A Signature Win For Hofstra Baseball

The Hofstra baseball team’s 5-0 upset of 14th-ranked Miami Sunday was a signature win for the program and one that head coach Patrick Anderson expects to carry some confidence into next season.

Hofstra’s shutout of the Hurricanes, a program that has captured four national titles, represented the highest ranked opponent the Pride had ever beaten, eclipsing a victory over 15th-ranked Old Dominion on April 7, 2006. Anderson, who has been Hofstra’s head baseball coach since 2009 and served as an assistant in Hempstead from 1998 to 2001, said the only other win he has experienced with the program that compares to the Miami triumph was a victory at Virginia Tech on April 8, 1999.

David D'Errico Shining as Hofstra Baseball's Number One Starter

 Courtesy Hofstra Athletic Communications

With his first season of collegiate baseball under his belt as well as a summer competing in the Western Major Baseball League in Canada, Hofstra sophomore pitcher David D'Errico has been riding high with confidence in 2011 in his second year as the ace of the Pride pitching staff.

In his first five Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) starts this year D'Errico has allowed only five earned runs with Hofstra going 4-1 in those key conference games. Thanks in large part to D'Errico Hofstra is very much alive midway through the CAA season to reach the four-team conference tournament in May.

“One year of experience pitching in college and a whole season of summer ball gives you a lot more confidence,” said D'Errico of the extra comfort level he feels in his second season taking the mound for the Pride. “I definitely feel a lot more comfortable this year than last year.”

Hofstra baseball head coach Patrick Anderson has also noticed a difference in D'Errico command as a sophomore going all the way back to the fall season. “He’s been more consistent in the strike zone and is just feeling confident about himself,” said Anderson. “He believes in his stuff and he believes in the guys behind him.”

D'Errico arrived at Hofstra after a distinguished baseball career at North Kingstown High School in Rhode Island where he was a First team All-Rhode Island selection as a junior and senior. He got thrown into the fire right away as a freshman at Hofstra becoming the Pride’s number one starter during the CAA schedule and earned a key win at Northeastern where he allowed just two runs in eight innings of work.

D’Errico arrived on Long Island with some familiarity thanks to his high school baseball and football teammate and “best friend” Cody Normand also deciding to select Hofstra for his collegiate career on the diamond. “Cody has actually been my best friend since like fourth grade so it was so ironic that we ended up going to the same college,” said D’Errico.

In his eight appearances this season D'Errico has recorded 26 strikeouts and given up only 14 walks. Prior to Friday’s game at Northeastern where he suffered a hard-luck 3-0 loss after giving up just two earned runs in eight innings of work, D'Errico was 3-0 with a 1.82 earned run average in his previous three starts. He tosses his first complete game in a 6-2 Hofstra win at William & Mary on April 1.

“He’s a hard worker and very humble,” said Anderson of D'Errico, who was also a star football player in high school earning Gatorade Rhode Island Football Player of the Year honors his senior season. “He’s a great teammate and the guys love him.”

Hofstra baseball excited for Spring season to bloom

With the first pitch of the 2011 Hofstra baseball season about three months away third year head coach Patrick Anderson is excited about the state of his team with a solid nucleus of talented younger players and older veterans determined to bring the program to a new level.

Hofstra finished its fall season late last month and in two days of competition against Nassau Community College and Suffolk Community College scored over 40 runs. “It has been such a good positive experience in the fall,” said Anderson, whose team stayed right in contention for a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) playoff bid until the very end of the 2010 season. “The experience from last spring is just going to bring that confidence going into this spring as well.”

Hofstra baseball to travel to Florida State and Miami in 2011

The 2011 Hofstra baseball schedule is still being finalized but early indications are it will be one filled with heavy hitters including games against national powers Florida State and Miami.

Hofstra baseball head coach Patrick Anderson said for the second year in a row the Pride will travel early in the season to Dick Howser Stadium for a series against Florida State, which made the College World Series last year and was ranked 13th in the final Baseball America rankings. In May Hofstra will return to the Sunshine State during a bye week from Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play to face the University of Miami, who was ranked 14th in the final Baseball America poll. Hofstra's non conference slate will also include early season road trips to Florida Atlantic, which received votes in the final Baseball America poll, and Norfolk State, according to Anderson.

"We've got some pretty good horses on this schedule," said Anderson. "We've got some really good competition."

The official Hofstra baseball 2011 schedule will be released this fall. Hofstra finished 2010 20-28-1 and 10-14 in the CAA.

Several Hofstra baseball players compete in collegiate summer leagues

Several Hofstra baseball players are keeping active this summer competing in amateur collegiate leagues across North America in preparation for the 2011 season.

More than a dozen Hofstra players can be seen this summer on teams that compete in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, the Atlantic League, New York Collegiate Baseball League, Coastal Plains League and Prospect League. Hofstra baseball also has a presence north of the border with Pride hurlers David D'Errico and Matt Watkins pitching for the Okotoks Dawgs of the Western Major Baseball League in Alberta, Canada.

Prokopwicz aims to end Hofstra baseball career as a winner

Courtesy Hofstra Athletic Communications

The heralded Hofstra baseball career of Matt Prokopwicz will come to a close tomorrow and the Massapequa, N.Y. native is doing his best to end his college playing days on a high note. In a heartbreaking 15-14 10 inning loss to Old Dominion Saturday Prokopwicz showed why he has been one of Hofstra’s all-time great hitters and why professional baseball is likely in his future going 5-for-6 with three RBIs and home run.

“I want to go out with a bang,” said Prokopwicz, who enters his final game as a senior hitting .429 with six home runs. “Today coming out and getting five hits, that is how I want people to remember me as.”

Hofstra baseball gearing up for key CAA series

As the Hofstra baseball team prepares itself for a critical three-game Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) series with William & Mary this weekend coming off six straight conference losses, the Pride got some confidence Wednesday afternoon with a 12-10 win over Long Island rival Stony Brook. While the pitching was a struggle for much of the game, the Pride bats exploded with 16 hits to rally from a 6-3 deficit one day after beating Army 11-9. 

After the win at University Field head baseball coach Patrick Anderson said he approaches midweek non-conference games with the theme of trying to get his players the necessary experience for CAA action.

“We’re just trying to fill innings and get some experience and hopefully get a win on top of it,” said Anderson, whose team improved to 12-20 with the win over Stony Brook to exceed last year’s win total with 17 games remaining on the schedule. “I just really feel that today’s win and yesterday’s win as well is going to allow us to be able to compete as much as possible going into the conference."

Hofstra baseball has positive outlook heading into home opener despite slow start

Despite an 0-9 start that has featured some close losses against stiff competition, the Hofstra baseball team has a positive mindset heading into its home opener against New York Tech at 3 p.m. tomorrow.

"We've been going through practice paying attention to detail with every little thing we have done," said second year Hofstra baseball head coach Patrick Anderson. "These kids are really hungry."

Hofstra's early schedule featured three game sweeps at second-ranked Florida State, Maryland and Troy University. Hofstra held leads in the fourth inning in three of those nine losses.

The New York Tech game was added to the schedule after the Pride had a three games in the Philadelphia area rained out last weekend against Villanova, Temple and St. Joseph's. "When we lose games we want to be able to pick up some games and prepare ourselves and play as much as possible," said Anderson.

Fans who attend Thursday afternoon's home opener at University Field will notice construction of a new grandstand that is expected to be completed in the next month. The new grandstand is scheduled to be officially dedicated on Sunday April 18 just prior to Hofstra's game against Virginia Commonwealth.

"The upgrade and the facelift is just going to help all the way around with the atmosphere," said Anderson. "It is going to look really nice."

Hofstra will continue its stretch of home games this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday against Fairfield starting at Noon both days. The Pride's Colonial Athletic Association opener is scheduled for April 2 at Northeastern.

Exciting new developments for Hofstra baseball heading into 2010

While winter is only two weeks away the Hofstra baseball team is eager for spring to blossom with some recent positive developments giving second year head coach Patrick Anderson plenty of optimism for his program in 2010 and beyond.

Some of the exciting news that has unfolded for the Hofstra baseball team in recent months include planned enhancements to University Field for the coming season, an eighth-member recruiting class consisting of top-notch players from around the country, as well as a prized transfer from San Diego State.

The improvements to University Field that are planned for 2010 include 400 new grandstand seats as well as a press box. “We’re so beyond excited about this,” said Coach Anderson of what the facility enhancement will mean for his program.

Playing at the revamped University Field in 2011 will be eight players who Coach Anderson announced on Nov. 25 as part of his latest recruiting class. This renowned group includes Logan Davis (Cave Creek, AZ), Angelo Gargano (Hainesville, IL), Bobby Gazzola (Coram, NY), Kenny Jackson (Ronkonkoma, NY), Everett Keller (Port Washington, NY), Nick Kozlowski (Huntington Station, NY), Matt Reistetter (Hauppauge, NY) and Bryan Verbitsky (Levittown, NY). Anderson is excited for what all these players will bring to the table, especially Davis, who is the son of 1989 National League Cy Young Award winner Mark Davis and can play either infield or pitcher.