The hits keep on coming for the College of Staten Island men’s baseball squad. On the heels of its finest season in history and a berth into the ECAC Metro NY/NJ Tournament, three Dolphins were tabbed with ECAC honors, announced this afternoon. Second year Head Coach Michael Mauro, coming off back-to-back CUNYAC Coach of the Year honors bagged the Coach of the Year honor by the ECAC Metro division as well, as pupils Pat Gale and Devon DiCasoli were also honored, placed on the ECAC Metro First-Team All-Star roster.
Mauro, who took over skipper duties in 2009 after an one-year stint as an assistant, compiled a 19-20 record in his first season with a roster comprised primarily of freshmen and sophomore players. The coach parlayed the rookie season into an outstanding 2010, as the team improved to a 31-11 showing, complete with a CUNYAC crown, ECAC postseason berth, and a No. 6 regional ranking by the NCAA in their final poll. The Dolphins posted program records in 2010 for wins (31), hits (528), doubles (105), fielding percentage (.958), and strikeouts thrown (319).
As good as the coaching was the play of both Gale and DiCasoli anchored a lethal attack, both at the plate and on the hill. Gale, an ABCA All-American batted a lethal .418, scattering a team-high 69 hits, 47 RBI, five triples, and a school record eight sacrifice flies. The junior was just as deadly on the mound, amassing an 8-2 record with a 2.06 ERA. The southpaw mustered a single season school record 108 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched, putting him in the NCAA’s top five in K’s per nine innings of work.
DiCasoli, a senior, put the finishing touches on an outstanding career by batting a blistering .425, going 65-for-153 at the plate with a team high 50 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. The speedy DiCasoli broke CSI’s all-time career record for stolen bases with 64, and his career batting average of .350 ranks 16th all-time at CSI. The All-American candidate also finished in the CSI top five in career runs scored and walks.
All together, the ECAC nods are a part of over 20 postseason honors and awards won by CSI players and coaches in 2010, making this season arguably the finest in CSI history. In its 33-year history, CSI has collected 14 CUNYAC Championships, and made their 9th trip to the ECAC postseason playoffs.