decision to Marietta College. The conference was also dominant in the ECAC Metro Region Tournament, with bids going to Ramapo College and Kean University. The top-seeded Roadrunners outlasted the Cougars, 9-7, in the title game.

Overall, the NJAC posted a solid non-conference record of 133-63 (.679 winning percentage).

2002 OUTLOOK: The coaches' poll reflects competitive equity--in bunches. Montclair State (rated #4 in the American Baseball Coaches Association pre-season poll), TCNJ and William Paterson (ranked #30) are expected to duke it out for the top spot. They should be challenged by the trio of Rowan, Kean and Ramapo, each separated by a hair's breadth in the survey. And there is strong sentiment that Rutgers-Camden can make a move at any time into the upper echelon.

While 2001 saw the graduation of many top players, there's a whole crew ready to step into their shoes. Among the most noteworthy: Montclair State first team all-NJAC pitcher Corey Hamman; Rutgers-Camden outfielder Brian Murphy, the 2001 NJAC Rookie of the Year; TCNJ's trio of first team all-conference selections first baseman Colin Renick, outfielder Bob Capaldo and shortstop Nick Stine; and last year's top catcher in the conference, senior catcher Chris Eickhorst of Kean, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in last year's draft.

2002 NJAC
COACHES' POLL

1.) Montclair State University (1)*
2.) The College of New Jersey (2)
3.) William Paterson University (3)
4.) Rowan University (5)
5.) Kean University (6)
6.) Ramapo College (4)
7.) Rutgers University-Camden (7)
8.) Rutgers University-Newark (8)
9.) Richard Stockton College (9)
10.) New Jersey City University (10)

* number in parentheses indicates last year's regular season finish

Most Likely to Cause an Upset:
Rutgers-Camden

KEAN UNIVERSITY
COUGARS
Head Coach: Neil Ioviero
2002: 10-7-1 NJAC, 21-13-1 Overall

Neil Ioviero is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Kean University baseball program. Under his guidance, the team has built the foundation and groundwork necessary to be one of the top teams in the NJAC. Last season, the Cougars compiled a 21-13-1 record and advanced to the championship game of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) postseason tournament. This year they will have the added motivation of playing in a new on-campus facility, Jim Hynes Class of '63 Field.

The Cougars will look to build on last season’s success as they return six starters including the entire infield. Kean’s offense will once again revolve around catcher Chris Eickhorst (South Bound Brook, N.J./Immaculata). Eickhorst decided to return for his senior season despite being selected in the 42nd round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in last seasons Major League Baseball Draft. On the mound, the Cougars have a solid contingent of pitchers back, led by Steve Bucchignano (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) but they have also adding a number of quality freshmen to the rotation, including Frank Sabatino (Yardville, N.J./Steinert), Mike Battista (North Plainfield, N.J./North Plainfield) and Jono Stuart (Westwood, N.J./Westwood).

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY
RED HAWKS
Head Coach: Norm Schoenig
2001: 17-1 NJAC, 38-11 Overall

Having reached the championship round of the NCAA Division World Series each of the last two seasons, the defending NJAC champion Red Hawks will have a bit of a different look this season. Gone are 2001 NJAC Male Athlete and Player of the Year Craig Conway, along with All-NJAC selections Dave Wurst (2B), Scott Allan (DH) and Ryan Costello (P). However, head coach Norm Schoenig, the NJAC Coach of the Year the last two seasons, has plenty of talent returning.

Leading that group is senior shortstop Brian Ellerson (Bayonne, NJ/Hudson Catholic) and pitcher senior Corey Hamman (Flanders, NJ/Roxbury). Ellerson is back healthy after missing the final seven games last season with a torn knee ligament. Ellerson hit .370 with five homers and 29 RBI before ending his season in the NCAA Regional Tournament. Hamman, a First-Team All-NJAC selection, was dominate down the stretch in 2001 winning his last seven decisions to finish with a league-leading 11 wins (11-5 record) to go along with a 3.61 ERA in 99.2 innings and 103 strikeouts. He became the fifth pitcher in MSU history to fan 100 batters in a season and pitched a 10-inning, 11-strikeout performance against Marietta (a 2-1 MSU win) at the World Series. In that game, Hamman retired 17 of the final 19 batters he faced. Sophomore lefthander Jeff Gogal (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) gives the Red Hawks a solid No. 2 starter. Gogal was 7-1 with a 2.10 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched last season.

In the field, senior outfielder Chris Baran (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) will look to pick up some of the offensive punch. Baran hit .283 with four homers and 34 RBI in 2001. Senior first baseman George Becker (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) is the other returning everyday player. Becker, a solid defensive player, hit .295 with 12 RBI. Utility man Adam Cerminaro (Wall, NJ/Wall) will step in at third base on a full-time basis. Cerminaro batted .275 with 11 RBI in his role last season Among the crop of newcomers is catcher Shawn Dyckman (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood), the NJAC Rookie from two seasons ago. Chris Mayo (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) is expected to step in and fill the void left by Wurst while Ethan Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) will move into one of the vacated outfield spots.

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
LIONS
Head Coach: Rick Dell
2001: 13-5 NJAC, 24-13-1 Overall

The Lions are coming off another successful season, having advanced to the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship game for the third straight year, just one season after winning the league crown in 2000. The 2001 campaign saw the Lions finish the year with 24-13-1 record, but failed to earn an NCAA tournament bid. The Lions have put together an impressive 330-136-6 record from 1990 to 2001 and rank 16th in winningest Division III baseball programs during that time span.

Despite the major losses of NJAC all-conference pitcher Mike Virgilio and career homerun leader Frank Soos, Coach Dell has several reasons to be optimistic about the 2002 season. First-Team All-American outfielder Bob Capaldo (Bridgewater, NJ/ Bridgewater-Raritan) and Third-Team All-American first baseman, Colin Renick (Middletown, NJ/Middletown-North) head the list of returnees as well as All-Region shortstop Nick Stine (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central), three-year starter Mike Kohri (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) and a roster of talented players as well as an impressive recruiting class.

On the mound, the Lions do return a veteran in senior left hander, Nick Maddalena (Leonardo, NJ/Middletown South). TCNJ will also benefit from the addition of new performers such as Gloucester County College transfer, Bryan Shaffer (Oaklyn, NJ/Paul VI) as well as a talented list of rookies. Heading the list of new players looking to break into the rotation will be Vincent Petrillo (Montville, NJ/Montville), Nate CasaGrande (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan), Joe Kennedy (Jackson, NJ/Monsignor Donovan), and sophomore Dave Kopf (Somerville, NJ/Somerville). .

Look for junior catcher Sergio Sencion (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic) to continue his development behind the plate again this season. Sencion made 31 starts a year ago with a .283 batting average, while committing just three errors behind the plate. Heading the list as a possible batteryman for the future will be Justin Gorski (Flemington, NJ/ Hunterdon Central) as he will vie time in the lineup. Gorski comes to TCNJ after red-shirting last season at St. Joseph’s University.

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY
GOTHIC KNIGHTS
Head Coach: Ken Heaton
2001: 0-18 NJAC, 10-24 Overall

The Gothic Knights are coming off a disappointing 2001 season where they improved in overall wins (from 5-29 to 10-24), but went winless in the conference. Head coach Ken Heaton hopes his 13th season at the helm of the NJCU ship will prove to be lucky. Of 27 players on the preseason roster, 17 are freshman or sophomores, as the Knights attempt to turn it around.

NJCU's success in the conference will rely heavily on how long its pitching staff holds up. Juniors Pete Amadeo (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) and Aaron Grossman (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) return. Freshmen Dan Sweeney (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) and Darlin Pena (Union City, NJ/Union Hill) will look to make an impact. Junior transfer Mike Ingui (Lodi, NJ/Lodi) may see time in the starting rotation. Behind the plate, NJCU has a great problem, as sophomores Steve Stiller (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) and Jonathan Thomas (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep), in addition to redshirt freshman Jim Dempsey (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) will battle for the starting catching job. All three are capable at excelling at the position. Thomas led the team in batting as a rookie at .383, while seeing most of his time as an outfielder or designated hitter.

Four freshmen started in the infield last year, which contributed to the fact that the inexperienced Knights committed over 100 errors. But sophomore Rich Boyer (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) did an admirable job, and returns in 2002 at shortstop. Senior third baseman Carlos Rosado (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) missed most of last season with injuries, but is healthy and returns as the team captain. NJCU has the player of the future at first base in the big bat of rookie Steve Yurchak (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne). Senior centerfielder Carmine Napolitano (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) stole 21 bags in 23 tries in his first year with the team, and will anchor the outfield. Senior Neil Czechowski (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) should start in right. Several freshmen will battle for playing time in a crowded outfield. Nevertheless, many questions will be answered when the team opens up with their annual Florida trip, beginning in Fort Myers, FL on March 8.

RAMAPO COLLEGE
ROADRUNNERS
Head Coach: Rich Martin
2001: 11-7 NJAC, 28-15 Overall

With Coach Martin's staff returning for their second season at Ramapo, as well as nine senior leaders (Shaun Burstein, Jeff Moczydlowski, Chris Buser, Tom Cappolla, Anthony Verdi, Dave Kolze, Jason Valloni, Chris Niskoch and Tom Topolski), the Roadrunners look forward to a promising and successful season.

Last year's ECAC Champions were led by Valloni offensively with 46 hits, seven doubles, one triple, and 12 home runs. He averaged .346 with a slugging percentage of .68. Valloni also tallied 33 RBI, third on the team. Topolski also swung hard for the team averaging .340 with 50 hits on 147 at bats. Topolski recorded 11 doubles, one triple and one home run while Niskoch tallied 39 hits, six doubles, and five home runs. Niskoch led the team with 41 RBI hitting .271 from the plate. The team will also return sophomore Kevin Riebesell, 2001 Roadrunner Rookie of the Year, John Franken, Tim Otano, and David Winans.

Junior Scott Joffe controlled the mound in 2001 posting a 5-1 record with 43 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched. Burnstein also led from the mound pitching 58.2 innings and tallying a 4-2 overall record. He recorded 30 strikeouts and two saves while walking only 20 on the year. Juniors Brian Bendel and Justin Cooper posted 3-1 and 4-1 records in 32.1 and 28 innings pitched respectively. Bendel tallied 36 strikeouts and two saves while Cooper added 28 strikeouts of his own. The Roadrunners look to rookie Christopher Renna of Brooklyn, NY to bring strength and determination to the pitching line-up.

New big bats include rookies Doug Aday and Aaron Eyler. The Roadrunners return strong leadership and bring in new skill with a full roster of 42. With a lot of talent, heart, and determination, Ramapo baseball will set high goals for 2002 and look to the knowledge and experience of Coach Martin to lead them to an NJAC championship crown.

RICHARD STOCKTON COLLEGE
OSPREYS
Head Coach: John Gurzo
2001: 3-15 NJAC, 11-21 Overall

Stockton faces a rebuilding task as it tries to replace eight seniors, including its top four hitters from a year ago. By comparison, the 2002 squad contains just two seniors. Catcher Sean Tomesco is the top returnee at the plate after batting .304 last season. Second baseman Kevin Makely batted .300 in limited duty and could see an increase in playing time. Senior Ed Anderson, a strong defensive player and solid hitter, will anchor the infield at first base with Jim Arnesen manning the hot corner and newcomer John Werner at shortstop. Junior Matt Pribbernow is the lone returning outfielder on the Stockton roster, and he also may be called on to pitch from time to time.

The most experienced group of players on the team will be the pitching staff. Senior Matt Caverow tossed 37 innings last year, tops among returning hurlers. Juniors Chuck Cianfrani, Chris Falato, Ryan Holmes and Frank Primicile each pitched at least 20 frames in 2001 and will be keys to the Ospreys' success this season.

ROWAN UNIVERSITY
PROFS
Head Coach: John Cole
2001: 11-7 NJAC, 24-12 Overall

Spring 2001 marked the first time in five years that the Profs did not advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament. Coach John Cole is counting on his team's chemistry and strong leadership to get the Profs back to the postseason. Senior outfielder Tim Staszewski (Collingswood/Collingswood, NJ) and junior pitcher Jim Gendaszek (Clearview Reg. /Mantua, NJ) will provide the leadership as this year's captains. Staszewski led the squad last year with a .405 batting average and 41 RBIs. He was named the All-Conference second team. Gendaszek compiled a 4-1 record on the mound with two saves. He pitched 30 innings and posted a 1.80 ERA with 36 strikeouts. Gendaszek was selected the conference's Fireman of the Year and to the All-Region second team.

Newcomers that will see playing time in their first season with the Profs are catcher Mike Rucci (Gloucester Catholic/Clayton, NJ), third baseman Irv McFarland (Washington Twp./Sewell, NJ) and pitcher Josh Schwartz (Gateway Reg./Wenonah, NJ).

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY - CAMDEN
SCARLET RAPTORS
Head Coach: Keith Williams
2001: 8-10 NJAC, 21-15 Overall

The Scarlet Raptors soared to unprecedented heights in 2001, setting a program record for victories in a 21-15 season, recording the first perfect game in school history and collecting numerous post-season individual honors. Fourth-year head coach Keith Williams is ready to take the Raptors to the next level this spring, when Rutgers-Camden begins its first season at Campbell’s Field, home of the Camden Riversharks. Sophomore left fielder Brian Murphy (Sewell/Paul VI) returns after shattering several single-season school records, earning Second Team All-NJAC honors and becoming the first NJAC Rookie of the Year at Rutgers-Camden. Senior righty Mike Murphy (Blackwood/Highland), who hurled a perfect game against Lincoln University last March, heads a strong staff returning junior Mike Pizzutillo (Voorhees/Eastern) and junior Jason Bates (Gloucester/ Gloucester). That group combined for 14 of the club’s 21 wins a year ago.

The Scarlet Raptors added an outstanding recruiting class with several key transfers, including senior catcher Corey Hoffman (Turnersville/Washington Township) and senior first baseman Jeremy Poole (Gibbsboro/Eastern), who played at The College of New Jersey last year. Both were junior college All-Americans at Gloucester County College. “We proved last year we can play with most of the teams in the conference, “ Williams said. “We still have to get over that hump with William Paterson, Montclair State and The College of New Jersey. We want to improve our total wins for the season and improve our caliber of play. The NJAC is tough, but we have the players and the abilities who can compete for the playoffs.”

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY - NEWARK
SCARLET KNIGHTS
Head Coach: Mark Rizzi
2001: 5-13 NJAC, 23-15 Overall

New head coach Mark Rizzi has only one player returning to his starting position in the field from a year ago. But don’t start breaking out in tears, yet.

The Scarlet Raiders went 23-15 and led NCAA Division III in batting average and run production in 2001 – but only first baseman Brian Trapani figures to line up in the same slot this season. Senior slugger Steve Ballerini, who drove in 45 runs while hitting .412 as a junior, figures to remain in the designated hitter slot and could see some time in the outfield. Junior Ady Acevedo, who hit .336 with 23 RBIs, will move from third base to shortstop this season. Trapani hit a hefty .364 with 32 runs batted in. Senior pitcher Jesus Torres, who doubles as an outfielder, was the workhorse of the Scarlet Raider staff in 2001 with 50.1 innings pitched. He will bolster a staff highlighted by six other veteran hurlers.

Rizzi, who coached at Bloomfield College last season, has already begun an aggressive recruiting campaign to maintain the winning ways begun by Stan Hyman, who left last spring to coach Division I Western Illinois University. A solid schedule includes seven dates in Riverfront Stadium, home of the Newark Bears independent minor league program. The annual spring trip to Florida is coming up in March before the Raiders return home to begin conference play.

WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY
PIONEERS
Head Coach: Jeff Albies
2001: 11-6-1 NJAC, 23-14-1 Overall

This season, Head Coach Jeff Albies will rely on a combination of tested veterans and talented transfers to help the Pioneers return to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Ranked No. 30 in the preseason by Collegiate Baseball, the Pioneers return two All-NJAC performers: junior catcher Bryan Weingart (.391, 3 HRs, 26 RBI) and senior right-hander Bo Coutts (4-1, 4.12 ERA). Coutts will head a pitching staff aided by junior righty Jack Baker, a transfer from Division I St. Peter's College and junior righties Charles Bowman (3-3, 4.93 ERA) and Jim Carroll (4-1, 5.62 ERA). Either sophomore Mat Sackman or junior Tim Abrantes, a hard-throwing transfer from Sussex County College, will be the Pioneer closer.

Offensively, Weingart and junior Ryan Stanek (.333, 13 RBI) will split time behind the plate, with either capable of being the everyday designated hitter. Junior Mark Kalish (.314, 5 HRs, 26 RBI) is the first baseman for the third straight year and freshman Len Hoffman should start at third base after a strong autumn. The three candidates for the middle infield spots are senior Dan Sherlock (.341, 33 runs, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 17 SBs) and juniors Jason Tiseo (.316) and Dan Suarez, the latter a transfer from St. Peter's College. The outfield picture figures to have sophomore Jesse Cardoza (.358, 2 HR, 13 RBI) in left, junior Ron Hayward in center and junior and pro prospect Bryan Graham (.331, 10 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 51 RBI) in right. Hayward was drafted out of Marist (NJ) High School by the Cincinnati Reds, but went on to have two terrific seasons at Bishop (AL) Community College.