Caldwell University Inducts Five Student-Athletes into Athletics Hall of Fame
BASEBALL’S CASAL, SOCCER’S DELUCCA, VOLLEYBALL’S MCDONOUGH, BASKETBALL’S PEREZ, SOFTBALL’S VELARDI GAIN ULTIMATE STUDENT-ATHLETE HONORS.
On Sept. 22, Caldwell University named five former student-athletes from five different teams as members of the CU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023 and honored two Cougar Pride Recognition Award recipients at the Caldwell University Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner at The Highlawn in West Orange, New Jersey.
THE CALDWELL UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023 INDUCTEES ARE:
- Robert Casal, baseball, class of 2010
- Brook DeLucca, women’s soccer, class of 2007
- Susan McDonough, volleyball, class of 2013
- Manny Perez, men’s basketball, class of 2009
- Jackie Velardi, softball, class of 2008
THE COUGAR PRIDE RECOGNITION AWARD RECIPIENTS:
- Vic and Mary Basile, contributors
The inductees, nominated at large by administrators, coaches, alumni and friends of the program, were elected by a panel that includes University and Athletics Department staff, coaches and distinguished alumni. All proceeds from the ninth annual event went to the Cougar Pride General Fund, which supports the Degree Completion Scholarship and enhancements for the University’s intercollegiate athletic programs; the induction dinner is a fundraising event for Cougar Pride, the official support organization of Caldwell Athletics.
“We had not been able to hold a Hall of Fame induction since 2019, but this class was worth the wait,” said Mark A. Corino, assistant vice president and director of athletics. “The student-athletes represent a cross-section of sports, and all were high achievers in the classrooms and the playing fields. We couldn’t be more proud of what they have accomplished.
“Additionally, the Basiles welcomed our program with open arms when I arrived at Caldwell,” Corino said. “They are representative of how the Caldwell community has embraced the school and supported our student-athletes and coaches.”
Casal pitched from 2007 to 2010 for coaches Chris Reardon and Jay Messina. He is the school’s all-time leader in wins (23), strikeouts (266) and innings (258⅓) and second in ERA (3.24). As a freshman in 2007, he posted a 10-1 record and 3.75 ERA with 75 strikeouts and followed up in 2008 by earning CACC Pitcher of the Year honors (9-4, 1.89, school-record 106 strikeouts). He helped the Cougars advance to the NCAA regional in 2007 and 2008, including a CACC title in 2008.
DeLucca competed from 2004 to 2007 under four head coaches, including her last year for Coach Nate Guagliardi. She was the CACC Player of the Year in 2005, scoring 10 goals and adding seven assists, and earned two All-CACC honors. DeLucca was a CACC All-Tournament selection in 2004 and scored 62 career points.
McDonough starred from 2009 to 2012 for coaches Megan (Hrbek) Bratkovich and John Titus. She was a two-time all-CACC First Team and AVCA all-East Region selection, registering 373 kills and 516 digs in her senior year, and helped Caldwell win CACC tournament titles in 2010 and 2011, earning tournament MVP honors both seasons. A four-year starter, McDonough was the CACC Co-Rookie of the Year in 2009 and CACC and ECAC Player of the Year in 2011. She graduated as the Cougars’ all-time leader in kills with 1,226 and second with 1,472 digs
Perez was Caldwell’s first all-region men’s basketball player in the NCAA Division II era. Perez, who played from 2004 to 2009 after missing most of the 2005-06 season with an injury, ranks second all-time at Caldwell with 1,859 career points and was a four-time all-CACC selection. As a senior he averaged 18.8 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game, earning an invitation to compete in the prestigious NABC/ NCAA Division II All-Star Game. He was voted the 2005 CACC Newcomer of the year, eclipsing the 1,000- point mark in his second season.
Velardi, who played from 2004 to 2007 for Coach Dean Johnson, played a significant role in Caldwell’s run to the 2004 College World Series, batting .336 with three home runs and 20 RBI. Velardi turned in her best season as a senior in 2007 when she hit .340 with 27 runs and 25 RBI while earning a spot on the CACC All-Tournament team. During her four seasons at Caldwell, the Cougars won four CACC regular-season titles, three CACC tournament crowns and an NCAA Northeast Region championship while compiling an overall record of 156-51. An all-league first team selection in 2005, Velardi batted .299 and amassed 162 hits and 95 RBI in 203 career games. She also served as Johnson’s assistant coach for more than a decade, helping a new generation of Cougars reach NCAA regionals.
The Basiles are longtime Caldwell residents who began attending Cougars games around the time Corino became head basketball coach and athletic director in the late 1980s. They formed a special bond with administrators, coaches and, in particular, student-athletes, supporting the teams in a variety of ways. In addition to attending nearly every home game for years, they traveled to many away games and eventually started the first Caldwell athletics booster club, which they called Cougar Pride, the name the entity still goes by today.
The Caldwell University Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2010 to honor student-athletes, coaches and contributors who have played significant roles in the success of the intercollegiate athletic programs at Caldwell University. With this year’s class, there are now 51 members in the Hall of Fame. The Caldwell Athletics Hall of Fame room is located on the first floor of the George R. Newman Center. 🟥
— Jerry Milani
