CEDAR
RAPIDS, Iowa- Residents of Newark, a village of about 10,000 people
in New York, have been anxiously waiting for the return of summer.
The warm weather means the reopening of Newark’s Colburn Park for
summer baseball.
The
village has plenty to be excited about. The Newark Pilots are only in
their second year of existence, but in their first season the Pilots
brought the inaugural Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League
Championship title to Newark.
Last
season the Pilots finished 26-22. They were able to capitalize on the
strength of their pitchers in the playoffs. Three Pilots pitchers
were ranked in PGCBL’s top 30 prospects. Carson Beauchaine (Saginaw
Valley State) came in at 13th on the rankings. Justin D’Amato(St. John Fisher) came in at 20 and
Dominick Ruscitti (Kutztown) rounded out the group at 30.
In
a very short time the team has become an integral part of the Newark
community. More than 1,800 fans turned out to support the Pilots at
their home opener at renovated Colburn Park.
“The
support from the fans has been amazing. They were calling me all
off-season telling me they couldn’t wait for the season to start,”
Brian Connell, the Newark Pilot’s General Manager, explains.
The
Newark Pilots have the distinction of being the only team created in
conjunction with the formation of the PGCBL. All other teams in the
league were formerly members of the New York Collegiate League. The
Newark Raptors, the last team to play at Colburn Park, played their
last game in 2005.
“Last year
we weren’t real sure coming in because it was a new team, we’ve
had a few teams come through Newark in the past,” Brian Connell
explains. “But last year we averaged close to a thousand fans a
game. It’s only built from there.”
The
Pilots ended last season with a victory over the Amsterdam Mohawks
for the PGCBL Championship. They began the road to defend that title
with a victory over the Watertown Wizards on June 6th.
“Our
organization, the people here, the owners, the managers, they’re
awesome. They do it the right way. It’s all very professional. It’s
not just summer ball to these people, especially the town,” Head
Coach Chris Ebright stressed the importance of the community, “The
players have seen it now, but before our first meeting I tried to let
them know the expectations of the town, the owners, and the quality
of baseball it takes to win”
The
Pilot’s Coach Ebright is returning for another season with his
championship winning team. Along with Coach Ebright, four players
from the 2011 season are back on the roster. Sean Osterman (St. John
Fisher), Adam Grace (Erie Community College), and Andrew Tidwell
(Saginaw Valley State) are all returning for a second season with the
team.
Coach
Ebright talked about what the returning players are bringing to the
team, “The three of them have kind of taken over the same roles
they had last year. They’re all kind of their own personality and
are leading in their own way.”
The
Pilots started with four players from the championship roster
returning this season. After the MLB draft their roster had three.
Michael Saunders (Saginaw Valley State) was drafted in the 24th round
to the Cincinnati Reds. “I mean it’s too bad for us, but a
great opportunity for him.” Brian Connell. The Pilot’s will be
bringing back Mark Scott (San Joaquin Delta), last year’s closer,
in place of Saunders.
Returning
players are expected to make a huge impact this season. But several
new players are expected to perform well for the Pilots. Coach
Ebright is confident in starting pitcher Johnathan Christensen
(Oklahoma Baptist), “I expect him to throw like a number one all
summer.”
The
Pilots have also brought in Sean Simonz (Oklahoma Baptist) as their
closer, he’s been throwing in low 90s and already has a couple
saves. The Pilots also have three players from
Delta State University, Cullen Babin, Josh Crowdus and Brent
Langston. Both have a history on a successful team. This year Delta
State went to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship.
As
much fun as bringing the title to Newark was, Brian Connell says
“It’s not just about the game, it’s about the experience the
fans have in the ballpark. We try to put on a good show and put on a
good family fun experience.”