ECSU coaches receive numerous honors
Jun. 14—WILLIMANTIC — Eastern Connecticut State University head baseball coach Brian Hamm has been recognized nationally for leading the Warriors to their fifth NCAA Division III national tournament title while head softball coach Diana Pepin and her staff have been honored regionally after directing their team to their fourth national tournament in 12 seasons. Voted as both D3Baseball.com New England Region — designated as Region 2 after New England was divided in two beginning in 2022 — and Little East Conference Coach- of- the- Year for the second consecutive year in 2022, fourthyear head coach Hamm has been named as D3Baseball. com's National Coachof- the- Year for leading the Warriors to a record 49 wins and record .942 winning percentage and season-ending and program- tying 23- game winning streak en route to their first national championship in 20 years.
Assisting Hamm this year were fourth- year associate head coach and pitching coach Chris Wojick — whose staff led Division III with a 2.91 ERA and had the second-winning and winningest unbeaten pitcher (12-0) in senior righty All- America Bryan Albee — Steve Cervizzi, Erik Carlson, and Len Reed.
Cervizzi, in his 15th year, was recipient of this year's Kevin Burr Assistant Coach Award by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association ( NEIBA), while Carlson is in his second year and Reed in his 25th season. Former assistant coaches under former head coach Bill Holowaty, Cervizzi and Reed returned to the staff under Hamm.
With seven of nine position players either seniors or graduate students, a veteran Eastern team was ranked No. 1 in New England from start to finish — and as the unanimous choice in the final five polls.
One week after Marietta College commanded either 24 or all 25 firstplace votes for four consecutive weeks, Eastern took over the top spot in the D3baseball. com national poll for the first time on May 8 ( poll # 11) after the Pioneers lost twice.
Eastern received 14 first- place votes in poll No. 11 and 17 first- place votes in poll No. 12 after winning the LEC championship and was the unanimous
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