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Teams: Baseball: Team
Overview
 The
Tufts University Baseball program is one of the most competitive in
New England each spring. Under the guidance of Coach John Casey, the
Jumbos annually compete for the New England Small College Athletic
Conference (NESCAC) title and are ranked among the best in the
region. The 2009 team looks to continue this tradition of success.
The Tufts baseball program aims to develop players into future
leaders on and off the field. Located right outside of Boston, Tufts
offers a well-rounded collegiate experience to student-athletes.
Within its picturesque small-college campus, Tufts is a major
university with "an unprecedented diversity of programs, exceptional
faculty and staff, and bright and talented students," according to
President Lawrence S. Bacow. The Athletics Department sponsors a
varsity program of 28 sports that is among the most competitive in
the NCAA's Division III. Tufts finished 15th in the 2008 U.S. Sports
Academy Directors' Cup, the award presented annually to the best
overall collegiate athletics programs in the country. The
University's proximity to a world-class city renowned for its
academic institutions is also a major draw.
On the baseball team, the drive and guidance of senior players is
crucial to success each year. This approach builds a team that cares
about baseball and being competitive, but more importantly one that
cares about each other. The annual Grimshaw/Baseball Alumni Golf
Tournament run by the team welcomes back more than 130 former
players every May. Many former players have donated enhancements to
Huskins Field.
Casey's teams have featured five players who signed
professionally. Randy Newsom, a 2004 Tufts graduate, signed with the
Boston Red Sox in June 2004. Traded to Cleveland as part of a deal
for Coco Crisp, he played for the Indians Triple A affiliate in
Buffalo this past summer. Pitcher Jeff Taglienti and outfielder Dan
Callahan are also Jumbos coached by Casey who were drafted by Major
League organizations.
A 1980 Tufts graduate, Casey enters his 26th season as the coach
at his alma mater. He has amassed a 450-298-3 record, a victory
total that places him among the top 50 on the NCAA Division III
active coaches list. As an undergraduate, he helped pitch the Jumbos
to consecutive ECAC Division II-III Tournament appearances. Also a
tight end on 1979's undefeated football team, he returned to Tufts a
year later as a baseball and football assistant. He replaced Lee
Sargent as baseball coach in 1984.
A native of nearby Jamaica Plain, Casey is a respected leader in
the Division III baseball ranks. He is a member of the American
Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Executive Committee and is the
ABCA Division III chairman. He recently ended a term as chair of the
NCAA Division III National and New England baseball committees. As
secretary-treasurer of the New England Intercollegiate Baseball
Association (NEIBA), he plays a leading role organizing the New
England College Baseball All-Star Game at Fenway Park. Casey and his
staff run RBI Baseball Academy's Summer Clinic on campus, and
annually host the TPX Top 96 clinic, one of the biggest in the
Northeast.
In November 1999, Coach Casey was inducted into the Hall of Fame
of the Boston Park League, the oldest amateur baseball league in the
country. In 2000, the NEIBA presented him the Jack Butterfield
Award, its most prestigious honor. Casey was promoted to Assistant
Athletics Director at Tufts in 2001, with responsibilities in the
department's daily operations.
As members of the NESCAC, Tufts plays in one of the most
competitive conferences athletically and academically. The NESCAC is
a group of highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities
that share an academics-first philosophy for intercollegiate
athletics. The 2008 Jumbos recorded the program's 16th consecutive
winning season. NESCAC Player of the Year Steve Ragonese, ABCA/Rawlings
Gold Glove pitcher Adam Telian and pitcher Jason Protano joined
former catcher Greg Hickey as the only Jumbos to play on NESCAC
Tournament qualifying teams during each of their four seasons.
Bob Clarke, Bill Samko, Bob Kenny and Brian Casey will assist
Casey in 2009. Clarke received the NEIBA's Kevin Burr Assistant
Coach of the Year Award (named for the former Tufts assistant) last
season. Samko, the head baseball coach at Tufts from 1979-82,
returned in 1994 as head football coach. Kenny is a 2005 Tufts
graduate who caught for four years and was the team's captain. Brian
Casey, the coach's son, was an All-New England shortstop and pitcher
at Tufts.
Several former assistant coaches under Casey are now head coaches
at the college or high school level. Jamie Pinzino, a 1997 graduate,
has coached Bryant College to back-to-back NCAA Div. II Tournament
berths. Paul Svagdis, a 1993 graduate, has guided Azusa Pacific
University to two straight NAIA College World Series berths.
Aside from Ragonese, Tufts returns its entire lineup from last
spring. Junior Alex Perry, All-New England last spring, is one of
the best catchers in the region. Outfield Chase Rose, an All-NESCAC
second team pick after hitting .384 last spring, is one of several
Jumbos who played leading roles as freshmen last year. Infielders
Kevin Casey and Corey Pontes along with outfielder Dave Katzman are
veteran contributors entering their senior seasons. The pitching
staff is young, led by sophomore All-NESCAC selection Pat ODonnell
(6-2, 3.02 era in '08).
The host site of several conference and regional post-season
tournaments, Tufts University's Huskins Field is one of the finest
in New England. The team is also fortunate to use one of the best
indoor facilities for baseball. Carzo Cage includes a
regulation-size infield, a dirt pitcher's mound and several batting
cages, perfect for winter practice before the team's annual spring
trip.
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