Fairfield Stags baseball

The Fairfield Stags baseball team is the college baseball team representing Fairfield University located in Fairfield, Connecticut. Fairfield competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) of NCAA Division I and plays their home games at the Alumni Baseball Diamond on the campus of Fairfield University. The Stags were MAAC Champions in 1983, 1991, 1993 and 2016. Fairfield is currently coached by 3 time America East Coach of the Year and 2 time MAAC Coach of the Year Bill Currier.

Fairfield Stags
2024 Fairfield Stags baseball team
Founded1951
UniversityFairfield University
Head coachBill Currier (13th season)
ConferenceMAAC
LocationFairfield, Connecticut
Home stadiumAlumni Baseball Diamond
(Capacity: 1,000)
NicknameStags
ColorsRed[1]
 
NCAA Tournament appearances
2016, 2021
Conference tournament champions
1977, 2016
Regular season conference champions
1983, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

History

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Alumni Baseball Diamond

Fairfield fielded its first varsity baseball team in 1951, winning 7 of 12 games. The Stags, coached by Don Cook, made the first of three straight trips to the ECAC New England Tournament in 1977, defeating defending champion University of Maine. The team was MAAC South Champions in 1983, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997. In 2016, Fairfield won the MAAC regular season and tournament championships to advance to the Lubbock Super Regional of the 2016 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

Individually, Anthony Hajjar was named a 2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American; Peter Allen was named to the 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List following his program record setting season in 2007 in which he was ranked nationally in doubles, batting average, and slugging percentage; and Mike Pike was named a 1993 Mizuno Freshman All-American.[2]

Keefe Cato, the holder of ten Fairfield pitching records including seven career shutouts and one no-hitter, was the first Fairfield athlete to play in a major professional sport on the major league level after being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the Reds’ winning pitcher in his second game.[3] And Rob Gariano, who surpassed Cato's 31 year stand as Fairfield's all-time strikeout leader with 293 strikeouts was drafted in the 36th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the San Diego Padres.[4]

Fairfield in the NCAA Tournament

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Year Record Pct Notes
2016 0–2 .000 Lubbock Regional
2021 2–2 .500 Austin Regional
TOTALS
2–4 .333

Head coaches

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Years Coach W-L-T Pct.
Joe Yabrosky 1951–56 26–28 .481
James Hanrahan 1957 1–11 .083
Frank Feroleto 1958–63 24–50–3 .331
Jack Redway 1964–65 4–31–1 .125
Don Cook 1966–84 235–273 .463
John Slosar 1985–2011 441–597–7 .425
Bill Currier 2012–present 285–245 .538

Awards

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Academic All-Americans

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  • Mike Caruso (3rd Team, 2021)

All-Americans

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  • Charlie Pagliarini (3rd Team, 2023)
  • Anthony Hajjar (Freshman, 2010)
  • Mike Pike (Freshman, 1993)

All-Northeast

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  • Charlie Pagliarini (Player of the Year, 2023)
  • Mike Handel (2nd Team, 2021)
  • Jake Noviello (2nd Team, 2021)
  • Jake Salpietro (1st Team, 2016)
  • Ryan Plourde (2nd Team, 2014)
  • Peter Allen (2007)
  • Dan Krines (2000)

NEIBA All-Stars

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  • Charlie Pagliarini (Player of the Year, 2023)
  • Jack Gethings (2019)
  • Gavin Wallace (Pitcher of the Year, 2017)
  • Jake Salpietro (2014, 2016)
  • Ryan Plourde (2013, 2014)
  • Scott Warwick (2012)
  • Tucker Nathans (2010, 2011)
  • Peter Allen (2007)
  • Ryan Holsten (2001)
  • Jon Novalis (2001)
  • Dan Krines (2000)
  • Bill McMahon (1993)
  • Luis Garcia (1991, 1993)

League Player of the Year

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  • Charlie Pagliarini (MAAC, 2023)
  • Mike Caruso (MAAC, 2021)
  • Jack Gethings (MAAC, 2019)
  • Adam Samuelian (MAAC South, 1997)
  • Mike Pike (MAAC South, 1996)

League Rookie of the Year

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  • Anthony Hajjar (MAAC, 2010)
  • Tom Lopusznick (MAAC South, 1997)
  • Jared DeCore (MAAC South, 1996)
  • Jarrod Jackette (MAAC South, 1994)

League Coach of the Year

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  • Bill Currier (MAAC, 2012, 2016, 2021)
  • John Slosar (MAAC South, 1991, 1994, 1997)

All-Time statistic leaders

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Career batting leaders

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  • Batting Average (min. 200 AB): Tom Finch (.358, 1969–71)
  • Hits Tucker Nathans (263, 2008–2011)
  • Hits Jack Gethings (271, 2016-2019)
  • Home Runs: Tom Lopusznick (35, 1997–2000)
  • RBI: Anthony Boselli 365 2017- 2019)
  • Runs Scored: Jack Gethings (170, 2016-2019)
  • Tom Lopusznick (142, 1997–2000)
  • Stolen Bases: Bill Barnes (122, 1976–79)

Single season batting leaders

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  • Batting Average: Luis Garcia (.423, 1991)
  • Hits: Anthony Hajjar (76, 2010)
  • Hits Jack Gethings (88, 2019)
  • Home Runs: Charlie Pagliarini (24, 2023)
  • RBI: Charlie Pagliarini (97, 2023)
  • Runs Scored: Bill McMahon (49, 1993)
  • Stolen Bases: Bill Barnes (37, 1978)
  • Doubles: Peter Allen (23, 2007)
  • Triples : Jack Gethings (7, 2019)

Longest hitting streaks

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  • Ryan Bittner (18g, 4/15/00-5/21/00)
  • Mike Svab (18g, 3/28/90-4/24/90)
  • Jack Gethings (25g, 2/24/19-3/30/19)

Career pitching leaders

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  • Complete games: Keefe Cato (24, 1977–79)
  • ERA: Keefe Cato (2.25, 1977–79)
  • Innings pitched: Rob Gariano (323.1, 2007–10)
  • Saves: Scott Larkin (19, 1990–93)
  • Strikeouts: Rob Gariano (293, 2007–10)
  • Wins: Keefe Cato (21, 1977–79)

Single season pitching leaders

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  • Complete games: Keefe Cato (11, 1979)
  • ERA (min. 25 IP): Al Gabriele (0.00, 31.2 IP, 1971) Kevin Kelleher (0.00, 30.2 IP, 1975)
  • Innings pitched: Dan Krines (103.2, 2000)
  • Saves: Scott Larkin (10, 1992)
  • Strikeouts: Keefe Cato (98, 1979)
  • Wins: Jake Noviello (9, 2021) Mike Sansone (2021)

No-hitters

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  • Joe Cizynski (9 innings vs. Columbia, 4/6/77)
  • Keefe Cato (7 innings vs. Maine, 4/8/78)
  • Rich Clemens (7 innings vs. Hartford, 4/14/85)

Stags in the MLB draft

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The following Stag players were selected in the Major League Baseball draft:

Player Year Round Team Position
Trey McLoughlin 2021 16 New York Mets RHP
Justin Guerrera 2021 20 New York Mets SS
Austin Pope 2019 15 Arizona Diamondbacks RHP
Gavin Wallace 2017 15 Pittsburgh Pirates RHP
Mike Wallace 2015 30 Pittsburgh Pirates RHP
Mark Bordonaro 2012 25 Seattle Mariners RHP
Rob Gariano 2010 36 San Diego Padres RHP
Ryan Holsten 2001 22 Arizona Diamondbacks RHP
Drew Larned 1998 23 Boston Red Sox C
James Manias 1996 25 Tampa Bay Rays LHP
William Albino 1982 20 Cincinnati Reds OF
Alberto Zappala 1982 30 Minnesota Twins INF
Ron Carapezzi 1981 31 Cincinnati Reds 3B
Keefe Cato 1979 2 Cincinnati Reds RHP
Mike Behudian 1979 14 Texas Rangers 2B
Frank Gill 1977 12 Boston Red Sox 2B
Robert Kownacki 1976 8 Los Angeles Dodgers SS
Michael Yates 1973 23 Atlanta Braves RHP
Thomas Finch 1971 14 Minnesota Twins C
Stan Norman 1970 26 Cincinnati Reds OF

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fairfield University Visual Standard Manual (PDF). July 1, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  2. ^ Fairfield University Athletics Archived 2011-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ http://www.fairfield.edu/x18852.html#jcato. Retrieved 2007-12-08. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[dead link]
  4. ^ Rob Gariano selected by San Diego Padres in MLB Draft
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