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CASAL, SAXON SELECTED PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICANS BY COLLEGIATE BASEBALL
2-6-08
 Casal |
 Saxon |
 Murphy |
CALDWELL, N.J. - Caldwell College baseball players Robert Casal
(Howard Beach, NY/St. Francis Prep) and Adric Saxon (Coral
Springs, FL/Broward CC) were among 10 players from the Northeast
Region named NCAA Division II Pre-Season All-Americans by
Collegiate Baseball, a national publication that covers all
levels of college baseball. Additionally, senior pitcher Tommy
Murphy (Monroe, NY/Washingtonville) was mentioned as a player to
watch, while freshman infielder Juan Mejia (Ocean City,
NJ/St. Augustine Prep) was included among the newcomers to watch.
Casal, a sophomore pitcher, and Saxon, a sophomore outfielder, both
earned all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference first team and
all-Northeast Region second team honors after outstanding freshman
seasons in 2007. Casal went 10-1 with an earned run average of 3.74
while leading the team in strikeouts (75) and innings pitched (74
2/3). The right-hander also was named to the NJCBA all-state first
team and the ECAC Division II All-Star Team.
Saxon paced the Cougars at the plate, hitting .365 with 13 home runs
and 62 runs batted in. He became the first Cougar baseball player to
lead the nation in a statistical category after averaging 1.55 RBIs
per game. Also a first team all-state selection, Saxon was chosen
the Northeast Region Rookie of the Year by the National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association.
Murphy was 3-1 on the mound with 31 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings. He
also batted .328 with 29 RBIs and a team-best 15 stolen bases while
playing mostly at shortstop. A first team all-CACC honoree in 2006,
Murphy was named to the CACC all-Tournament team last spring. Mejia
is a corner infielder who batted .481 and earned first team
all-conference honors as a senior last year at St. Augustine Prep in
Richland, N.J.
The Cougars, coached by Chris Reardon, advanced to the NCAA
Division II Northeast Region Tournament in 2007 after capturing the
CACC regular-season crown. Caldwell, which finished the season
25-15, will be playing four teams that are included in Collegiate
Baseball's Preseason Top 40: No. 22 West Chester College on Feb.
22, No. 7 Franklin Pierce University on Mar. 8, No. 7 Tusculum
College on Mar. 16 and Mar. 19, and No. 38 Adelphi on Mar. 28. The
2008 season starts Feb. 22, when Caldwell travels to Myrtle Beach,
S.C., for the Northeast Challenge.