It's been a busy last month for the Fordham baseball team, as the Rams begin a new year under head coach Kevin Leighton.  Here is the latest on summer league accolades, an alumni update, and the start of a weekly award program during fall ball.
 
SUMMER LEAGUES
 
 
Phelan played for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod League, where he helped the squad to the regular season championship.
 
Along with Galiano in the Hamptons League, Cody Johnson pitched for North Fork, which defeated Galiano's Center Moriches for the league championship.
 
In the ACBL, Fordham had a trio of players with the North Jersey Eagles, as Jordan Gajods, Ryan Carroll, and Jonathan Reich led the Eagles to their second straight league championship.
 
The championship ride continued for two more Fordham players, as Ryan McNally played for the Monmouth Monarchs of the ABCCL, which won its league title, as did the NACBL's NY Cardinals, who featured Rams' infielder Joe Calabrese.
 
ALUMNI UPDATE – Nick Martinez Named the Texas Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Month
Former Fordham Ram and current Frisco RoughRider Nick Martinez was honored by the Texas Rangers as the club's minor league Pitcher of the Month for August/September.
 
Martinez joined Frisco from Advanced-A Myrtle Beach on August 6, the day after his 23rd birthday and final Carolina League start. In six games (five starts) for the Pelicans and RoughRiders in August and September, the Miami native combined to go 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA (4 ER/38 IP), 13 hits allowed, eight walks, 29 strikeouts, a 0.55 WHIP and a .106 opponents' batting average.  Among all pitchers in full-season Minor League Baseball from August until the end of the season, Martinez ranked first in WHIP, first in lowest batting average against and tenth in lowest ERA.
 
Martinez's most impressive outing came in his only Double-A relief appearance on August 27 against Corpus Christi.  Rangers rookie Nick Tepesch started the game in a rehab appearance and Martinez entered the contest out of the bullpen with men on base and no outs during the third inning. Martinez walked a batter, but got out of the frame unscathed and went on to retire the final 19 batters of the ballgame, throwing seven no-hit innings in the process. 
 
The former Fordham Ram entered 2013 ranked by Baseball America as Texas' 27th best prospect, and he went on to have his best professional campaign. A mid-season Carolina League All-Star, Martinez pitched in 27 games (25 starts) between Myrtle Beach and Frisco. He went 12-7 with a 2.50 ERA (42 ER/151.1 IP), 117 hits allowed, 45 walks, 128 strikeouts, a 1.07 WHIP and a .212 opponents' batting average, establishing career-bests in nearly every category.
 
Martinez's full bio can be found on MILB.com
 
RAMS BEGINS FALL AWARDS PROGRAM, HONORING ITS PAST
 
A new program that Fordham head coach Kevin Leighton has begun this fall is awarding weekly honors for the top pitcher, offensive player, defensive player, and hustle player in a given week.
 
In recognizing the current players, Fordham is also honoring its past, as special jerseys were made up featuring four former players associated with each award.  The winner then wears the commemorative jersey for the following week.
 
The top pitcher jersey commemorates Pete Harnisch, who played for the Rams from 1985-87, compiling an amazing 21-2 record and a 2.29 ERA at Rose Hill.  He helped Fordham win the 1987 MAAC and ECAC Championship earning the Rams' first NCAA berth since the 1950's.  The former MAAC Player & Pitcher of the Year went on to be a first round draft pick and played 15 seasons in the Majors.  Harnisch was inducted into the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.  The first week recipient was senior J.C. Porter.
 
The top offensive player jersey honors Mike Marchiano, who played for the Rams from 1994-97, and ranks as one of the most prolific hitters in team history.  Surveying the Rams' outfield, he capped his Fordham career as a consensus All-American in 1997 and was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.  He led the nation with a school record .493 batting average, and shattered four single season records at Rose Hill and still holds Fordham career records in home runs, runs scored, total bases and batting average.  Marchiano was inducted into the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.  The first week recipient was junior David Judisky.
 
The top defensive player jersey portrays "The Fordham Flash", Frankie Frisch.  One of the most recognized names in Fordham Athletics history, Frisch was the Rams' starting shortstop in 1918, setting school records for hits in a game (6) and single season stolen bases (35 – lasted for 67 years).  Frisch would leave Fordham to sign with the National League's New York Giants, leading to a 19-year Hall of Fame career, where he compiled 11 straight .300 seasons and set the single-season fielding records as a second baseman for chances and assists with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1927.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947 and was a part of Fordham's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1971.  The first week recipient was senior Sam Careccia.
 
The hustle jersey honors the memory of Santy Gallone.  The sparkplug at the top of the Rams' line-up in the early 1990's, Gallone was a two-time Patriot League Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992, and graduated with six school records.  He helped the Rams to three conference championships (MAAC – 1990, Patriot League – 1991 & 1992), an ECAC title in 1990, and a berth in the 1990 NCAA Championship.  A career .369 hitter at Fordham, he was inducted into the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.  The first week recipient was freshman Mark Donadio.