Baseball Winter Update

Dear Bobcats Baseball Alumni, Parents, and Friends,

I hope that this letter finds you well as we approach the holidays and the end of 2011. At this time last year I was just taking over as the new head coach; I was trying harness the momentum our program had built and continue to progress. I can say without a doubt that we have not only continued the momentum of the past few years but have elevated our program to a new level. Now, looking forward to the 2012 season, I thought it was an appropriate time to talk to you about where the Bates baseball program has been over the last few years and where I am looking to take it.

The past two seasons have been two of the most successful years in the long history of the baseball program. Over the past two years the Bobcats baseball team has compiled a record of 46-26, the best two year span in school history. The 2011 team played the 10th hardest schedule in all of Division III which included games in Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. To build on that success, the 2012 schedule will feature the most games in Bates history (40) and include games in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Darien, CT. To see our schedule you can go to, http://www.bates.edu/athletics/schedule/, you can also check out our website at http://www.bates.edu/baseball/. Like many of the things we are doing with our program, the scope and the strength of our schedule has helped distinguish ourselves from many of our NESCAC opponents.

A very unique characteristic of our program is the geographic diversity of the team. Sixteen different states will be represented on the 2012 roster. To accomplish this I have spent a lot of time and resources on the recruiting trail. This summer my travels took me to California, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, Indiana, as well as all of the New England states. Our academic reputation precedes me everywhere that I go, but our recent success on the baseball field has allowed me to begin the recruiting conversation with players from all over the country. They now understand that Bates is not only a prestigious institution, it also has a great baseball program.

As our program has grown, so has the need to improve our facilities. In 2011 Leahey Field received phase one of our field upgrades with a new scoreboard and improved fencing. It is my hope that we will soon be able to begin phase two of the Leahey Field upgrades which will include a new backstop, with improved seating, and an artificial playing surface. Recently, we have also significantly upgraded the Gray Cage to make it a better indoor baseball facility. We now have two 70 foot cages that are 18 feet high and 15 feet wide. Both big enough for us to have our hitters face live pitching during the preseason. In addition to the batting cage upgrades we have also installed a permanent clay mound in one of the cages which enables our pitchers to throw off a real mound prior to our first game. Although there are still a few more upgrades that I would like to see take place, I feel as if the improvements we have made have significantly enhanced the experience of our student-athletes and have given us some of the best baseball facilities in the NESCAC.

As good as the past two seasons have been I feel that the best years of Bates baseball are still ahead of us. I believe that we are closer than ever to our first appearance in the NESCAC tournament. From there we have our sights on the New England Regional, and one day a trip to Appleton, WI for the Division III World Series. These goals may seem lofty, but I can assure you that each and every one of our players and I believe that we are within reach. I am going to continue to work as hard as I possibly can to give these players the best possible baseball experience here at Bates, and help take our program to new heights.

There are some exciting events coming up in which you can be a part of; we would love to have you join the baseball team and the Bates community in these fun events. On February 25, 2012, there will be a Baseball dinner for alumni, in Atlanta, Georgia. On April 29, 2012, we will be attending a Portland Sea Dogs game at 1pm, at Hadlock Field. Later that evening, Bates Baseball will be playing Colby at Hadlock Field as well. The game will start at 5pm; it would be fantastic to see you there supporting the program. If you like to catch up with old teammates and old friends, the 3rd Annual Bates Baseball Golf Outing will be taking place on July 23, 2012, at the Charter Oak Country Club in Hudson, MA.

It is my hope that as our program continues to grow, so will our support from alumni, parents, and friends. Your financial support allows us to make this a first class experience for our student-athletes. In order to continue playing a competitive schedule with travel, recruiting nationally, and improving the baseball facilities here at Bates we will need to raise money above our annual operating budget. In the 2011-2012 year we will spend close to $50,000 in student travel, $15,000 in facility upgrades, and an additional $2,000 in recruiting. All of this is in addition to our normal operating costs of equipment, assistant coach salaries, uniforms, umpires, etc. If you are already a consistent supporter of the Bates baseball program I hope that you will continue to support us and for those who have not supported in the past I hope that you will consider doing so in the future. http://www.community.bates.edu/fba

This is an extremely exciting time for Bates College and Bates athletics. I have been so impressed with the level of commitment from Bates to athletics and see no limit to what our student-athletes can achieve in the classroom and on the field. I am going to continue to strive for excellence with our baseball program and I look forward to having your support along the way.

All the Best,



Mike Leonard
Head Baseball Coach/Leadership Coordinator
Bates College
dleonard@bates.edu
(207) 786-6063

Bates Fall All-NESCAC Awards

All-Academic
Zachary Abbott Men's Golf All-Academic
Merrill Brady Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Michelle Brady Field Hockey All-Academic
Amanda Brusca Field Hockey All-Academic
Jaimie Cappucci Women's Soccer All-Academic
Sara Chari Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Sean Colligan Men's Cross Country All-Academic
Lindsay Cullen Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Devin Dilts Men's Cross Country All-Academic
Casey Dropkin Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Rebecca Dugan Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Alicia Fannon Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Chris Gillespie Men's Soccer All-Academic
Brian Goldberg Men's Soccer All-Academic
Logan Greenblatt Men's Cross Country All-Academic
Rosemary Hale Women's Soccer All-Academic
Garrett Johnson Men's Golf All-Academic
Ryan March Men's Soccer All-Academic
Bridget Meedzan Field Hockey All-Academic
Polly Merck Field Hockey All-Academic
Sarah Merullo Field Hockey All-Academic
Katherine Nixon Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Tessa Pals Women's Golf All-Academic
Graham Pearsall Men's Cross Country All-Academic
Alie Philip Field Hockey All-Academic
Wallis Pierce Women's Soccer All-Academic
Julia Rafferty Women's Soccer All-Academic
Lisa Reedich Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Kevin Regan Football All-Academic
Samantha Rose Women's Soccer All-Academic
Nicole Santosuosso Field Hockey All-Academic
Anabel Schmelz Women's Soccer All-Academic
Natalie Shribman Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Amanda Sirianni Women's Soccer All-Academic
Kara Stefaniak Women's Soccer All-Academic
Devin Tatro Women's Cross Country All-Academic
Alix Vandeventer Women's Soccer All-Academic
Grace VanNoy Volleyball All-Academic
Sarah Warden Field Hockey All-Academic
David Wood Men's Soccer All-Academic
Andrew Wortham Men's Cross Country All-Academic

All Conference
John Murphy Men's Soccer Second Team
Elizabeth Arens Women's Soccer Second Team
Annie Burns Women's Soccer Second Team
Tully Hannan Men's Cross Country First Team
Andrew Wortham Men's Cross Country Second Team
Al Fereshestian Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year
John Squires Football First Team Offense
Kevin Helm Football First Team Defense
Kyle Starr Football Second Team Defense

All-Sportsmanship
Eric Kimball Men's Cross Country All-Sportsmanship
Merrill Brady Women's Cross Country All-Sportsmanship
Jillian Conway Field Hockey All-Sportsmanship
Pat Quinn Football All-Sportsmanship
Lee Smith Golf All-Sportsmanship
David Wood Men's Soccer All-Sportsmanship
Annie Burns Women's Soccer All-Sportsmanship
Cat Dioli Volleyball All-Sportsmanship