2014 SUNY College at Old Westbury Baseball Media Guide Layout 1
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1..... Quick Facts 10 Assistant Coaches Mike Atan & Lou Bernardi 2..... Greetings from the President 11...Assistant Coaches Alex Nikolic & Paul Valerio 3.....Greetings from the AD 12...2014 Roster 4.....20134 Season Outlook 13...Meet The 2014 Panthers 6.....2014 Schedule 16...2013 Schedule & Results 7.....2014 Preseason Polls 17...2013 Statistics CONTENTS 8.....Head Coach Rod Stephan 19...2013 NCAA Statistical Ranking Summary 9..... Assistant Coach Chris Smith 20...2013 Skyline Conference Season in Review QUICK FACTS The State University of New York College at Old Westbury, as Location…..…………...............Old Westbury, New York part of this educational mission, strives to offer a program of President…...…………................Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III NCAA Division III athletics that will meet the individual needs, Enrollment…...………........................…………….4,368 interest and abilities of all students who participate. Our goal is Founded………......………….......…….......….…….1965 to develop an environment that values cultural diversity and gen- Director of Athletics.....…..........................Lenore Walsh der equity among student-athletes and staff. Nickname……...…….............…......……...........Panthers Colors………...…...................................Green and Ivory The Athletic Department at Old Westbury is committed to Conference…........………….....…................…....Skyline providing close interaction between its coaches, staff and student- Home Field..................Jackie Robinson Athletic Comple athletes. This will allow our participants an opportunity to strive for their personal best. We believe active participation on an in- COACHING STAFF tercollegiate team will provide such life time skills as leadership, Head Coach.......……..……….....................Rod Stephan teamwork, sportsmanship and community service. Old Westbury Overall Record/Seasons.....................79-48-1/4th Season Athletics strives to attain competitive excellence in all sports pro- Record at Old Westbury/Seasons......79-48-1/4th Season grams. Local, regional and national achievement is a goal for all Office Phone………………........................516.876.6818 teams. The mission of the Old Westbury Athletic Program de- Assistant Coaches......................Chris Smith, Mike Atan, mands a commitment to excellence of the scholar athletes, who ...........................Lou Bernardi, Alex Nikolic, Paul Valerio strives to lead in work, in the community and in life. Best time to reach Coach.................................................. ....................................Contact Athletic Communications CREDITS The 2014 Old Westbury Baseball media guide is a publication of ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS the Old Westbury Athletic Communications Department, writ- ten to assist the working media and designed to aid all media Director of Athletic Communications........Harris Rappel members in their coverage of Old Westbury Baseball. Phone………..…...............………..............516.876.3032 Fax…………...............…..……...................516.876.3230 E-mail…........…[email protected] OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.COM / @OW_PANTHERS 1 GREETINGS From the President... Greetings... On behalf of SUNY College at Old Westbury, please let me welcome you to this event. Each athletic contest is not only a chance for our Panther teams to compete, but also a showcase for everything our college offers. Please drive or take a walk around campus. As you do, you will notice physical improvements either recently completed or now underway. Speak with our staff or faculty and hear their dedication and the mission of SUNY College at Old Westbury will shine through. And of course, get to know our students. Whether during competition in the spirit of NCAA Division III athletics or during class in one of our more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree opportunities, our students' successes serve as testimony to our College's ability, as Long Island's only four-year public liberal arts and sciences college, to help the leaders of tomorrow realize their dreams. It is my wish that all who participate in this event do so in a spirit of healthy competition. Moreover, I hope the SUNY College at Old Westbury community gives you a reason to visit us again. Thank you for attending. Sincerely, Dr. Calvin O. Butts III President SUNY College at Old Westbury COLLEGE MISSION SUNY College at Old Westbury is a dynamic and diverse public liberal arts college that fosters academic excellence through close interaction among students, faculty and staff. Old Westbury weaves the values of integrity, community engagement, and global citizenship into the fabric of its academic programs and campus life. In an environment that cultivates critical thinking, empathy, creativity and intercultural understanding, we endeavor to stimulate a passion for learning and a commit- ment to building a more just and sustainable world. The College is a community of students, teachers, staff, and alumni bound together in mutual support, respect, and dedication to the Mission. COLLEGE VISION STATEMENT: 2010 – 2015 To become a competitive, comprehensive college offering quality undergraduate and graduate degrees in the arts and sci- ences and professional areas to 4500 students on an attractive campus conducive to the needs of a growing residential and commuter student body.” SUNY College at Old Westbury's Mission and Vision Statements were developed during a College-wide Strategic Planning process that included faculty, staff, administration, students, alumni and members of the College Council and College Foun- dation Board of Trustees. The College–wide Strategic Planning process took place between April 2009 and February 2010. 2 2014 OLD WESTBURY BASEBALL GREETINGS From the Athletic Director... Greetings... Welcome to SUNY College at Old Westbury Department of Athletics! We are a 13-team athletic program that competes on the NCAA Division III level as a member of the Skyline Conference. We are proud of our 13 athletic teams and inspiring coaches to more than 200 student-athletes who make up the proud athletic community of our college. The experience of a student-athlete is a unique one and we ensure that our student-athletes receive every possible benefit of this experience. The life of a student-athlete includes working with their coaches and their team to achieve the strongest athletic performance and highest standard of excellence possible in their sport. Along the way, our student-athletes hone their athletic skills and learn leadership skills, learn discipline and learn how to be part of a positive team. Student-athletes are students first, so keeping academics strong is always a priority whether it includes ensuring that student-athletes bring their studies to away games and/or connecting student-athletes with the best academic adviser or the best tutor for them. Our student-athletes graduate with much to show for their time at Old Westbury. They will have excelled academically and athletically and they will have developed many valuable skills in leadership, time management, self-discipline and teamwork that makes them very marketable candidates in their chosen fields. Our community service efforts in which every team serves the community throughout the year will once again continue to exceed all expectations. The social enhancement and development of the student athlete is an important one and will not go unnoticed. Our goal is to win Skyline Conference and national championships in every sport. Our track record for participation in Sky- line Conference and ECAC post-season competition is strong and gets stronger every season. We work hard to achieve the best in each sport while ensuring that we exhibit the strongest sportsmanship ethic possible. Our athletic administrators and coaches are here to help you in any way possible. Please don’t hesitate to approach or make an appointment with any of us for advice or assistance. I am confident the upcoming year will be an exciting and productive one for all. GO PANTHERS! Sincerely, Lenore Walsh Director of Athletics SUNY College at Old Westbury OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.COM / @OW_PANTHERS 3 2014 SEASON OUTLOOK Old Westbury returns a pair of all-region selections to lead a mix of 17 returnees and 12 newcomers Coming off a season in which the SUNY College at Old Westbury baseball team narrowly missed out on a 2013 NCAA Tournament berth, expectations are high for the Panthers in 2014. Behind a late-season surge, Old Westbury won 11 of its final 12 regular season games to qualify as the No.2 seed for the 2013 Skyline Conference Tournament. However, the run came to an end when the Panthers fell to top-seeded and six-time defending champion Farmingdale State in the title game for the fourth consecutive season. Last year, Old Westbury once again ran wild on the base paths, finishing with a national-leading 199 stolen bases to capture its third-straight NCAA Statistical Championship with 4.74 stolen bases per game. Ahead of the 2014 campaign, Old Westbury has to fill big holes with the departures of two-time All-Skyline Conference selections in Paul Valerio and Brian Walsh. Topping Old Westbury's list of returnees are 2013 All-Region selections in senior Alex DiSanto (RHP, New Hyde Park, NY) and junior Jonathan Pagan (OF, Westbury, NY), along with 2013 All-Conference selections and seniors John Angelino (OF, Selden, NY) and Arismendy Nunez (RHP, Bronx, NY). This quartet will be leaned on heavily to pick up the slack, and much of the team's success depends on whether