Anna Maria Baseball Clinics
Worcester Tornadoes join AMCATS' Baseball Staff
PAXTON, Mass. – Head Coach Dave McNamara has announced the 2010 Anna Maria College baseball coaching staff, which includes Worcester Tornadoes stars Alex Trezza and Chris Colabello, as well as local standouts Chris Logan and Justin Perry.
Alex Trezza is entering his 10th year as a professional baseball player and has enjoyed a remarkable baseball career. A former Division I All-American and Conference Player of the Year at Stony Brook University, Trezza also holds the career and single season home run records at the University. Trezza was an 18th round MLB draft pick for the Detroit Tigers in 2001 and voted the Organization’s Most Improved Player in 2003. Trezza has also played in the Colorado Rockies organization and for the North Shore Spirit in the Can-Am League. He led the Can-Am League in home runs in 2006 and has been playing for the Worcester Tornadoes since 2008.
Chris Colabello, the former Assumption College star is widely recognized as the face of the Worcester Tornadoes. Chris is currently entering his sixth year of professional baseball. He is the Tornadoes all-time franchise leader in career batting average (.315), games (366), at-bats (1,371), runs (226), hits (428), doubles (106), home runs (45), runs batted in (248) and walks (156). Colabello also holds Can-Am League records in Doubles (34) and extra base-hits (51) in a single season. In 2008, Colabello hit .336 with 16 HRs, while also leading the league in RBIs (76).
Chris Logan, another former local star, was recently named to the Worcester State College All-Decade Team. Logan was a two-year captain and two-time All-MASCAC selection while leading the Lancers to two Conference Championships, including 2008 when he hit .364 with 55 hits and 15 doubles.
Justin Perry also joins the AMCAT staff after pitching for the Stonehill College baseball team and quarterbacking for the football team. A 2009 graduate, Perry also played baseball in the prestigious, NECBL and joins the team as a Graduate Assistant Coach. |
AMC Boys of Summer Shine in Offseason
PAXTON, Mass. – The Anna Maria College baseball program was well represented this offseason with Jim McNamara (Worcester, Mass.), Jeff Scafidi (Worcester, Mass.), and Zach Rafferty (Worcester, Mass.), each starring in their summer leagues. Along with this trio, the AMCATS are expected to return 22 of the 23 players from last year’s roster, putting themselves in a great position for the 2010 season.
Jim McNamara played his summer ball for the Sag Harbor Whalers in the very competitive Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, which is comprised of mostly Division I athletes. In fact, 27 former ACBL players were drafted by Major League Baseball organizations in the 2009 MLB Draft alone. McNamara thrived against the stiff competition, finishing second among all ACBL pitchers with a sparkling 1.98 ERA, surrendering just nine earned runs in 41 innings. Jim will return to Anna Maria this fall for his junior season after leading the AMCATS in wins, complete games, strikeouts, and innings pitched in 2009.
After capturing the AMC Team MVP Award last season, Jeff Scafidi continued his torrid pace this summer while playing for East Side American Legion. He compiled a .445 batting average, collecting 46 hits, four home runs, 37 RBI’s, and 73 total bases in just 25 games. Jeff will return to AMC for his sophomore year after a record-breaking freshman campaign in which he set the program marks for hits, runs batted in, doubles, triples, and total bases in a single season.
Zach Rafferty also had an impressive offseason while pitching in the Central New England Baseball Association. Rafferty recorded 32 strikeouts in just 29 innings of work and finished with a 2.48 ERA. After making six starts for the AMCATS in 2009, Rafferty is expected to return as a part of the rotation in his junior season.
AMC lost just one player from last season’s roster while adding several freshmen recruits this fall. With nine seniors and 10 juniors on the team, the AMCATS are a poised for a post season run in 2010. |
2009 Recap
The AMC baseball team entered the 2009 season with high expectations after capturing 12 wins in 2008, and barely missing the Conference playoffs by just one game. Although the team improved their TCCC record to 8-14 this year, they struggled down the stretch and once again fell short of the playoffs by just one game, finishing with an overall record of 12-27-1. On a positive note, the team’s total of eight one-run losses is evidence of how close they are to becoming one of the top teams in the Conference.
Although they missed the playoffs, the 2009 season was a very successful year for the program as they continued to grow and improve. Their eight Conference victories were the most for AMC since the 2001 season, and the second highest total in the program’s history. This year’s team set program records for runs scored (215), batting average (.299), hits (356), doubles (61), home runs (14), runs batted in (190), total bases (475), and earned run average (6.08) since the team stats were kept in 2004.
Freshman Jeff Scafidi (Worcester, Mass.) and sophomore Jim McNamara (Worcester, Mass.) both had record breaking seasons for the AMCATS this year. As AMC’s starting center fielder, Scafidi set single season program records for hits (54), runs batted in (38), and total bases (83), while also tying the record for doubles (13) and triples (5). He finished the season leading the club in batting average, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, slugging percentage, and runs batted in, while also tying for the team lead in runs scored and stolen bases. In addition, Scafidi was selected as the TCCC Rookie of the Week twice in his first season. Excelling both on the mound and at the plate, McNamara set the program’s career marks for wins and doubles during the year. This season, he led the pitching staff in wins (4), complete games (3), innings pitched (50.1), and strikeouts (37), while also finishing in the top five in almost every offensive category including batting average (.322), hits (47), doubles (7), runs batted in (25), and total bases (59).
Sophomore Jeff Kodys (Holden, Mass.) manned the catcher position for the AMCATS this year and was selected as a member of the All-TCCC Second Team. He completed the season batting .327 with 36 hits, seven doubles, three homers, 26 runs batted in, 20 runs scored, and 52 total bases; finishing among the top five on the club in each category. Junior Craig Doyle (Worcester, Mass.) and sophomore Nick Aromando (Oxford, Mass.) completed a solid core of catchers for the AMCATS this season.
Third baseman Alex Roycewicz (Oxford, Mass.) started 35 games at the hot corner for the AMCATS this season and was a major contributor with his bat. “Royce” batted .341 on the year with seven doubles, 21 runs batted in, and a team leading .386 on base percentage. During one outstanding stretch, Alex collected a hit in eight consecutive at bats spanning over four games.
Up the middle, AMC went with a combination of Andy Fallon (Worcester, Mass.), Brendon Tivnan (Worcester, Mass.), Dave Beauregard (Leicester, Mass.), and Judson Evarts (North Ferrisburgh, Vt.). With Michael Galvin (Rutland, Mass.) recovering from foot surgery, Fallon did a fine job taking over as the starting shortstop. Leading off for the AMCATS, Fallon batted .299 while tying for the team lead with seven stolen bases. Tivnan and Beauregard made 24 and 16 starts, respectively, between second and third. Evarts came on strong at the end of the year, starting seven games at second while making important contributions such as a walk-off single in extra-innings versus Wentworth.
Left fielder JK Vaughn (Simsbury, Conn.) and right fielder Matt Touhey (Mendon, Mass.) joined Scafidi as the team’s starting outfield. Vaughn had a terrific junior season, finishing second on the team with eight doubles and a .352 batting average, while also ranking among the top three on the club in hits (45), runs (24), and on base percentage (.382). Touhey made 22 starts for the AMCATS and tied for second on the team by drawing 12 walks in just 80 plate appearances.
Battling an elbow injury the entire season, Jeff Lander (Gloucester, Mass.) was relegated to starting as the team’s designated hitter. Lander led the club with four home runs in 93 at bats, finishing with a .280 batting average and a .362 on base percentage.
Led by McNamara, the AMCATS five-man starting rotation also included Brian Richard (Auburn, Mass.), Zach Rafferty (Worcester, Mass.), Brendon Tivnan, and Jeff Scafidi. Richard went 1-3 in seven starts despite a solid 4.50 earned run average, while Sacfidi and Rafferty each finished 1-4 over six starts. Tivnan compiled a 1-2 record in six starts, striking out an impressive 28 batters in 31.2 innings of work.
The AMC bullpen was comprised of Matt Fournier (Worcester, Mass.), Tim Henderson (Wayland, Mass.), Pete Labelle (Gardner, Mass.), Derek Malkowski (Corbeil, Ont.), Michael Allard (Monson, Mass.), and Kyle Green (Worcester, Mass.). Perhaps the staff’s most versatile pitcher, Fournier made 10 appearances out of the pen as well as four starts. He compiled a 3-2 record and led the team with a 3.50 ERA, two saves, and a .215 batting average against. Henderson led the team with 15 appearances in his freshman year, earning a win and a save while striking out 26 batters in 29.1 innings.
After dramatic improvements over the last two seasons, the AMCATS will enter the 2010 season looking to make a return to postseason play. AMC will welcome back nine seniors and 10 juniors next year while losing just one graduate. The club now appears poised to take the next step and make a run at one of the top spots in the Conference in 2010. |
Kodys selected to All-TCCC Team
 Kodys had nine multi-hit games this year
All-TCCC Team
PAXTON, Mass. – The Commonwealth Coast Conference Commissioner Gregg Kaye announced Thursday that Anna Maria College sophomore Jeff Kodys (Holden, Mass.) has been selected as a member of the All-TCCC Baseball Second Team.
Kodys had an excellent sophomore campaign as the AMCATS’ starting catcher this year. He finished the season among the top five on the team in eight offensive categories including batting average (.327), runs (20), doubles (7), home runs (3), runs batted in (26), total bases (52), slugging (.473), and on base percentage (.383). He had nine multi-hit games on the year and drove in multiple runs seven times. During a four-game stretch in late March, including a sweep of a TCCC doubleheader versus Gordon College, Kodys went 9-16 with six runs scored and eight RBI.
With Kodys and all but one player returning next season, the AMCATS are poised to make a run in 2010. AMC will have nine seniors and 10 juniors in ’10, and are looking like legitimate contenders for a Conference title.
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Golden Bears sweep AMCATS on Senior Day
 Fournier was celebrated on Senior Day
Box Scores: Game 1 / Game 2
PAXTON, Mass. – Freshman Mark DiTommaso (Hebron, Conn.) tossed a complete-game in the opener, while sophomore Andrew Fatse (Hampden, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with five runs batted in during game two to help lift the Western New England College baseball team to a sweep over Anna Maria College in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Bears took game one 6-2 before running away with the second game, 16-2. WNEC finishes the regular season with a 25-14 overall record, going 16-6 in the TCCC. The AMCATS dropped their final seven games of the year to finish 12-27-1 overall and 8-14 in the Conference.
AMC Pitcher Matt Fournier (Worcester, Mass.) was honored before the game as part of senior day. Fournier entered today’s action with a 3-2 record, a team-high two saves, and a team-best 3.50 ERA. His .215 batting average against was also tops on the club.
Fatse paced the Golden Bears on offense, going 4-for-8 with a double and a home run, while leading all players with six RBI on the afternoon. Junior Steve Kearney (Glastonbury, Conn.) and senior Chris Newell (Wallingford, Con.) also had strong days at the plate, pounding out four hits apiece. On the mound, DiTammaso went the distance in game one, surrendering just two runs while striking out five to improve his record to a perfect 6-0 on the year. Junior Matt Rogers (Portsmouth, R.I.) tossed five strong innings in game two, allowing two runs on five hits to earn his fourth win of the season.
Sophomore Jim McNamara (Worcester, Mass.) led the AMCATS with a team-high three hits on the afternoon, while junior Jeff Lander (Gloucester, Mass.) went 2-for-3 in game one, including a solo homer to right field. Sophomore Brian Richard (Auburn, Mass.) was impressive in his game one start, going 5.2 innings while allowing just three earned runs and striking out five.
WNEC jumped on the board first in the opener, getting an RBI-single up the middle by shortstop Justin Walz (Groton, Conn.) to grab a 1-0 lead.
The AMCATS struck back with runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 2-1 advantage. Sophomore Alex Roycewicz got the scoring started for AMC with an RBI-single to left in the third, while Lander delivered a go-ahead homer in the fourth.
The lead would be short lived, as the Golden Bears rallied for two runs in the fifth, including an RBI single by sophomore Tony Trubia (Tolland, Conn.), and three more in the sixth to build a 6-2 lead.
DiTammaso then finished what he had started, retiring the last four hitters in order to solidify the 6-2 victory.
Game two was all WNEC from the start. They scored at least one run in every inning except for the seventh, including six runs on five hits in the third, and five runs in the sixth. Fatse and Trubia both homered for the Golden Bears, as the tam pounded out 14 hits to capture a 16-2 win. Rogers pitched well for WNEC, allowing just two runs in five innings to improve to 4-3 on the year.
WNEC finishes the year as the number two seed in the TCCC and will advance to the postseason starting on Tuesday. The AMCATS will have to wait and see what happens with Gordon College and Colby-Sawyer College before knowing whether or not they have qualified for post season play.
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