Season Preview The Cortland baseball team enters the 2007 season with its usual goals sophomore David Limbach and in mind. First is a conference title, followed by a berth in the NCAA Division freshmen Brett Hammond, Corey III playoffs, which leads to an appearance in the Division III World Series in LaRoche and Kenny Sherwood. Grand Chute, Wis. Coming off a successful campaign in 2006 that saw the Red Dragons post a 39-9 record and fall just one win short of a return trip The catching position may to the Series, eighth-year head coach Joe Brown has the kind of talent and be a little young, as junior Mike team chemistry to fulfill the program’s objectives. Zaccardo is the lone returnee. Zaccardo has a big arm and pop One of the most important in his bat, tying for the team lead factors in preparing for in homers last season. Freshman postseason play is defined by Andersen Gardner earned first the strength of competition team Class AA all-state honors throughout the season. As in 2006 and could see his share usual, the Red Dragons take of action behind the plate. the field versus some of the Freshmen Dan Barcavage and best teams in the nation. Artie Loomis round out the Seven teams that reached the position. NCAA Tournament last season are featured on the schedule, The Cortland infield will along with a host of other have a decidedly new look in highly successful programs. 2007. Three-of-four starters Cortland faces NCAA qualifiers have departed with only senior Centenary, Rowan, Bowdoin, first baseman Travis Robinson Senior pitcher Jon Rockfeld has Western New England, Ithaca back. Robinson, however, is a compiled a 6-2 record in 28 career and Carthage, as well as key component to the team for appearances. Montclair St., which reached his leadership, bat and glove. the eight-team Division III He earned second team All-SUNYAC honors last season and enters this World Series in 2006. campaign with a .343 career batting average and 93 career RBI. Junior Joey Russo is in his third year with the program. Russo will challenge for Junior catcher Mike Zaccardo tied for The pitching staff will set the starting nod at second base. Junior Matt Vitalone saw a good deal the team lead in homers and drove the tone this season with four of action on the left side of the infield in his first season with the team in in 26 runs last season. primary starters that combined 2006. Vitalone is a proven hitter, who needs to flash some leather in 2007. for a 28-3 record in 2006 back in the rotation. Last season, senior Jimmy Dougher was a second team All- Junior John Giametta Jr. is available to spell Robinson at first base. American, first team all-region and All-ECAC selection and the New York Giametta, a second team All-SUNYAC selection in 2006, has demonstrated Regional and SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year. He’s currently ranked seventh in good power from the right side of the plate and is very capable around career ERA, ninth in career winning percentage and is poised to move into the bag. Look for freshman Steve Nickel, who is a tremendous athlete, to the top five in career wins. Junior Ryan Hooper had a stellar 2006 season, compete for time on the infield. A pair of transfers, junior Josh Hicks and as he earned third team all-region and second team All-SUNYAC honors. sophomore Paul Merriweather, will seek playing time as well. His nine starts and 51.1 innings were second on the team, and his six wins and 2.28 ERA ranked third on the squad. The Red Dragon outfield features speed and size with tremendous Senior Mike Zgorzelski made offensive potential. Senior center fielder an immediate impact last season, Jim Basnight leads the group. Basnight, his first with the Red Dragons. a second team All-SUNYAC pick last Zgorzelski was a first team All- season, is a three-year starter who SUNYAC selection and closed is compiling career stats in multiple 2006 with five straight wins. categories that place him among Sophomore George Jweid made Cortland’s all-time best. Senior Dan 15 appearances with five starts last Maycock was a third team all-region season and set the school record and first team All-SUNYAC selection for wins by a freshman as he in 2006. Maycock is a towering posted an 8-0 record and led the switch-hitting presence at the plate. team with a 1.34 ERA. Junior transfer Anthony Coromato is a proven big-time hitter. Coromato was Senior Jon Rockfeld has 14th nationally and led the SUNYAC fashioned a solid first three in batting last season, earning second years at Cortland with a career team all-region and first team all- 6-2 record and a 3.75 ERA in 28 conference honors. appearances. He’ll be available as a starter and in relief. Also Another junior transfer, Nick returning to the squad in 2007 DeVito, packs plenty of pop in his are senior Jason Hauck, juniors 6-6, 260-pound frame. DeVito will Nick Baker, T.J. O’Leary and Nick see his share of at bats during the Serio and sophomore Brendan season. Junior Sean Caughey enters Senior pitcher Mike Zgorzelski Junior pitcher Ryan Hooper Rowlands, who comes back after allowed just one run in five his third year with the program, while had a season-high 11 strikeouts in missing all of 2006. sophomores Ryan Benson and John a win versus Oswego last season. and a third innings in a win versus Brockport in the Zilnicki seek playing time. Freshmen A.J. Carney, who SUNYAC Tournament title set the New York State high school career strikeout record last season, and game last season. Matt Tone, a Class AA fourth team all-state selection last season, have a chance to earn quality innings. Other newcomers to the pitching staff are CORTLAND Coaching Staff Joe Brown Mike Hubbs - Assistant Coach Head Coach Mike Hubbs enters his third season on the Cortland coaching staff in 2007 after a stellar four-year career with Joe Brown has led Cortland to a combined the Red Dragons. He posted a career 18-5 record and 2.19 247-76-1 record, seven NCAA Division III tourna- ERA, is currently 10th in school history for career wins and ment appearances, three World Series showings is 13th in career winning percentage (.783). and six State University of New York Athletic Con- ference (SUNYAC) titles in his first seven seasons Hubbs was named the SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year as the Red Dragons’ head coach. and a first team ECAC Division III Upstate New York all-star in both his junior and senior seasons. He was also the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Asso- Brown’s 2005 squad enjoyed the best sea- ciation New York Region Pitcher of the Year and an American Baseball Coaches son in school history with a 43-9-1 record and a Association first team All-New York Region selection in 2003 after compiling a national second place finish. His 2000 and 2001 7-1 record and 1.58 ERA. squads also won NCAA New York Regional titles and tied for fifth nationally each year. His 2003 and 2006 teams each tied for ninth nationally and his 2002 and The Averill Park, N.Y., native graduated in 2004 and is pursuing a master’s 2004 teams both tied for 17th. degree in health education. He was the pitching coach in the summers of 2004- 05 for the Saratoga Phillies of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. In 2000, he had the best season of any Cortland first-year head baseball coach, leading the Red Dragons to a 36-9 record, an NCAA Division III New York Region title and a tie for fifth place at the World Series. In 2001, his squad Hubbs resides in Cortland with his wife, Allison, a Cortland graduate. finished 34-11, winning a regional title and once again tying for fifth nationally at the World Series. In 2002, Cortland finished the season 31-11 and participated in Brian Huber - Volunteer Assistant the NCAA Division III regionals. Brian Huber enters his third season on the Cortland coaching staff in 2007. In 2003, the Red Dragons were 35-11, advanced to the championship game The Blue Point, N.Y., native played for the Red Dragons from 2001-03 and of the NCAA regionals and finished tied for ninth nationally. In 2004, the Red finished with a career .301 batting average, eight homers, 22 doubles, 70 RBI Dragons finished 29-16 and earned one of three national “Pool C” at-large and 32 stolen bases. tournament berths. In 2006, Cortland posted a 39-9 record, won the SUNYAC championship and advanced to the NCAA regional finals. Huber is tied for 17th on Cortland’s career stolen base chart and is ranked in the top 30 in six other career offensive categories. He earned All-SUNYAC Brown was named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) New honors and was named to the NCAA Division III Regional all-tournament team York Region “Coach of the Year” in 2000, 2001 and 2005 and was the SUNYAC in 2001 as the Red Dragons earned a spot in the Division III World Series. “Coach of the Year” in 2004 and 2005. Ten of his players have been chosen as All-Americans, including two who were selected in the professional baseball A 1998 graduate of St.