Spring Break
Baseball team begins new season in the NJCAA
AJ Berstler
Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: Sports
This will be a season of firsts for the college baseball team, which has begun its inaugural season in the National Junior College Athletic Association.
This also will be head coach Adrian Yaguez's first season in the NJCAA, as well as his second season of coaching and serving as assistant athletic director.
The decision to switch from the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference to the NJCAA was brought up when NCC hired Troy Tucker in June 2008 as athletic director, Yaguez said.
"His vision was for our athletic program to be on a national stage, which the NJCAA provides," Yaguez said.
Discussing the differences between the EPCC and NJCAA, Yaguez said the EPCC has fewer than 20 member schools, while the NJCAA has more than 500. NJCAA also offers the opportunity for national recognition as well as awards for teams and student-athletes.
The NJCAA is divided into 24 regions across the United States, with NCC part of Region 19, which covers the eastern half of Pennsylvania along with New Jersey and Delaware. One of NCC's top opponents in the region is nationally ranked Gloucester County College.
Yaguez said he will continue to recruit in order to be successful at this level of competition.
"A coach needs to take a serious approach when recruiting student-athletes" he said. "One needs to recruit student-athletes that have the potential to play at the four-year level."
Yaguez said he is excited about the challenge of building a program and gaining national recognition.
His goals this season are to play hard and learn the league, he said, adding that he would be satisfied with a .500 record because that would earn NCC a spot in the Region 19 tournament at the end of the season.
Also in his second year with the team is first baseman and co-captain Jimmy Williams, a sophomore Sports Management major.
"I think that I am most excited about the level of competition," Williams said. "We are going to see some of the best teams in the country. It's going to be a great experience."
He and the team have not changed the way they are preparing for the upcoming season, even though they are changing leagues, Williams said.
"I do everything the same," he said. "I come to practice, do the best that I can, and get it done in the classroom so that I stay eligible all season."
Having a year of college baseball experience helps him as co-captain, but he knows that this is a different league and everything will be new for everyone, Williams said.
"When it comes to the co-captain portion, I just try to be a role model and try to show what is and is not acceptable in college baseball," he said.
This also will be head coach Adrian Yaguez's first season in the NJCAA, as well as his second season of coaching and serving as assistant athletic director.
The decision to switch from the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference to the NJCAA was brought up when NCC hired Troy Tucker in June 2008 as athletic director, Yaguez said.
"His vision was for our athletic program to be on a national stage, which the NJCAA provides," Yaguez said.
Discussing the differences between the EPCC and NJCAA, Yaguez said the EPCC has fewer than 20 member schools, while the NJCAA has more than 500. NJCAA also offers the opportunity for national recognition as well as awards for teams and student-athletes.
The NJCAA is divided into 24 regions across the United States, with NCC part of Region 19, which covers the eastern half of Pennsylvania along with New Jersey and Delaware. One of NCC's top opponents in the region is nationally ranked Gloucester County College.
Yaguez said he will continue to recruit in order to be successful at this level of competition.
"A coach needs to take a serious approach when recruiting student-athletes" he said. "One needs to recruit student-athletes that have the potential to play at the four-year level."
Yaguez said he is excited about the challenge of building a program and gaining national recognition.
His goals this season are to play hard and learn the league, he said, adding that he would be satisfied with a .500 record because that would earn NCC a spot in the Region 19 tournament at the end of the season.
Also in his second year with the team is first baseman and co-captain Jimmy Williams, a sophomore Sports Management major.
"I think that I am most excited about the level of competition," Williams said. "We are going to see some of the best teams in the country. It's going to be a great experience."
He and the team have not changed the way they are preparing for the upcoming season, even though they are changing leagues, Williams said.
"I do everything the same," he said. "I come to practice, do the best that I can, and get it done in the classroom so that I stay eligible all season."
Having a year of college baseball experience helps him as co-captain, but he knows that this is a different league and everything will be new for everyone, Williams said.
"When it comes to the co-captain portion, I just try to be a role model and try to show what is and is not acceptable in college baseball," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
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posted 11/26/09 @ 4:36 AM EST
It is a very intertesting story!
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posted 12/10/09 @ 3:53 AM EST
I think that baseball team will gain only victories.
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