In 2000 Muscat took a 10-17 team and over the last eight years, not only directed the program's transition from the NAIA to the NCAA DII ranks, but built the Spartans into a top contender in the East Coast Conference. 2008 was a banner season, as the Spartans won the East Coast Conference Regular Season Championship, had a record seven Spartans selected to the All-ECC team, and led or finished second in several offensive (HRs, SBs, 2Bs, BBs) and pitching (ERA & Saves) categories. That team also featured seven Academic Honor Students and this past fall the team maintained a record 3.15 GPA. Under Muscat's leadership, the Spartans have made the post-season four times in their first six years on the DII level (missing out twice to a tie-breaker and a final regular season loss). Prior to the first place finish last season, the '02, '03, '04, & '06 teams had regular season finishes of 5th, 3rd, 4th, & 5th respectively, a far cry from the dead last finish the Spartans endured their first season. Since going 2-20 in that inaugural season, Muscat has led the Spartans to a 76-65 conference record. In 2003 Muscat was honored as the NYCAC Coach of the Year after assembling a powerful offensive team and guiding them to a 24-16 record and a trip to the conference championship. A .331 team batting average and a scoring clip of 8.4 runs per game were both nationally ranked marks. The 2006 team hit .301, and the led the conference in doubles & stolen bases (2nd year straight year). The pitching staff managed a 4.84 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .279 batting average (both marks good for third in the conference). The 2007 team once again led the league in stolen bases (3rd straight year), triples, and ranked 2nd in homeruns.
During Coach Muscat's time at STAC several players have enjoyed tremendous success. Pitcher Brian Flynn (Criminal Justice '02) received All-Conference honors and was subsequently drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. Mike Clohessy, a Rockland County native, received All-American honors as a first baseman, driving in a nation-leading 75 runs in 41 games. He too signed a professional contract, playing in the Independent Southeastern League. Outfielder Mike Sharpe (Sports Mgmt. '05), concluded his four-year career at STAC, collecting over 200 hits and subsequently being drafted by the N.Y. Mets. Jason Pominski (Business '06) concluded his 4-year career at STAC collecting 216 hits and stealing over 100 bases(led conference three times), and was voted All-Conference three times and All-Region twice. Mike Pasch signed with the Independent Texas League after amassing of over 200 career innings and striking out a record 155. John Mazzello (Social Studies '08) hit. 409 as a junior and collected 73 hits (wood) in his 1stTeam All-ECC senior season. This year he joined the Spartan coaching staff. Most recently infielder/pitcher John Muller (Sports Management '07) became the all-time hits leader at STAC with 224 and signed with the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher. The mark of a good coach is being able to bring out the best from his players. That certainly has been the case for Muscat in his time at STAC
Before assuming his coaching duties Muscat had a stellar playing career. As a prep star in Greensboro, North Carolina he amassed over 300 strikeouts, a 25-3 win/loss slate, 9-0 post-season mark, and two post-season no-hitters, while leading Western Guilford H.S. to a 44-8 record (12-0 post-season) and two consecutive North Carolina State Championships. As a team captain at UNC Charlotte he set the single game strikeout record of 16 Ks and hit .298 with 298 at-bats as an outfielder. Selected in the 18th round of the 1989 draft, he pitched two seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system until a second shoulder surgery cut short his career
Outside of STAC Muscat has remained active. Over the past nine years he has served as a recruiter and instructor for the Nyack Indians of the New Jersey Amateur Baseball League (wood bat). Nyack is the five-time Rockland County Champion, 2004 N.J. State Champion, and the ‘05, ‘06, ‘07 & ‘08 NJABL Champion. In 2005 they were ranked as a national top 50 Stan Musial team. Over the winter he runs the Spartan Winter Baseball Academy, conducting indoor clinics at STAC's gym. During the summer he has served as a Pro-Staff instructor at the N.Y. Mets Baseball Academy, instructor/evaluator at the TPX Top 96 Showcases, and talent evaluator at the Triple Crown Summer National Tournament and Showcase. For the past two years he has served as a pre-season instructor for the Diesel elite travel team based out Rockland County, NY. In February of 2008, the Diesel was honored as the Triple Crown Northeast Team of the Year.
Born in West Covina, California and raised in Greensboro, N.C.,
Muscat received his B.A. in Economics from UNC Charlotte ('90) and
his Masters in Secondary Education from St. Thomas Aquinas ('02).
He also works as a history teacher. Coach Muscat, his wife, former
Kelly Adamson, 6 yr. old son Tyler, 4 yr. old son Cameron, and 2
yr. old son Mason reside in West Haverstraw, N.Y.
Coach Stefania begins his 5th year as the Spartans Assistant
Coach. He spent two summers as Head Coach for the New York Knights
Connie Mack team and a year as the assistant coach at Tappan Zee
High School before joining the STAC staff. Prior to coaching he was
Rockland County standout as a catcher for Tappan Zee High School.
After which, he went on to earn a starting catching spot at PACE
University. Stefania handles many of of the daily adminsitrative
responsibilities, as well as recruiting, and working mainly with
the catchers. He also works as a history teacher and resides in
Blauvelt, NY
Garvey joins the Spartan Baseball coaching staff this season
after a four-year playing career at STAC. As a player at St.
Edmunds Prep he set the all-time fielding percentage record while
serving as captain on the winningest team in school history.
At St. Thomas he was converted to catcher and hit .462 in limited
at-bats in 2008. Voted captain in 2009, he helped the team to a
regular season and conference tournament finish of 3rd. During his
senior year he served as player-coach, tutoring the younger
catchers. He graduated STAC in 2009 with a 3.3 GPA in Sports
Managment (Honor Society). Immediately after graduating he
was hired as an assistant and began his master's work in
secondary education. Recently coach Garvey was appointed
Director of Recruiting for baseball and also serves in the athletic
department in various roles. His primary roles as a coach are
working with the catchers and serving as the first base coach.
Joe Curreri enters his 2nd season as the Spartan Pitching Coach.
He wasted no time making an impact in 2009, as the Spartan pitchers
maintained a 2.99 ERA. That mark was good for 4th in the 35 team
East Region.
An Albertus Magnus graduate, Curreri was instrumental in helping
his high school team reach a #3 ranking in the state. Upon
graduation he pitched collegiately for Long Island University
where he was in the top ten in strike outs per nine innings in
1999. That year he was selected by Chicago White Sox in 23rd
Round of the MLB Draft and went on to play six years with the White
Sox Organization. He led the Carolina League in appearances in
2001. As a professional pitcher, he maintained a 1:1
innings to strikeouts ratio. Reconstructive shoulder
surgery ended his playing career.
His coaching career began in 2005 as the pitching coach for the
Rockland Brewers. That team made it to the NABF World
Series. He is currently serving as the winter pitching
instructor of the Diesel Baseball Club of Rockland County and the
fall pitching instructor for the Teel Ravens of Bergen County,
NJ. He also conducts private pitching lessons at the
KZone in Nanuet and Garrett Teels at NVSA in Closter, NJ
He resides in Nanuet, NY and is currently finishing his B.S. in
Social Sciences at St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Coach Del Rosario begins his 5th season with STAC via Bergen
Community College, where he served as the head coach from
2000-2002. In the 1980s he played in the San Diego Padres' and
Texas Rangers' minor league organizations as a middle infielder. He
also managed in the Spanish League Federation where he coached
Manny Ramirez for one season. He is known for his great rapport
with the players and his ability to teach some of the finer
subtleties of playing infield. Manny, his wife, and two children
reside in Washington Heights, NY.
