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KOLESAR HELPS JERSEY PILOTS TO ACBL TITLE

8-26-04
Rising senior Mark Kolesar (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown North) led the Jersey Pilots to the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League playoff crown in a 9-5 victory over the Stamford Robins August 10 at Krausche Field in North Plainville, N.J. Kolesar, a first team All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference selection for Caldwell College this past spring, pitched seven innings, allowing one run and three hits in an emergency start for the Pilots, who turned to Kolesar after using their regular starting pitchers to reach the championship game.

Kolesar started 31 games in the outfield for the Pilots in the ACBL, a summer league sanctioned by the NCAA. He hit .226 with 16 runs and 10 stolen bases. But before the title game, Kolesar had made only three appearances on the mound, allowing six runs in five innings of work. After giving up a triple and a run in the first inning, Kolesar didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning. The Robins loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning, but Kolesar slammed the door with a strikeout and a popup to end the inning.

This past spring, Kolesar led the CACC in both pitching victories (nine) and stolen bases (45), an unusual combination that made him one of the more versatile players in the country. He went 9-1 with an earned-run average of 2.70 on the mound for Caldwell (28-16), which captured the CACC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional in Smithfield, R.I. He also batted .374 with 39 runs, four homers and 18 runs batted in.

CALDWELL SOCCER TEAMS PICKED FIFTH, SIXTH IN CACC PRESEASON POLLS

8-25-04

Caldwell College's men's and women's soccer teams were picked to finish fifth and sixth, respectively in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's preseason polls, released today. The polls are voted on by the conference's head coaches.

The Cougar men's squad is coming off an 8-9-5 record in 2003, including a 4-2-3 mark in CACC play. Last year the Cougars advanced all the way to the CACC Tournament final against Goldey-Beacom College after finishing fifth in the regular season despite being picked to finish 10th in the 2003 preseason poll. Head coach Jamie Nash has the majority of his key players back, including junior forward Kevin Libbos (Ontario, Canada/Glengarry), a first team All-CACC selection who led the Cougars in scoring with 12 goals and five assists. The men's team begins its season Sept. 3 at Bentley College.

The Cougars' women's team finished eighth in the CACC a year ago with a conference record of 4-6 (7-11 overall). The Cougars, coached by Brian Davies, have all 11 starters from last year returning, including first team All-CACC midfielder Renata Fonseca (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Essex C.C.) and second team All-CACC forward Victoria Aguilera (Merida, Venezuela/Saucon Valley). The women's team kicks off its season Sept. 5 against LeMoyne College at the Stonehill College Tournament in Easton, Mass.

2004 CACC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll

*First-place votes in parentheses

2004 CACC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

*First-place votes in parentheses
 

McLAGAN NAMED SID AT CALDWELL

8-16-04

Caldwell College has named Matt McLagan as its sports information director. Previously, McLagan served as assistant director of media relations and sports information at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., where he was the contact for women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field. He will handle all sports information responsibilities for Caldwell College's 10 intercollegiate sports.

COUGARS LOSE HEARTBREAKER TO FLORIDA SOUTHERN, 1-0
REISER NAMED ALL-AMERICAN

A wise person once commented that everyone should learn something new every day of their lives.

The members of the Caldwell College softball team learned a lesson in competition last Saturday at the NCAA, Division II World Series in Altamonte Springs, Fla. They learned that the best team doesn’t always win.

Caldwell lost a 1-0 contest to Florida Southern on May 15 which ended its season in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. The previous day, the Cougars had blanked Northern Kentucky 1-0 after falling by the same score on May 13 to Western New Mexico.

"I don't think I can put in words what these kids have meant to me," Caldwell coach Dean Johnson said. "This one will hurt a little. But we showed one thing, for sure. We belonged in this tournament. We played three 1-0 games against the best teams in the country. I'll take Corinne Reiser over any pitcher here. She's the best."

Johnson’s composure, on the surface, exuded professionalism. Inside, however, the veteran coach had to be seething after what he saw in the fifth inning of the game against Florida Southern.

In the top of the fifth, Caldwell's Katie Jackson walked to lead off the inning and Sara Neely pinch ran. Jackie Velardi bunted Neely over to second. After a strikeout, Anna Dahl hit a long drive to the left centerfield fence. Florida Southern's Sarah Kohlbrenner reached over the fence to haul it in. However, as her momentum pulled her over the fence, the ball appeared to fall out of her glove, which would have meant a 2-run homer for Dahl. But the third base umpire ruled that Kohlbrenner had made the catch.

There are a couple things to say here.

First, Kohlbrenner made a tremendous play just to get to the ball. And yes, she did catch it. Momentarily.

As Kohlbrenner hauled in the ball, she got caught up in outfield fence, fell and CLEARLY dropped the ball. Since she was behind the fence at the time she dropped it, the hit should have been ruled a homer. There were a number of people in the outfield stands, including players from other teams, who all said there was no question the ball was dropped.

“When an outfielder goes to catch the ball,” said Mitchell Mick, who was broadcasting the game for Internet Radio, “if she falls down in any direction, on a dive, or falling after the catch, if she loses that ball between the fall and the tumble, it's supposed to be no catch.

"In my 60 or so years of being around the game and 32 years in professional baseball, I deem that call to be wrong and I think any experienced baseball-type person, who has been in the game a long time will tell you that should not have been called a catch." Check out the softball page to read the full transcript of Mick’s call on Dahl’s at bat.

"I know what I saw," Johnson said. "It looked like she dropped the ball after she fell over the fence. I thought it was a 2-run homer. But like I told the kids after the play, and then after the game, this is a 7-inning game. You can't hold everything to one play."

The cruel irony was not lost on Dahl, who had struggled to find her hitting groove throughout the tourney, and finally appeared to break out of the slump in a big way, at the most opportune time.

“I guess I’m still oh for 98,” Dahl said in her best humor after the umpires would not reverse the call. Dahl was referring to her times at bat without a hit at the World Series, which certainly never approached 98, but at the time, seemed that way to her.
To add to the surreal atmosphere, Florida Southern (53-7) scored the game's only run in the last of the fifth, a half inning that took an hour to complete because of two rain delays.

Reiser (27-4) struck out the first two batters in the inning. After a 30-minute rain delay, Krista Bradley singled and stole second. Jess Shepherd singled Bradley to third. A second 33-minute rain delay ensued, and when play resumed, despite a steady rain still falling, Stephanie Huber singled through the right side of the infield to score Bradley with the game's only run.

Caldwell (45-7) threatened in the top of the seventh when Jackson singled with two outs, but the game ended on a groundout to the pitcher.

Reiser was simply fantastic throughout the Series. She pitched 20 innings, allowing two earned runs and 10 hits while striking out 28 and walking one.

A day earlier, Caldwell won a 1-0 decision over Northern Kentucky when Stacy Falkowski drove in pinch runner Danielle Payne with the game-winning run in the last of the seventh inning. Payne was running for Danielle Guerra, who led off the inning with a double.

Caldwell's winning rally started when Guerra, a senior catcher, laced a leadoff double to deep right centerfield. Guerra had struck out in her first two plate appearances, but made some visual adjustments which paid off in the seventh.
"In my previous at bat (in the fourth inning), I had a better look at her pitches and by the seventh, I felt I would get a good swing,” Guerra said.

Payne entered the game as a pinch runner for Guerra and when Jackson bunted, Payne took off for third and beat the throw, which was high, allowing Jackson to race to second. Jackie Velardi, who collected Caldwell's first hit of the game in the fifth, was intentionally walked to load the bases. After the next two Caldwell hitters struck out, Falkowski, who had struck out in her first two at bats in the game, hit a 2-strike offering over the second baseman’s head to drive in the winning run.
Falkowski’s flair for the dramatic made for interesting reporting, but the freshman was only thinking about a hit.

"When the ball came off the bat," Falkowski said, "I was thinking to myself 'don't let her (second baseman Ricki Rothbauer) catch it'. She jumped pretty high, but then I saw the ball go over her glove and that was that.”

Reiser struck out nine in the game and allowed just two hits. She was nearly un-hittable the last three innings of the game.

In the opening game, Caldwell lost a 1-0, 8-inning contest to Western New Mexico. Reiser and Western New Mexico pitcher Angela Slaugh combined for 32 strikeouts in the game, with Slaugh registering 19.

The numbers tell the story of the 2004 Caldwell softball season. The Cougars finished 45-7, the best mark in the program’s history. Its seven losses were all by one run. The team won the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference’s regular season and post-season championships. Johnson, who won his 250th career game this year, was named the CACC’s Coach of the Year.

Reiser was named the MVP of the CACC post-season tournament and the CACC’s Pitcher of the Year. Jackson hit the game-winning homer in the 12th inning of the post-season title game. Jackson, Reiser, Velardi, Dahl, Guerra and Candice Collins were named first team, All-CACC players while Falkowski was selected to the second team. The All-Tournament team included Reiser, Guerra, Jackson, Collins and Gina D’Amico.

The Cougars earned the first NCAA post-season invitation in school history and went on to capture the NCAA Northeast Regional championship with Reiser being named the MVP of the regional tourney as well.

Reiser, Guerra, Jackson, Dahl and Amy Coker were named to the NFCA, Division II All-Region, first team while Collins earned a selection to the second team.
At the World Series, Reiser was named a second team, NFCA All-American. It was the culmination of a season, and a career, which will go down in Cougar lore. Reiser finished 27-4 this year, and set every conceivable school pitching record at Caldwell.
And at the closing ceremonies, Caldwell received a prestigious award from the NCAA for having the highest team GPA of the eight softball teams at the festival.
All in all, a pretty good year.

NOTES: This year, the NCAA tried something new in Altamonte Springs, bringing a number of Division II sports together (softball, tennis, lacrosse and golf) for a championship festival. It included a grand opening ceremony at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studios in Orlando and a gala closing ceremony. In between, the athletes had the opportunity to experience an Olympic Village-type setting, with the respective sports held at different venues, all within an easy driving distance. The softball games were contested at the Seminole County Sports Complex, a 10-minute drive from the team's hotel. It featured two meticulous practice fields, a beautiful game field, a 2-tier press box and just about every comfort possible at an outdoor event. (Next year, the format changes back to its original setup, meaning the championships will be held at different venues around the country. The NCAA's plan is to have a championship festival at least once every four years, so that every student-athlete can enjoy what the athletes this year experienced).

May 11th

CHAMPIONS

Baseball team dominates at CACC post-season tournament, defeats NJIT for title, 9-1 as York stars; Team headed to NCAA Northeast Regional championships, starting May 13; Kolesar (MVP of post-season tourney), Waddilove, Moyle, York, Whitfield and McGee earn All-Conference accolades

Before heading to Teikyo Post University for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference post-season baseball tournament last Thursday, Caldwell coach Chris Reardon was unusually calm about his team’s chances.

“I think we’re going to win it,” Reardon said, almost matter-of-factly. “I just think we’re playing real well now. The kids know what’s at stake for this weekend, and the chance to continue playing past this weekend.”

Mission accomplished.

And then some.

Caldwell (27-14), the fourth seed, dominated the tournament, defeating top seeded Nyack 10-6 in the first round, then stopping NJIT 11-1 in the semifinals and 9-1 in the final. The championship game was played on May 10, at Riverfront Stadium in Newark. The title game had been rained out on May 9 at Teikyo Post and the powers-to-be decided to play the game at a closer venue for the New Jersey-based schools.

Prior to the championship game with NJIT, Reardon and his team learned they earned a bid to the NCAA, Division II Tournament, which begins with the Northeast Regional from May 13-16. Caldwell’s first round opponent on May 13 in the double-elimination set up is St. Anslem. Game time is 3 p.m. (Caldwell is seeded second in the 4-team region while St. Anslem is third. The other first round matchup is top seeded Bryant against Dowling).

Despite the euphoria of earning a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in team history (and just the second time in school history), Caldwell was all business when it played for the conference title.

“We hadn’t won anything yet,” Reardon recalled. “I think people expected us not to take the championship game seriously. We knew we earned the NCAA berth, but winning the conference, especially after losing in the championship game last year, was a big thing for us.”

Once again, the Cougars received a dominant pitching performance, this time from sophomore pitcher Derek York (Lanoka Harbor, NJ). York struck out two and walked none while allowing five hits. The one run he allowed was unearned. Joe Catenacci (Helmetta, NJ) and Landon Viessy (Bayside, NY) had run scoring singles and John Waddilove (Lincoln Park, NJ) smacked a two-run single in the seventh.

Pitching was clearly the theme of the weekend for Caldwell. It started on Friday when Mike Kolesar (8-1) spotted Nyack three runs in the first inning, then bore down to pitch a gutsy complete game as the Cougars rallied to win, 10-6.

“Mike Kolesar is a warrior,” Reardon said after the win. “There’s no other way to put it. He gave it everything he had today and kept us in it after the slow start.”

Kolesar’s overall performance in the tourney, on the mound, at the plate and in centerfield, earned him MVP honors.

NOTES: To show how dominant Caldwell was in the tournament, consider they outscored their opponents 30-5 after the first inning of the first game with Nyack.

In the semifinal victory over NJIT on May 8, Brian Moyle (Pompton Lakes, NJ) once again registered double-figures in strikeouts.

Caldwell’s Kolesar, Waddilove, Hasani Whitfield (Briarwood, NY) and Ryan McGee (Cedarhurst, NY) were named All-CACC. The All-CACC Tournament team included Kolesar, McGee, Moyle and York.

May 10th

 FOR THE SOFTBALL TEAM, IT’S ON TO THE WORLD SERIES

MVP REISER’S GAME-WINNING SINGLE BRINGS HOME REGIONAL CROWN; COUGARS HEAD TO FLORIDA, WILL FACE WESTERN NEW MEXICO ON MAY 13

There will come a time on the campus of Caldwell College when the week of May 10-16, 2004 will be recalled in terms such as legendary and epic.

But if you’re a fan of Caldwell athletics in the present, then you should sit back and enjoy what’s about to happen.

The Cougar softball team won the NCAA, Northeast Regional championship on May 8, defeating Merrimack 3-2 in a 9-inning thriller thanks to a 2-out, RBI single off the bat of senior Corinne Reiser (West Milford, NJ).

Caldwell (44-5) will advance to the NCAA, Division II College World Series in Altamonte Springs, FLA. It faces Western New Mexico, the West Regional champ, in a first round game on Thursday, May 13.

So, starting this week, both our softball and baseball teams will be in the NCAA tournament, vying for respective national championships. A week ago, the softball team made history when it became the first program in the history of Caldwell College athletics to advance to an NCAA-sanctioned post-season tournament. And now, Caldwell will have two teams in the prestigious tournament.

“It’s just incredible,” Caldwell softball coach Dean Johnson said. “The baseball team deserves a great deal of credit and I’m so happy to see they are in the NCAAs. What a week, for both programs.”

Johnson’s Cougars, the top seed in the Northeast regional last weekend at Bryant College, lived up to its lofty status. Caldwell went 3-0 at the region, downing Merrimack in the first round 8-2, defeating the second seed and 2-time defending regional champ LeMoyne, 2-1 in the semifinals, then stopping Merrimack again in the final, 3-2.

“This team is just incredible,” Johnson said after the regional title was secured. “Seriously, I can’t even begin to describe the feeling right now. In two weekends, we’ve won the conference tournament, then the regional championship, and now we’re among the Elite 8 in the NCAA, playing for a national championship in Florida. This is a great day for our kids, for Caldwell College and all its fans, and for all the players who have worn Caldwell red all these years and helped to contribute to the success of this program.”

There were plenty of stars who helped Caldwell to the 3-game regional sweep. Katie Jackson (Pennsville, NJ), who won the CACC title with a 2-out, solo homer in the 12th inning on May 2, hit a homer in her first at-bat in the first game of the regionals. Jackie Velardi (Belleville, NJ) followed with a round tripper. A day later, with her team trailing 1-0 in the semifinals to powerful LeMoyne, Amy Coker (Pennsville, NJ) stepped to the plate in the sixth inning with two on and two out and calmly slapped an opposite field triple which scored the game-winning runs.

And last Saturday, the championship was clinched when Reiser, known for her pitching prowess, displayed her offensive game in prime time by hitting the game-winning single that scored pinch runner Sara Neely (Middlesex, NJ). Neely was running for Danielle Guerra (Walnut, CA), who led off the ninth inning with a double.

Reiser was the winning pitcher in all three games at the regional and improved to 26-2 on the season. She was later named the MVP of the Northeast region, a week after earning similar honors at the CACC tourney. Jackson and Coker were also named to the All-Region team.

The magical 2004 Caldwell softball season will reach a conclusion this weekend in Florida. And, win or lose, there’s no question that it’s been a tremendous ride. Good luck to Coaches Johnson and Barbara Zafiris and the team as it looks to add the final touch to an incredible year.

NOTES: Caldwell enters the World Series having won 36 of its last 38 games. Of Caldwell’s five losses this season, all were by one run. Guerra leads the team in hitting (.356) and slugging percentage (.548). Coker and Reiser are tied for the team lead in RBIs with 31 each while Anna Dahl (Lindenwold, NJ) has 30 and leads the team in homers, with 7. After a slow start, Velardi has raised her batting average to .340 and is second on the team in slugging (544). Candice Collins leads Caldwell in hits, with 55.

Reiser’s pitching numbers are staggering. She’s 26-2 with a 0.49 ERA. In 200.2 innings pitched, she’s struck out 303 batters. Opposing hitters are batting .116 against her. Not to be forgotten, Dahl is 10-1 with a 0.40 ERA and Jessica Saunders (Glen Burnie, MD) is 8-2 with a 0.56 ERA.

SOFTBALL TEAM'S 3.12 GPA RANKED 25TH NATIONALLY

Collins, Saunders, Neely, Jackson and Godfrey named Academic All-Americans

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has ranked the Caldwell College softball program 25th, nationally, for its academic performance.

The team GPA for the 2002-2003 school year was 3.12. Members of the current team who earned NFCA Academic All-American honors include Candice Collins (Clementon, NJ), Sara Neely (Middlesex, NJ), Jessica Saunders (Glen Burnie, MD), Katie Jackson (Pennsville, NJ) and Kristi Godfrey (West Babylon, NY).

Former Cougars Michelle Goldych, Colleen Gray and Erin Leonard were also recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom. 

“As a coach, you love to receive news like this,” Caldwell coach Dean Johnson, who is also the school’s Associate Athletic Director and NCAA Compliance officer, said. “And as an administrator, it’s great to see student-athletes who are committed to both the classroom and the field.”

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BRODO, de la CAMPA, BODROG AND FLASPHALER WILL PLAY AT CALDWELL IN FALL '04

Stephanie Brodo, Kristen de la Campa, Nicole Bodrog and Carrie Flasphaler have signed National Letters of Intent to play softball at Caldwell, according to Caldwell coach Dean Johnson. The four are currently seniors in high school.

Brodo (Belleville, NJ), a second baseman, was tabbed a third team All-State player by the Star-Ledger (N.J.) last spring. She currently attends St. Mary’s High School in Rutherford, NJ.

Brodo is the third member of the 2003 Star-Ledger All-State team to either sign, or is currently attending Caldwell. First team selection Jackie Velardi (Belleville, NJ) and Anna Dahl (Lindenwold, NJ), who was named to the All State team in 2002 and 2003, are freshmen at Caldwell.

Brodo’s older sister, Danielle, was a standout catcher at Caldwell from 1996 through 2000.

de la Campa is an outstanding pitcher at Whitman Hanson High in Whitman, Massachusetts.

"She's a tough competitor," Johnson said of de la Campa. "She's been clocked at 63 MPH and has great movement on her pitches. I think she'll be a key member of next year's staff."

Bodrog attends Lenape High School (NJ) and is a standout shortstop.

"She's an excellent athlete," Johnson said of Bodrog. "She played in a summer league for Marcia's (Chapin, a former Cougar standout) dad. I really liked the way she plays. She has an excellent bat."

Flasphaler, from Horseheads, N.Y., attends Horseheads High and is a solid outfielder.

"Good speed," Johnson said of Flasphaler. "She can cover a lot of ground out there. I'm really excited about her potential on the collegiate level."

Overall, Johnson is very pleased with the new recruiting class.

"We're very happy that Stephanie, Kristen, Nicole and Carrie have agreed to attend Caldwell next year," Johnson said. "They are all excellent athletes, but more importantly, quality young people who should do well in the classroom. At Caldwell, the term student-athlete is very important, and I'm confident these young women will do a tremendous job here."

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