For the second-straight season, Oswego State baseball head coach Scott Landers has been named New York Region Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Landers is just one of eight coaches recognized at the regional level among NCAA Division III institutions.
In 2018, Landers helped guide the Lakers back to the NCAA Championship World Series in Appleton, Wisc. for the second-consecutive season. The berth to the World Series came on the heels of impressive runs through the SUNYAC Championship and the NCAA Championship New England Regional.
On the final day of the conference tournament, Oswego needed three wins. The Lakers completed a rain-suspended game on top of New Paltz, 4-2, to advance to the championship round. Needing two wins over top-seeded Cortland in the afternoon was not to tall a task for the Lander's-led Lakers. Oswego outscored the Red Dragons 29-6 in the tournament's final two games to clinch the SUNYAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
After being shipped off to the New England Regional, Landers kept the Lakers focused, running through the bracket with a 4-0 record while outscoring opponents 36-11.
For the third-straight year, Landers aided one of his athletes to SUNYAC Player of the Year honors. Mike Dellicarriwas recognized as the league's best player following back-to-back wins for Eric Hamilton in 2016 and 2017. Dellicarri went on to earn Honorable Mention All-America accolades from D3baseball.com.
Along with Dellicarri, Landers landed four other Lakers on All-Region teams, either from the ABCA or D3baseball.com.
The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its nearly 10,000 members represent all 50 states and 23 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, the association's annual awards program has grown to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Division I, II, III, Pacific Association Division and High School.
| 2018 ABCA/Diamond NCAA Division III Regional Coaches of the Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Coach | School | State |
| New England | Brendan Eygabroat | UMass Boston | MA |
| New York | Scott Landers | Oswego State | NY |
| Mid-Atlantic | Matt Midkiff | Swarthmore | PA |
| South | Ray Hedrick | Randolph-Macon | VA |
| Mideast | Tim Pettorini | Wooster | OH |
| Central | Alan Betourne | Monmouth | IL |
| Midwest | Mike Stawski | Concordia-Chicago | IL |
| West | Brent Porche | Texas-Tyler | TX |
