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Team Building
Mike
Church
  • Director of Player Procurement and Baseball Operations,
    Bridgeport Bluefish
  • Manager, New Haven County Cutters, Can Am League
    of Professional Baseball 2404-2007
  • 2006 Can-Am/American Assoc All Star Game Manager
  • Northern League All Star Catcher, 2001
  • Two time Northern League Champion w/Adirondack
    Lumberjacks, 2000 and New Jersey Jackals, 2001
  • New Jersey Jackals 5th Anniversary All-Star Team, 2002
  • Played professionally from 1995-2002
  • Asst Baseball Coach and Recruiting Coordinator,  
    Central Connecticut State University, 1995-1999
  • All-ECAC Catcher at Central Connecticut State University
  • Catcher, NECBL's Inaugural All-Star Game at Muzzy
    Field, Bristol, CT 1994
  • NECBL 10th Player Award Winner and all Star  Game,
    Inaugural Season 1994
  • B.A. English, CCSU 1996
  • Appeared in 2006 ESPN Miniseries, "The Bronx is
    Burning"
Jarrett
Stawarz
  • Sioux City Explorers, American Association of
    Professional Baseball, 2008
  • Pitcher, New Haven County Cutters, CAN-AM
    League of Professional Baseball, 2005-2007
  • Selected by League Managers and Media as
    2006 CAN-AM League Rookie of the year
  • Career Strikeout Record Holder, U of Hartford
  • American Legion World Series All Tournament
    Team
  • 4 year starting pitcher at the University of
    Hartford
  • M.A. Communication, U of Hartford, 2004
  • Played 2000 summer season for the NECBL
    Manchester Silkworms and led the team in wins
  • Won the 1997 state and regional championship
    with Bristol American Legion Participated in
    1997 Legion World Series in Rapid City SD.
    finished 3rd nationally
  • Voted Most Valuable Player 1999 Bristol Legion
  • All State selection in 1998 and 1999 at St. Paul
    HS
  • Voted captain and MVP his senior season at
    Saint Paul Catholic HS, Bristol, CT
  • 3 year starter at Assumption College in Worcester,
    MA
  • Played SS, 2b, 1B  and 3B during his college career
  • 290 career hitter in all wood bat league NE-10
    Conference.
  • All NVL  and All City at Holy Cross HS in
    Waterbury, CT
  • Varsity basketball and NVL champs in 2001, 2002
    and lost in state finals 2000 and 2004
  • Won Lt. John Cullenen Award, City of Waterbury,
    2004
  • BS, Orgnaizational Communication, Assumption
    College, 2008
  • Chicago Cubs 10th-round selection in 1999 Amateur
    Draft
  • 2005 Member, Torrington Twisters Hall of Fame
  • Florida State League All Star and Home Run Derby
    Champion, 2001
  • FSL leader in HR and RBI in 2001
  • Current record holder in NECBL batting average
    with a .429 mark
  • NECBL All Star and 10th player award recipient
  • Played collegiately at Brandeis University
  • Current leader in all offensive categories, Brandeis
    University
  • New England Player of the Year,1999,
  • All New England Selection, 1998,99
  • First Team All American, SS, 1999
  • Runner-up, Gatorade Connecticut Player of Year,
    1995
Jim
Deschaine
Scott Martin
  • Two time American Legion World Series
    participant (fourth in USA)
  • 4yr starter @ Stetson University
  • 1994 & 1995 1st Team All TAAC
  • 1994 NECBL Batting champ, all star, and member
    of champ. Eastern Tides
  • Played professionally from 1995-2002: '95
    Lafayette Leopards, '96-'97 Thunder Bay Whiskey
    Jacks, '98-'01, Sioux City Explorers, '01 Quebec
    City Capitales, '02 Berkshire
Chris
Sawyer
Jon
Plefka
  • Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in
    the 2006 First Year Player draft.
  • Posted a 2-2 record with 33 strikeouts in 27
    innings with the Orem Owlz in his first full
    professional season.
  • Played with the AZL Angels and the Orem Owlz in
    the Angels organization.
  • Has participated in the Arizona Instructional
    League for the past two seasons.
  • Graduated from Texas Tech University in 2007
    with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human development
    and Family Studies.
  • Was a starter for the Texas Tech Men’s Basketball
    team under legendary coach Bob Knight and
    reached the NCAA Tournament in his senior
    season.
  • Native of New Britain, CT and attended New
    Britain High School where he lettered in baseball,
    basketball, and football. Was also All-State in
    basketball.
MATT
HACKNEY
  • Catcher, Nashua Pride, Can Am League, 2007-
    present
  • Catcher, New Haven County Cutters in Can Am
    League, 2006-2007
  • Appeared in 2007 ESPN “The Bronx is Burning”
    Miniseries as a number of role characters and
    baseball stuntman.
  • 2004 ACBL all star Catcher, Stamford Robins
  • Played in prestigious Cape Cod League in 2002 for
    the Chatham A’s
  • All New England 2004 selection, WNEC, Sprigfield,
    MA
  • Record holder in numerous offensive categories at
    Western New England College, Springfield, MA
  • BS, Business Administration, Western New England
    College
Laura
DiNapoli
  • 4 year starting pitcher at Post University in
    Waterbury,CT
  • 3 year pitching coach at Watertown High
    School
  • 1997-98 High School All American Watertown
    High School
  • 2001-02 CACC All Conference
  • 2000-2002 CACC ALL Tournament team
  • Led the Eagles 2002 to CACC Regional Runner-
    up
  • 2002 CACC All Regional Tournament team
  • Career ERA 1.46
  • B.A in Finance from Post University in
    Waterbury,CT
Our professional instructors are all current or former collegiate baseball and softball
coaches and a majority have played professionally in the United States or overseas.
More importantly, they all share in the belief that an exceptional work ethic and a
positive attitude, coupled with the highest level of professional instruction facilitate
self confidence in each player’s on-field and off-field abilities.
Devin
Murphy
  • Drafted in the 28th round of the 2007 amateur
    draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Pitched 4 years at Central Connecticut State
    University
  • Holds CCSU records for career wins and saves
  • Selected to Northeast Conference in 2006
  • Part of the 2004 Northeast Conference
    championship team as a freshman, and named
    tournament MVP
  • Played High School ball at Shepaug Valley High
    School in Washington, CT and was a 2003 All-State
    Selection
Evan
Scribner
  • A Winsted, CT, native, Piechowski is a graduate
    of Central Connecticut State University (Bristol,
    CT), where he played for three years.
  • In 2006, he made 16 appearances and pitched a
    total of 67.0 innings. He held an ERA of 4.16,
    with a winning record of 5-1, and also collected
    53 strikeouts.
  • In 2005, his first season at Central, Piechowski
    pitched 47.0 innings in 13 appearances. He struck
    out 32 batters and recorded an ERA of 4.79.
  • Piechowski played his freshmen year, 2004, at
    Philadelphia University where he held a 4-4
    record and a 4.50 ERA in 62.0 innings pitched.
    He also posted 54 strikeouts.
  • Piechowski, 22, currently resides in Winsted,
    Connecticut.
Adam
Piechowski

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 17th Round Pick in 1999
    amateur draft
  • 5 yr professional career
  • Head Baseball Coach, Stafford Springs High School
    2006-present
  • Assistant Coach, Manchester Community College,
    2001-2006
  • Asst. Coach Farmington High School, 2001
  • 27-17 career professional record with 3.60 career
    ERA in 4
  • Sioux Falls Canaries, Northern League Team Record
    12 wins, 2001
  • 2000 Class A California League Championship with
    San Bernardino Stampede (CA)
  • Played in Arizona Fall Instructional League, 2000
  • Pitched 4 yrs Collegiately at CCSU, New Britain, CT
    1995-1999
  • All Conference Selection 1998 and 1999
  • Football Commissioner, Marauders Football League
Nelson
Samboy
  • Gene was originally drafted out of Taylor-Allderice
    High School (Pittsburgh, PA) in the 32nd Round,
    677th overall, by his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates
    in the 1976 amateur entry draft.
  • Gene’s professional career spanned a decade as he
    played with Boston, Pittsburgh, and Oakland from
    1977 to 1987.
  • Gene also spent time coaching in the Pittsburgh
    Pirates organization just after his playing days in the
    late 80’s
  • Geno patrolled the outfield for the Bristol Red Sox
    during the 1980 and 1981 seasons and for the
    Pawtucket Red Sox in 1982 and 1983.
  • Gene resides in Bristol, CT. with his wife and
    daughters.
  • Signed by Houston Astros in 1993
  • Northern League Champion, New Jersey
    Jackals, 2000
  • .312 career hitter in 13 professional seasons
  • SEL All Star and Batting Champion, 2003
  • Dominican Summer League Batting
    Champion, 1994
  • 1998 Florida State League All-Star
  • Stole 48 bases in Class A FSL, 1998
  • Dominican Republic National Team Second
    Baseman, 2000-1
  • Astros top prospect at 2B until injuries forced
    his retirement
  • Appeared as NY Yankee in 2006 ESPN
    Miniseries, "The Bronx is Burning"
Geno
Gentile
  • Head Baseball Coach, Lewis Mills HS, Burlington,
    CT
  • Lewis Mills, 2006 Berkshire League Champions,
    First Title in School History
  • Sacred Heart University Varsity Assistant Coach and
    Head JV Coach, 2001
  • Four year starting shortstop for the Division I Sacred
    Heart University Pioneers in Fairfield, CT from
    1997-2000.
  • Rinaldi appears in the top ten of five career
    offensive categories.
  • His 23 stolen bases are fourth best single-season
    mark in school history.
  • Played against Cuban National Baseball Team,
    Havana, Cuba, 1996
  • Joined the Pioneer Coaching Staff in fall of 2001.
  • B.S. in Psychology and Sports Management, SHU
    2000
Vic
Rinaldi
DK Academy Staff
  • Manager, St. Paul Saints, American Association
  • Team USA Pitching Coach, Pan-Am Games, 2002
    and World Cup 2003
  • Led the St. Paul Saints to the Northern League
    championship in 2004. Prior to the Saints and New
    Jersey Jackals to consecutive Northern League
    championships in 2001-2002.
  • Named Northern League East Manager of the Year
    by media and fellow managers
  • Pitched in 41 games with the Minnesota Twins in
    1993. He was 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA and one save as a
    middle reliever.
George
Tsamis