Pionners Complete Sweep

Feb. 26, 2007 

Elizabeth City, NC - Columbia Union College completed a four game sweep against Elizabeth City State University at Holmes Field in Elizabeth City, NC this past weekend.  On Feb. 23rd, the Pioneers defeated ECSU with scores of 6-1 and 7-6.  In game one, Tom Rogers (1-0) picked up his first ever NCAA win going five strong innings and giving up no runs. In game two, the Pioneers managed to stop a 7th inning rally.  Brad McLaughlin (1-0) picked up his first win of the season.  Junior Nick Couzantino notched his first save of the season and the Pioneers came out on top.

On Sunday, Nick Couzantino (1-1, 1 sv.) took the mound for his second time as a starter this season and notched his first win of the season while striking out eight batters in five strong innings.  The CUC offense managed to put up 10 runs to go on to win 10-3.  In game two of the doubleheader the Pioneers trailed ECSU for the first time in the series and battled back to pick up the win by a 7-4 score.  Caleb MacDonald battled through terrential rains and improved to (2-0) after the win.  

CUC (5-1) will face off in a doubleheader against North-Atlantic Region opponent Bloomsburg University on Sunday.  

 

CUC Baseball team gets help from the Pros

“Live the Lifestyle”

From November 9-12 the Columbia Union Collge baseball program had the pleasure of hosting strength and conditioning consultant Dana Cavalea. Dana works with the legendary New York Yankees and other professional baseball organizations such as the Toronto Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Dana is the owner and operator of Major League Strength (www.mlstrength.com) which emphasizes the development of all phases of an athlete’s life, with the goal of creating the complete athlete. Dana’s program focuses on not only the weight training and speed development but also nutrition, sleep, academics and a comprehensive approach to prevent injury and maximize performance.

“I couldn’t be more excited about starting this program” said senior Adam Melis. “ To know that we worked with a guy who works with Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter is a great feeling.’

Demonstrating proper technique is a key ingredient that Dana uses with his professional clients and he approached each one of the Columbia Union Collge players the way. Not only dies Dana do every workout routine himself he works one on one with the athletes he teaches. “Dana did every one of the exercises with us until every player had it down,” said junior transfer Bill Arpei. “We didn’t move on the next step until everyone did it right.”

Stressing a professional attitude on and off the field was a unique component that Dana brought to his program. Dana’s own personal experience with professional athletes showed that it takes more than just practice to be successful on and off the field. His “Live the Lifestyle” mentality demonstrated to the players that it’s a responsibility and commitment to yourself and your team on a daily basis that will define you as a winner, not the two hours you spend at practice each day.

The Columbia Union Collge baseball program is coming off a successful 34-22 record last spring, best in school history. For most programs that would a great end for a team that won just five games in 2005 under the former coaching staff, but the Pioneer coaches are looking ahead.

“This is just the beginning for our program and we need to approach the off-season differently than we did last year,” Said second year head coach Michael Ricucci. “We are not going to sneak up on anyone this season and we need to be better prepared. Dana’s program will give us that opportunity.”

“We do not have the luxury of a practice/game facility on our campus, which could hinder our player’s development significantly,” said Ricucci. “We need to provide our players with every opportunity to get better and having a Yankee’s instructor pass along his knowledge and training regimen provides that opportunity. They deserve it.”

 

 

Pioneers Finish the Season 34-22

The 2006 Columbia Union College squad finished their season in historic fashion posting their best record in program history. Coach Ricucci also established himself as one of the best coaches within the NCAA Division II by enjoying the best turnaround in a single season (7 wins in 2005, 34 wins in 2006). The Pioneers also enjoyed a 14 game winning streak going into their appearance at the 2006 USCAA National Tournament. Congratulations to the players and coaches and we would also like to thank all of the administration, friends, family, and fans for their great support.

CUC Places Runner-Up at National Tournament in St. Pete, Florida

Winning pitcher Andrew Raschen was 2-for-4 and held Columbia Union to two hits as the Seahawks defeated the Pioneers 6-1 to win the 2006 USCAA National Invitational Baseball Tournament. In earlier games, Columbia Union College rallied to defeat Presentation College 5-4, and Briarcliffe College held off a late Apprentice School rally to advance to the championship by a 4-3 count.

Four Pioneers make All-Tournament Team: Jedidiah Jacobsen (Riverside, CA), Charles Rupert (Glen Burnie, MD), Brad McLaughlin (Brampton, ON), and Ryan Brown (Brewster, WA).

The USCAA also announced their selections for All-American status at the 2006 National Tournament. The following players were selected from Columbia Union College. Athletic All-Americans: Ryan Brown (Brewster, WA), Michael Passarell (Rochester, NY), and Kendall Hurst (Lanham, MD). Academic All-American: Keith Goldsmith (Bryantown, MD)