SAXON, REARDON AMONG ALL-CACC HONOREES
5-8-07
Saxon
|
Ryan
|
Chiarappa
|
Casal
|
O. Velazquez
|
Keelan
|
Hines
|
Reardon |
CALDWELL,
N.J. - The Caldwell College baseball team had seven players earn
all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference honors, which were
announced today. Freshman outfielder
Adric Saxon (Coral Springs, FL/Broward CC) was named the CACC
Rookie of the Year, while head coach Chris Reardon received
his second CACC Coach of the Year award in his seven seasons at
Caldwell. The Cougars (22-11) went 11-5 in conference play
to clinch the CACC regular-season title and the top seed in this
week's CACC Tournament.
Saxon is having an outstanding debut season for the Cougars, batting
.356 with 13 home runs and 53 runs batted in in 33 games. He
currently leads the nation in RBIs per game and ranks seventh in
homers per game to help the Cougars rank seventh nationally in
scoring. Also a first team all-CACC selection, Saxon hit three home
runs in a 16-3 victory over the University of Sciences on Apr. 13.
He is the second Cougar in three years to receive the conference's
top rookie honor, joining sophomore pitcher Eric Hines
(Milltown, NJ/Spotswood), who was the CACC Newcomer of the Year in
2005.
Senior third-baseman Billy Ryan (Toms River, NJ/Manchester),
junior catcher Chris Chiarappa (Elmont, NY/Holy Trinity) and
freshman pitcher Robert Casal (Howard Beach, NY/St. Francis
Prep) join Saxon on the all-CACC first team. Ryan is batting .348
with eight doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs in his fourth season
as Caldwell's starter at third base. A team captain and one of only
two seniors on this year's roster, Ryan has collected 10 home runs
and 161 hits in 158 career games for the Cougars.
Chiarappa is having his best year at the plate, batting .381 with 10
doubles, four homers and 24 RBIs while leading the team in on-base
percentage (.504). An excellent defensive catcher as well, Chiarappa
has thrown out six baserunners this season. Casal stepped into the
Cougars' starting rotation as a freshman and turned in a solid
campaign. He leads Caldwell in victories (eight), earned run average
(3.84), innings pitched (58 2/3) and strikeouts (55). His 8-1 record
includes wins over Wilmington College, Felician College and
Dominican College, which are the other three participants in the
CACC Tournament.
Caldwell players named to the second team include the other
two-thirds of Caldwell's all-freshman outfield, Omar Velazquez
(Astoria, NY/Long Island City) and Raymond Keelan (Barnegat,
NJ/Southern Regional). Velazquez ranks eighth nationally in runs
scored per game while leading the team with 45 runs and 14 doubles.
The Cougars' centerfielder also ranks third on the team with a
batting average of .368. Also an effective pitcher, Velazquez earned
CACC Rookie of the Week honors on Apr. 30 after picking up a pair of
victories in his first two starts on the mound as a collegian.
Keelan, who starts in left field, is batting a team-best .391 with
seven home runs and 34 RBIs. The CACC Rookie of the Week on Apr. 16,
Keelan had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth in an 8-7
win over Nyack College on Apr. 10. He also has yet to allow a run in
4 1/3 innings on the mound.
Hines makes his second appearance on the all-CACC second team, having
earned the honor in 2005. After missing the 2006 season due to
injury, Hines is 5-4 with an ERA of 4.50 in 54.0 innings this year.
He received CACC Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 27 after
allowing just two hits and two unearned runs in eighth innings in Caldwell's 9-2 win
over Dowling College on Feb. 24.
Reardon, the 2003 CACC Coach of the Year, has guided this year's squad
to its second CACC regular-season crown during his seven-year tenure
at Caldwell. After finishing 18-25 and missing the conference playoffs
for the first time in five years last season, Reardon rebuilt the team
with a freshman class that includes five starters in the field and
three pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched. His career record at
Caldwell is 139-127 heading into this week's CACC Tournament.
The Cougars begin play at the CACC Tournament on Thursday, May 10,
when they face fourth-seeded Dominican College at 3:00 p.m. at Wilson
Field in New Castle, Del.
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