Ricker Tabbed Protocall STARZ Head Coach

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© Republican-American, May 12, 2008

WATERBURY, Conn. – Ray Ricker, Post University assistant baseball coach and Burlington Hunters all-star catcher, has been named head coach of the Protocall STARZ, a member of the Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League (ABCCL), a summer wood-bat collegiate league located in New Jersey . “The Protocall STARZ summer collegiate baseball team is pleased to announce the appointment of Ray Ricker as head coach for the 2008 season,” Roy Fazio, general manager of the STARZ said. “The STARZ team has a tradition of winning and we feel that Ray’s leadership and winning attitude will assure our team of being a contender this year.” He replaces Lou Camilli, Detroit Tigers scout and head coach of Cumberland County College , who will miss the upcoming season, due to back surgery.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Fazio has given me, in allowing me to become the head coach of the STARZ,” Ricker said. “I hope to bring the STARZ a championship this season and guide these fine young men towards their goal of taking their baseball careers to another level. Working with Coach McNamara this season has prepared me to take this next step and I am grateful for everything he has taught me.” In one season, Ricker helped guide the Eagles to a school-record 25 wins, and a 16-11 record in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), as an assistant on Head Coach AJ McNamara’s staff. Post has won 10 of its last 11 games, and 15 of the last 17 games dating back to April 19. “Coach Ricker absolutely deserves to be a head coach somewhere and he will do an outstanding job in the ABCCL,” McNamara said. “His knowledge of the game and his relationship with the players is second to none.”

Ricker also helped mentor five players who earned All-CACC honors this season. In addition, the Torrington, Conn. native tutored the Eagle batters to a .281 batting average, which leads the conference, with games played through May 11. He played collegiately at Albertus Magnus College , where he was second on the team in hitting with a .367 batting average. As one of the co-captains his senior year, he started all 26 games for the Falcons, and had two homeruns and 20 runs batted in. He also had a .595 slugging percentage, and a .490 on-base percentage, while also finishing in the top-10 in doubles, in NCAA Division III.