Coach Scala Announces 2011 Team Captains

Adelphi Baseball Head Coach, Dom Scala, has announced the team captains for the 2011 baseball season to be Richard McCarren, Mike Scudero, Robert Nixon, and T.J. Humrich.


McCarren served as the Panthers utility man, playing five positions for the Panthers last season and put up some impressive stats. He led the Panthers with a .312 batting average, led the team in hits with 58, runs with 36, triples with 4 and on base percentage of .390. Scala said that McCarren, "was truly a great asset to me and the team".


Senior starting pitcher, Mike Scudero appeared in nine games with six starts last season. He posted a 3-1 record with an ERA of 4.04 along with 35 strikeouts, one shut out, and one complete game. 


"Mike took the bull by the horns this past year," added Scala. "He showed determination and grit after his elbow surgery last year. He worked hard and remained patient. I told him what he needed to do to become a leader and he has done it. His maturity is going to make him the pitcher and leader I thought he could be."


Senior starting pitcher, Robert Nixon was named second team All-NE-10 last spring and complied a team best record of 9-2 with an impressive ERA of just 3.48. In 64.2 innings pitched, Nixon struck out 55 batters, threw two complete games, had two shut outs and one save. Scala said that Nixon's "eyes speak louder than words" and he "has gained tremendous respect from his teammates throughout his years here at Adelphi." 


Junior catcher, T.J. Humrich started in 37 of the 42 games he played and finished with a .302 batting average. He collected 39 hits, drove in 18 runs, and led the club with 14 doubles. Coach Scala said that it was Humrich grit, determination, and consistency that got him the last spot as Captain. 

Athletics & Academics

Jimmy Milani, a junior at Adelphi University, pitches for the Panthers baseball team. Milani is the prime example of how both Adelphi's athletic and academic programs teach student athletes that academic ambition is equally important as athletic ability.

As an athlete who was granted an athletic scholarship to attend Adelphi, Milani feels that there is much more than just athletics  to be successful at Adelphi. While most college students enjoy vacation by hanging out with friends, traveling, or working at a local restaurant, Milani decided to take an internship at the Coca Cola Company to jump start his career in business and finance.

In addition to Milani's ambition, his sense of realism is sure to grant him success in his career endeavors.

"Being drafted into Major League Baseball would be a dream come true, but I realize the difficulty in becoming a professional. Therefore, I want to remain realistic, and that's why I'm looking to become someone successful off the baseball field by interning at Coca Cola and networking with every employer."

The internship was not Adelphi related but it gives Milani an opportunity to gain real world experience to build his resume and prepare him for a career in finance. Milani's duties at the Coca Cola Company are to work with a team on the distribution side of the company to help supply stores throughout Long Island.

Although Milani has great potential on the mound, his ambitions off the diamond assure that he is in the making of becoming an ace in the world of finance.

Adelphi Alumni

Bobby Lanigan, former Adelphi University baseball pitcher was called up to the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats. Lanigan made his debut for the Rock Cats on July 19th, 2010. He pitched 6 inning and gave up just one run in the no-decision.

Lanigan is now in his third season of professional baseball after having been selected by the Twins in the third round. He was selected 92nd overall of the 2008 draft.

In 11 appearances, 10 of which he started, Lanigan posted a 3-1 record with an ERA of 2.15 for the Single -A Ft. Myers this year. He has compiled a career minor league record of 14-8.

At Adelphi, Lanigan holds the record for the program's all time leader in career strike-outs with 241.

Welcoming Woods

Name: Jamie Lee Woods
Position: Infield
Previous College: University at Albany

Jamie Lee Woods joins the Panthers from the University at Albany to continue his baseball career at Adelphi. Although it is only his first year on the team, Woods has high hopes for this season and has set goals for both himself and the team:

Player Profile: Lucas Romeo

Lucas Romeo
Position: Shortstop
Class: Junior
GPA: 3.5
Hometown: Manhattan, N.Y.
High School: St. Francis Prep Queens, N.Y.
Most memorable moments:
1. High School- Hit home run in City Championship game in Junior year
2. Adelphi- Making it to Regionals and coming 1 game away from the College World Series
Future Goals: To play professional baseball
Hobbies/Interests: Hanging out with friends, working out, listening to music
Siblings: Brother, Nicholas, 8 & Sister, Juliana, 4
Role Model: Derek Jeter
Favorite Sport (other than baseball): Football
Favorite food: Too hard to choose
Favorite Movie(s): Goodfellas and For Love of the Game
Favorite Musical Artist/Group: Jay-Z
Favorite thing to do on a Saturday night: Go out with friends and have a good time

Fall Kick-Off Huge Success

The Adelphi University Department of Intercollegiate sports hosted its annual Fall Kick-Off Cocktail Party on Monday, November 8th at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place, N.Y. The event generated over $9,000 for Adelphi University Panther Athletics. The dinner was sponsored by the Adelphi University Panther Club.
In addition to the 260 guests in attendance, two other noteworthy people attended the event. The event featured special guest of honor Rich "Goose" Gossage, a Hall of Famer, and WFAN's Ed Randall of "Talking Baseball". Randall interviewed Gossage on stage for 30 minutes as he reflected on his days of being a New York Yankee.
After the event, Adelphi Baseball Head Coach Dom Scala said, "This was indeed a great night for Adelphi University and Intercollegiate Athletics." He continued to say how Gossage stories were a "breath of fresh air" and the crowd seemed to be delighted by his tales of his time with the Yankees.

Alex Trezza Added to Coaching Staff

On September 10, 2010 Coach Scala made the announcement that Alex Trezza would be the new assistant baseball coach for the Panthers. Trezza was added with the expectations that he would help as a hitting coach, with game and practice management, and recruiting. Coach Trezza said that taking the job at Adelphi was a "no brainer" because of Coach Scala and the University's outstanding athletic and academic reputation. In addition, Trezza said that so far the job has exceeded his expectations.
Trezza has also set some goals that he hopes will help improve the baseball team this season. Trezza said his main goal was to "work hard and impart the knowledge [he] learned about the game onto the players." Trezza has had ten years of experience playing professional baseball and an additional four years of coaching experience. Trezza shared that what he enjoyed most about playing baseball was being out on the field with teammates and traveling and meeting new people. As far as coaching, Trezza said, "I love to teach the game of baseball to these young players."
Coach Scala feels that Trezza is a valuable asset to the baseball program because of the wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for the game that he brings with him.
Trezza played baseball at Stony Brook where he still holds records today. Trezza also said that he played ice hockey in college and still enjoys playing today, that is when he is not coaching at Adelphi of course.

Panthers Season Preview 2010-11

Hank's Yanks Huge Success

The Adelphi Panthers played in a charity exhibition game against Hank's Yanks on Saturday, October 17th on William J. Bonomo field. The game was played in order to raise money for juvenile diabetes. In addition to over 100 fans who came out to support this cause, a few Yankee greats were in attendance as well. Mickey Rivers and Willie Randolph threw out the first pitch and said a few words to the crowd.

Overall the event was a huge success and raised money and awareness about juvenile diabetes and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF). JDRF is the worldwide leader in research and funding to find a cure for type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that has a sudden onset and lasts the duration of the patient's life. The JDRF is the largest charitable funder of and advocate for diabetes science throughout the world.

"It's a great day to play baseball and to be playing in support of such a worthy cause, in front of a great crowd," Adelphi head coach Dom Scala said. "I just enjoy the game of baseball and to give these kids an opportunity to see such a great campus, and a great field and then to have it be in support of a fantastic cause with Willie Randolph and Mickey Rivers here as well is amazing. It's always a pleasure to have the support of the Yankee family."

Competition for a Cause

     The Adelphi University Panthers will take on Hank's Yanks in an effort to raise money for juvenile diabetes. The game will take place on October 17th at 1:00 PM on William J. Bonomo Memorial Field.
     Hank's Yanks is a baseball team of New York city players and is sponsored by Hank Steinbrenner. These players come from all types of homes including single-parent homes, foster homes, and many others. The purpose of this team is to allow these kids to play baseball in a competitive environment while keeping them away from drugs, crime, and gang violence. Playing for Hank's Yanks also gives these kids a sense of accomplishment in their lives.
     The team is managed by Ray Negron, current Yankees senior advisor and former bat boy. Negron has had much success in managing this team including a championship in the under-18 division at baseball heaven. Also, Negron led the team to victory in the inaugural Boss' cup defeating Team Mariano.
      Tickets to the event cost $10 and all proceeds will go towards juvenile diabetes and Adelphi University Athletic Scholarships.

Panthers Pitching Posing an Early Threat

Although Fall baseball has just begun and the season is a long way off, Head Coach, Dom Scala, is confident is his team's ability to win games thanks to his talent on the mound and in the bullpen. Coach Scala had this to say about what his team's biggest strengths are headed into the 2010-2011 season:

Some returning seniors for the Adelphi Panthers include right hander, Jonathan Gonzalez, who appeared in twelve games, nine of which he started, and finished with a record of 3-4. He finished third on the team with an era of 2.57 and struck out a season high 12 batters versus New Haven on March 25th.

In addition, left hander Salvatore Persico, pitched in nine games, finished with a record of 1-1, and struck out six hitters in 7.1 innings of work.

For a complete list of pitchers and their stats please visit:
http://www.aupanthers.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/adel-m-basebl-mtt.html

2009-2010 Season Recap

     Last season the AU Panthers finished the regular season with 29 wins and 17 losses. They reached the Northeast 10 playoffs but lost their only two games and were eliminated by Southern Connecticut. I met with head coach, Dom Scala, and this is what he had to say on what he hopes to improve upon from last season:

To learn more about the Panthers previous season please visit:

http://www.aupanthers.com/sports/m-basebl/archive/adel-m-basebl-2009.html

About this Blog

This blog will cover multiple aspects of Adelphi Baseball including team photos, interviews with players and coaches, and weekly results of games played. In addition there will be player profiles, a recap of last season, and a 2010-11 season preview so that fans know what to expect this upcoming year.