Game 1: Rockland Boulders (56-40) @ New Jersey Jackals (55-41) Broadcast Information: All Boulders playoff games can be heard live on the Boulders Broadcast Network on WRCR 1300-AM, WBNR 1260-AM, WLNA 1420-AM, or online at www.rocklandboulders.com. Today s game can also be seen live on Optimum Channel 78 in Rockland County. The Boulders Regular Season: The 2014 campaign has been one for the ages for Rockland. Even in its infancy the Boulders have made large strides during their fourth year of existence, winning their first regular season title with a 7-3 victory over New Jersey on the final day of the regular season. Once again, Rockland led the Can-Am League in attendance this summer, attracting more than 150,000 fans to Provident Bank Park over the course of the season. The franchise also saw multiple records fall, setting new marks in total wins (56), most games above.500 (15), and most consecutive games won (7). That success has led the Boulders to their first ever postseason berth, and their first winning season in franchise history. During the course of the regular season, Rockland led the Can-Am in 10 different offensive categories while also boasting the league s best team earned run average at 3.55, posting a Can-Am high 10 shutouts. Individually, four Boulders found themselves among the top-10 in batting average with Ryan Stovall s.312 clip leading the way. Stovall was also third in the league in home runs (17) and second in RBI (72). Meanwhile, Sean Bierman led the Can-Am in ERA, posting a 2.44 mark with Rockland before being signed by the Atlanta Braves on August 21. The Jackals Regular Season: Postseason play is nothing new to New Jersey as the Jackals are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the League Championship Series, and sixth playoff run overall. The last three years have seen the Jackals bow out to Quebec, including a seven-game thrilling series in 2013. New Jersey entered the final weekend of the regular season as the hottest team in the Can-Am League by carrying a seven-game win streak into Provident Bank Park. However, dropping three of four games reduced the Jackals to a second place finish in the standings. New Jersey flirted with the top spot in the league the entire season, mainly on the strength of their bullpen and power hitters. Despite a team batting average of.256, the Jackals smacked 75 homers and were led by Joe Dunigan s Can-Am high of 27 long balls. Meanwhile, outfielder Alonzo Harris is tops on the team, and ninth in the league, with a.290 average. New Jersey s pitching staff, however, has been stellar. Holding a 3.81 team ERA, the Jackals are led by Pitcher of the Year Michael Antonini (9-3, 2.84 ERA) and Relief Pitcher of the Year Salvador Sanchez who set a franchise record with 25 saves this season. Antonini leads a trio of Jackals in the top-10 in ERA with Isaac Pavlik (9-5, 3.75 ERA), and Keith Bilodeau (6-7, 4.00) sitting 7 th and 9 th respectively. The Regular Season Matchup: It is no surprise that these two teams are battling for the league championship. After 27 regulars season meetings, the Jackals own a slim 14-13 advantage over Rockland. The Boulders are just 5-6 at New Jersey while holding an 8-8 mark against them at home. Both squads are also the top two teams in the league in ERA with Rockland holding a 3.54 mark and the Jackals posting a 3.81 staff ERA. Pitching Matchup: Game 1 of the Championship Series features a battle of lefthanded aces as Rockland s Richard Salazar (10-5, 3.72 ERA) goes against Michael Antonini (9-3, 2.84 ERA) of New Jersey. Salazar s 10 wins set a new franchise record for the Boulders and has post a 2-0 record with a 0.78 ERA in his last four starts. An All-Star for the Jackals, Antonini was named the Pitcher of the Year in Can-Am and is also 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in four starts.
2014 By the Numbers Leaders of the Pack Home: 29-19 Road: 27-21 Vs. New Jersey: 13-14 At New Jersey: 5-6 Extra Innings: 4-2 Shutouts: 10-4 One-Run Games: 15-14 Longest Win Streak: Seven (August 15-21) Longest Losing Streak: Four (May 29-31, July 27 August 1) As a team, the Rockland offense has been stellar in 2014. They led the league in 10 different offensive categories including homers (86) and RBI (469). Four of the league s top 10 hitters also reside in Rockland with Ryan Stovall (4 th -.312) and Antone DeJesus (5 th -.308) leading the team. Stovall is also second in the Can-Am in RBI (71), while Jerod Edmonson is fourth (68) and Joe Maloney is fifth (66). Rockland s staff has also been impressive, and currently owned the Can-Am League s top ERA at 3.54. Sean Bierman led the league with a 2.44 mark while Stephen Harrold was fourth with a 2.87. Lefty Richard Salazar was also tops in the league with 10 wins, a franchise record. #ParkwaySeries History For the first since 2008, a team not named the Quebec Capitales will be crowned Can-Am League Champions. That was made certain when both Rockland and New Jersey clinched a postseason berth on the same night. Now, a chance for history is within reach for both teams. Despite reaching the postseason for six straight years, and the Championship Series in four consecutive seasons, the Jackals have never won a league title. Meanwhile, this is the Boulders first ever trip to the postseason. The two Parkway Rivals are separated by just 35 miles with the Palisades Parkway and Garden State Parkway being the main routes between venues. Home Cooking Like most teams competing for a championship, the Rockland Boulders have done the majority of their business at home. Rockland has posted a 29-19 overall mark at Provident Bank Park, which ranks as the top home winning percentage in the Can-Am League (.604). The Boulders are hitting.291 as a team at home, slugging 53 of their 86 home runs in Pomona. Four different players have taken full advantage of the Lower Hudson Valley, hitting over.300 this summer. Matt Nandin s.339 clip is tops on the team while Antone DeJesus (.333), Ryan Stovall (.319) and Jerod Edmondson (.308) were all above.300. New King in Town In his eighth professional season, Jerod Edmondson is at the top of two Can-Am League all-time statistical categories. The Boulders first baseman owns the hits record (751), which he broke on July 7 th at Trois-Rivieres. He also owns the career runs scored mark (445), set on June 1 at Quebec. Entering today, Edmondson has tied Chris Colabello s alltime doubles record (166) and sits three triples short of tying Chris Valencia s all-time mark of 18, which he set in a Boulders uniform. He s also second all-time in RBI, driving in 398 runs. A Look Ahead The best-of-seven Championship Series continues on Thursday, September 4 as Bo Budkevics (3-2, 2.64 ERA) faces off against Eric Smith (1-0, 2.34 ERA) at 7 pm. On Friday, the series will shift to Provident Bank Park where Stephen Harrold (7-4, 2.86 ERA) battles Isaac Pavlik (9-5, 3.74 ERA). Game 4 on Saturday will see Joe Donino (5-4, 4.31 ERA) go opposite Keith Bilodeau (6-7, 4.00 ERA). All games can be heard live on the Boulders Broadcast Network.
All-Star Call-Up On July 14 th, Rockland starting pitcher Sean Bierman was selected as a member of the 2014 American Association All- Star Game. He needed 10 pitchers to toss a 1-2-3 fourth as the South All-Stars defeated the North 7-0. Bierman was one of the aces for Rockland all season, posting an 8-6 record with a 2.44 ERA. Bierman tossed four complete games on the season and he has struck out 63 batters in 114 1/3 innings of work. The lefty also earned four Can-Am League honors, winning Pitcher of the Week three times and being named Pitcher of the Month in July. On August 21, Bierman had his contract purchased by the Atlanta Braves organization and is currently pitching with the Single-A Rome Braves. Honors Rolls In For The Boulders Can-Am League Player of the Week SS Steve Nyisztor (5/26) OF Ryan Stovall (6/2) 2B Matt Nandin (6/15) C/OF Joe Maloney (7/6) OF Antone DeJesus (8/10) Can-Am League Pitcher of the Week Sean Bierman (7/6, 7/27, 8/3) Stephen Harrold (7/20) Joe Donino (9/2) Can-Am League Pitcher of the Month Sean Bierman (July) 2014 Can-Am League All-Stars OF Antone Dejesus, OF Ryan Stovall, 1B Jerod Edmondson Defensive Player of the Year Antone DeJesus Manager of the Year Jamie Keefe Boulders Broadcast Network All 48 home games, and select road games, will be aired live on radio on either WRCR 1300-AM, WBNR 1260-AM or WLNA 1420-AM as well as online at www.rocklandboulders.com. Twenty games will also be shown live on Optimum Channel 78 in Rockland County. Fans can also watch every Boulders game online for free via www.independentprofessionalbaseball.org. All 96 games will be shown via the home team, including Rockland s trips to American Association ballparks. Rockland Rolls into Record Books With the conclusion of the 2014 regular season, multiple records have new names next to them. Pitcher Richard Salazar became the first Boulder in history to post a double-digit win season with 10, breaking Bobby Blevins 2013 mark of nine. Fellow hurler Sean Bierman shattered Rockland s singleseason ERA mark, with a league-leading 2.44 ERA. That bested Blevins 2012 ERA of 3.65. Jerod Edmondson now holds the single-season walks record with 51, while his old triples mark now belongs to Antone DeJesus who picked up eight this season. Rockland also broke the league record for hit batters, getting plunked a total of 102 times this season. Rockland Alumni Update Entering its fourth season, the Rockland Boulders franchise has begun seeing some of its former players succeed at other levels of professional baseball. Infielder Bridger Hunt (2012) has played 43 games in the San Diego Padres system, splitting time between Single- A Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio. In those 43 games he has hit.212 with one home run and nine RBI. Pitcher Jon Velasquez (2011-12) was named an Eastern League All-Star for the Double-A Binghamton Mets. Velasquez is 4-4 with a 3.62 ERA in 44 appearances. Shortstop Steve Nyisztor (2014) had his contract purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks in July and is hitting.309 with 23 RBI and three home runs in 44 games with Single-A Hillsboro. Pitcher Sean Bierman (2014) had his contract purchased by Atlanta Braves on August 21 and is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three combined outings for Single-A Rome and High-A Lynchburg. Can-Am League Final Standings (as of 9/1/2014) Team Record Win% GB Last 10 Rockland Boulders 56-40.583-7-3 New Jersey Jackals 55-41.573 1.0 7-3 Quebec Capitales 46-50.479 10.0 3-7 Trois-Rivieres Aigles 37-59.385 19.0 3-7
2014 Rockland Boulders Road Postseason Roster Number Name Position Bats/Throws Height Weight 3 Ryan Stovall Outfield R/R 6 0 200lbs. 4 Matt Nandin Infield R/R 5 9 185lbs. 5 Junior Arrojo Infield R/R 5 10 195lbs. 7 Stephen Cardullo Infield R/R 6 0 220lbs. 9 Michael Fischer Catcher R/R 6 0 190lbs. 10 Giuseppe Papaccio Infield R/R 6 1 195lbs. 12 Carlos Guzman Outfield R/R 6 4 225lbs. 13 Antone DeJesus Outfield L/L 5 10 190lbs. 15 Joe Donino Pitcher R/R 6 4 220lbs. 20 Luis Sanz Pitcher R/R 6 1 173lbs. 21 Sean O Hare Infield S/R 6 0 185lbs. 22 Joe Maloney Catcher R/R 6 2 215lbs. 24 Charlie Law Pitcher R/R 6 7 245lbs. 25 Marcus Nidiffer Catcher R/R 6 2 220lbs. 27 Shawn Gilblair Pitcher L/L 6 0 200lbs. 29 Jerod Edmondson OF/1B L/R 6 2 210lbs. 30 Stephen Harrold Pitcher R/R 6 1 210lbs. 31 Nathaniel Roe Pitcher R/R 6 1 210lbs. 32 Andrew Taylor Pitcher R/L 6 2 208lbs. 34 Richard Salazar Pitcher L/L 5 11 210lbs. 35 Greg Terhune Pitcher R/L 6 5 215lbs. 38 Min Hur Pitcher R/R 5 7 175lbs. 39 Bo Budkevics Pitcher R/R 6 2 235lbs. 40 Fray Martinez Pitcher R/R 6 3 170lbs. 44 Chad Robinson Pitcher R/R 6 5 235lbs. Manager: #26 Jamie Keefe 2 nd season; Pitching Coach: #36 Bobby Jones 2 nd season; Bench Coach: #45 Chad Duesler; Trainer: Lori Raham 4 th season; Clubhouse Manager: Luis Jimenez 1 st season
2014 New Jersey Jackals Home Postseason Roster Number Name Position Bats/Throws Height Weight 0 Chris Balcom-Miller Pitcher R/R 6 2 220lbs. 2 Jose Cuevas Infield R/R 6 1 195lbs. 6 Richard Arias Infield R/R 5 10 210lbs. 7 Isaac Pavlik Pitcher R/L 5 7 170lbs. 9 Rob Zimsmeister Infield R/R 6 0 190lbs. 10 Tony Caldwell Catcher R/R 5 10 195lbs. 11 Ty Kelley Pitcher R/R 6 4 220lbs. 12 Jorge Cortes Outfield L/L 5 8 192lbs. 16 Alonzo Harris Outfield R/R 5 11 175lbs. 18 Keith Bilodeau Pitcher L/R 6 4 210lbs. 19 Dwight Childs Catcher R/R 6 3 195lbs. 20 Jeremy Barnes Infield R/R 5 10 200lbs. 21 Joe Dunigan Infield L/L 6 2 240lbs. 22 Steve Nikorak Infield R/R 6 2 215lbs. 23 Felix Sanchez Outfield S/R 6 1 195lbs. 25 Ryan Fennell Pitcher R/R 6 5 220lbs. 27 Eric Smith Pitcher R/R 6 3 220 lbs. 29 Jeff Shields Pitcher R/R 6 3 215lbs. 31 Zach Staniewicz Pitcher R/R 6 3 230lbs. 33 Michael Antonini Pitcher R/L 6 2 200lbs. 34 Salvador Sanchez Pitcher R/R 6 5 220lbs. 35 Anthony Ferrara Pitcher R/L 6 3 210lbs. 40 Shaun Ellis Pitcher R/R 6 4 230lbs. 55 Jon Talley Infield L/R 6 5 250lbs. Manager: Joe Calfapietra 12 th season; Pitching Coach: Ed Ott 7 th season 1st Base Coach: Ani Ramos 17 th season; 3 rd Base Coach: Chuck Stewart 2 nd season; Trainer: Becky Younger