Ramapo College Roadrunners

The Ramapo College baseball team finished their season standing at 25-18 overall, 7-11 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners’ season started on February 29th at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. Ramapo fell in their first two games of the season first to host Christopher Newport, 2-16, and again on March 1st to North Carolina Wesleyan, 2-15, before picking up their first victory of the year, 10-4, over Spalding University. Ramapo headed to Florida for Spring Break going 6-2 to improve to 8-4 before heading back to New Jersey. The Roadrunners swept Coe College on March 9th, 5-0 and 10-8, before defeating Westfield State the following day, 6-3. Curry College defeated Ramapo in a one run game, 9-8, before the Roadrunners picked up three straight victories over Sewanee University, 11-6, Transylvania University, 9-7, and Messiah College, 11-9. On the final day in Orlando, Ramapo split with Becker College, 2-4 and 2-1.

Ramapo opened the home season against John Jay College on March 20th, falling to the Bloodhounds, 5-8. They hosted Farmingdale State, splitting a double header, 8-9 and 12-0, before traveling to Western Connecticut State for an 18-7 victory.

In their first NJAC game of the 2008 season, the Roadrunners were swept by rival, William Paterson University, 8-10 and 8-13. Richard Stockton College defeated Ramapo, 12-2 in Mahwah before the Roadrunners defeated City College of NY, 26-2, on April 2nd. Ramapo fell to Rowan in a tough one run game, 3-4, before splitting a double header with NJAC rival Montclair State, 9-15 and 4-1. The Roadrunners went on a five game skid falling to St. Joseph’s College, 6-8, Rowan, 0-4, TCNJ, 6-10, and Kean, 2-3 in eleven innings, and 6-10.

They bounced back with an exciting 11-10 victory over Stockton College before defeating Rutgers-Camden, 6-4. They split a doubleheader at home with New Jersey City University on April 19th, 2-10 and 6-4, before picking up back to back wins over Mercy College, 10-6, and Rutgers-Camden, 11-8. The Roadrunners fell to NJAC rival TCNJ, 2-4, prior to sweeping Rutgers-Newark, 7-6 and 6-2, in their final NJAC games of the year. They finished the regular season on a five game winning streak with victories over SUNY Purchase, 12-4, Saint Joseph, 12-3, and Lehman, 15-7. With a record of 22-18, Ramapo was awarded with a #2 seed in the 2008 ECAC Division III Metro Championship Tournament. The Roadrunners hosted the #3 seed, College of Mount Saint Vincent, and came away with a 4-3 victory and a spot in the semi-finals against #1 seeded Richard Stockton. Ramapo defeated Stockton, 10-5, to move into the Championship game on May 11th where they once again would take on Stockton. The Roadrunners defeated the Ospreys, 5-4, to take home the 2008 ECAC Championship Title.

Senior Jairo Jimenez hit .348 on the year ripping nine doubles and driving in 26 runs. He scored 31 runs of his own while Nick Sbarra posted a team-high 39 runs. Sbarra broke the school record for triples in a season with a team leading eight, and hit .333 on the year. Junior Mike Manges led all Roadrunners with 35 RBI posting 52 hits on 151 at bats for a .344 average, while scoring 33 runs of his own. Senior Ryan Paxton earned NJAC Honorable Mention honors after collecting 47 hits on 140 at bats for a .336 average. He drove in 25 while scoring 31 of his own. Paxton ripped seven doubles, three triples, and one home run, while going 21-21 in stolen bases.

Senior Dan Mulligan went 6-2 on the year with a 4.72 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched. He recorded 12 appearances in nine games started with two complete games. Rookie Tim Hannes recorded a 4-1 record with 12 appearances on the mound with a 3.60 ERA. In 35 innings pitched he recorded 34 strikeouts while only walking 11. Rookie Jack McDonough posted a 6-3 win-loss record, making 17 appearances and ten games started. He finished five games while striking out 78 in 76 innings pitched. McDonough also led the team in saves with five.

Head Coach Rich Martin returns all but seven to the 2008 roster. Congratulations and good luck to seniors Nick Sbarra, Ryan Paxton, Jordan Descafano, Shaun Hanrahan, Aaron Drury, Jairo Jimenez and Chris Stanisce.

CONGRATULATIONS to all on a job well done!