CSJ’s Madsen named Player of the Year; Godlewski, Coach of the Year

RUTLAND—College of St. Joseph pitcher Alan Madsen has been named USCAA National Player of the Year, while Coach Bob Godlewski was awarded Coach of the Year.

Madsen, a junior hailing from Scottsdale, Ariz., has been a powerhouse from the pitching mound, dominating both the Yankee Small College Conference and USCAA leaderboards throughout the Saints season, leading the USCAA in pitching wins and strikeouts. He also holds the second spot for earned run average.

In addition to being named Player of the Year, Madsen was also named a first team
All-American.

Godlewski earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Saints to a 48-11 season for 2015-16, earning them the No. 1 seed going into the USCAA National Tournament. Godlewski was also instrumental in securing the college’s host bid at East Field in nearby Glens Falls, N.Y.

Several players from the College of St. Joseph baseball team have also been named All-Americans by the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. These teams are a way for the USCAA to honor student-athletes for their outstanding performance on the field.

Tyler Kunzmann and Connor Martin joined Madsen as first team All-Americans. Kunzmann (Bennington, Vt.) currently sits third in the USCAA for runs batted in and has been instrumental in the Fighting Saints’ success this season. Martin (Santa Cruz, Calif.) has also been a force for the Saints, earning both YSCC and USCAA Player of the Week honors this season.

Nestor Velazquez (New Britain, Conn.) was named a second team All-American at Sunday’s ceremony. Velazquez is currently third in the USCAA for stolen bases.