Rider / Waterfront Park to host 2008 MAAC Championships
November 13, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Baseball
Rider/Waterfront Park to Host 2008 MAAC Championships
LAWRENCEVILLE—Rider University will serve as host for the 2008 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Tournament, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes announced Monday.
The four team, double elimination tournament will be held at Waterfront Park, home of the Trenton Thunder May 22-24, 2008.
“We see this as another great event for Mercer County,” said Hughes. “It is a perfect example of a public-private partnership and how, through cooperative effort, we can bring exciting sports and entertainment events to Mercer County.”
“It is exciting to have the opportunity to host the MAAC's top four teams,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis, the 2006 MAAC Coach of the Year. “Waterfront Park is a great place to watch a game and with some good fortune, we will have a chance to play in front of the home crowd.”
“We are excited to once again partner with Mercer County, the Mercer County Sports and Entertainment Commission, the Trenton Thunder, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to bring quality Division 1 championship athletics to the area,” said Rider President Mordechai Rozanski. “This is a terrific opportunity for our baseball team to build on a 64-year tradition of success.”
“Waterfront Park will be an outstanding venue for the top baseball teams in the MAAC to compete for a championship,” said Rider Director of Athletics Don Harnum. “Rider Athletics is very grateful to Mercer County, the MCSEC, and the Trenton Thunder for enthusiastically working with us to put together a successful bid.”
“The Trenton Thunder is pleased to continue and enhance the partnership we have long had with County Executive Hughes and Mercer County,” said Brad Taylor, the Thunder General Manager. “By joining our efforts with Rider and the MCSEC, we are thrilled to bring yet one more quality event to Mercer County Waterfront Park in the form of the 2008 MAAC Baseball Tournament.”
The 2007 MAAC Baseball Tournament will be hosted by Marist College and held at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY for the tenth straight year.
Rider finished in third place in the MAAC in 2006, qualifying for the MAAC tournament for the first time since 2002. Rider has played in three MAAC Championship Title Games and is seeking its first MAAC baseball championship. Rider won the MAAC South in 1998, when the league played in two divisions.
Rider won conference baseball titles in 1996, 1995, 1994, 1992, 1989, 1987, 1986, 1985 and 1984.
Rider last hosted a conference baseball tournament in 1996 at Moody Park in Ewing.
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(L-R) Thunder GM Brad Taylor, Rider Coach Barry Davis, Rider AD Don Harnum, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, President of MCSEC Mika Ryan, and Director of Mercer County Park Commission Kevin Bannon
