Tucker Nathan on ESPN 360 podcast

Stags second baseman Tucker Nathans is on an ESPN 360 podcast. The senior talks about his decision to leave soccer and focus mainly on baseball and his great summer playing for the Danbury Westeners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. To listen to the podcast click here.

To be honest with you I just became aware that Nathans was no longer on the soccer team but I agree with his choice. After all, teamed up the Hajjar the Stags might actually have a playoff team for Coach Slosar's last season. Also, this decision to focus mainly on baseball can better help him in future to get drafted in the 2011 MLB Draft.

Baseball John Slosar will retire after 2011

Last month long time baseball coach John Slosar announced that he will retire after the 2011 season. After 27 years as Stags head coach, he has collected over 400 victories and led the team to 4 MAAC South titles while winning one MAAC Championship. The three-time MAAC Coach of the Year led Fairfield to 11 20-win seasons.

Slosar exploded on the national scene as a player for the University of Connecticut where he helped the Huskies finish fifth in the 1972 College World Series by hitting .400 during the tournament.

Fairfield Athletic Director Gene Doris has commented, "I am very appreciative of the contribution John has made to Fairfield University athletics, both as a coach and as an administrator."

Coach Slosar has certainly made his presence felt here at Fairfield and it is hard to say that the baseball team would be where it is at today without his great coaching. Even this year with an 8-16 conference record there is still reason to hope. Sophmore Anthony Hajjar looks like he is the real deal and combined with the leadership of their best player senior Tucker Nathans, the Stags will hope to improve on that.

The baseball team, however, has been struggling the last few years and really has not been relevant in playoff discussions. Their MAAC record has dropped in each of the last four seasons and have not had a winning conference record in 10 years. Either way, it will be nice for Slosar to go out on top this year. It is hard to put 27 years into anything, and to do it at a college baseball level is saying something.

Stags Still Swinging in Summer

Although the Collegiate baseball season might be over, several Stags are still playing in various leagues. The Stags who finished 18-32 last year hope that this will give their players experience and more games under their belt.

Fairfield second baseman Tucker Nathans is currently playing in the semi-finals in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) has already been named his team's MVP and an all-star. He is batting an unheard of .600 with five runs scored during the postseason. His team the Danbury Westeners have a record of 24-18 so far. he is playing on the same team as Stag's first baseman and new all-time single season hits leader Anthony Hajjar. The 2010 MAAC Rookie of the Year has suffered an injury that will sideline him for the rest of the summer.

While one Stag player moves on, another one is eliminated. Nathan's Westeners defeated the Bristol Collegiate Baseball Club and Fairfield pitcher Mark Bordonaro on August fourth to advance to the final four. The now sophomore finished the summer with a 3.69 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 39 innings of work.

The Long Island Collegians of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) consists of three Stags. Larry Cornelia, Carmine DeVito, and Scott Gussaroff have helped the team to a 22-15 record and to clinch the Kaiser Division. The ACBL have a long list of successful MLB alumni, most notably Craig Biggio, Eric Young, and Frank Viola and these three hope to learn from the experience. They are making the best of the opportunity and have really shined throughout the summer. Cornelia is batting .318 with 15 runs and 11 stolen bases while driving in 13. DeVito is only batting .236 but has 12 runs and 10 RBIs in 23 games. Rounding out the Stags representatives, Gussaroff is pitching to a 3.86 ERA and has fanned 10 in 7 relief appearances.

Last but not least, Stag infielder Tyler Wosleger has been playing for the Thunder Bay Border Cats of the Northwoods League. The Stag infielder has struggled a little this summer batting only .209 with 13 walks, 18 RBIs and 11 runs for the seventh place Border Cats. Wosleger is trying to get more than just baseball experience. The Journalism major is keeping a weekly blog that can be viewed by clicking here.

It's nice to see that the Stags have been successful in the Summer Leagues and I hope that this experience can help them in the 2011 season. They have been on the border of being relevant for the past few years and these games might bring them over the top. This combined the the retirement of their long reigning coaches might give them the push they need.

I am really impressed with Tucker Nathans. Being named MVP to a team in the semi-finals and have representatives from power conferences is truly amazing. Coming into his senior season, hopefully the Stags can go to the playoffs for the first time in his baseball career. He truly deserves it and is an underrated player in the MAAC.