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* Coach of 2004 Atlantic 10 Champions
A blend of talent, experience and a blue-collar work ethic makes Larry Sudbrook one of the most successful and respected coaches in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Sudbrook's main goals each year for his program remain unchanged: provide his student-athletes with the best possible experience and field teams that challenge for the Atlantic 10 championship. Over his 21 seasons at St. Bonaventure, Sudbrook has built a program which consistently meets those goals. Sudbrook's 451 career wins make him far and away St. Bonaventure's winningest baseball coach. Overall, Sudbrook has led the Bonnies to 14 winning seasons, six berths in the Atlantic 10 Tournament and two Atlantic 10 East division championships. St. Bonaventure finished third or better in the East eight out of the 10 years that the A-10 played with East and West divisions. Sudbrook's remarkable run of achievements continued in the 2006 campaign. After he led the Bonnies to a school record 18 Atlantic 10 wins (18-8) and a second place finish in the now-14 team conference, Sudbrook was voted the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year by his peers. The Bonnies finished 29-21 overall and were runners-up in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. And the year was not without adversity, as Sudbrook's club had to overcome the loss of two of its top starting pitchers, Brian Pellegrini and Mike Proctor. Pellegrini, however, was able to play in the field and put together another amazing season that was capped by Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors. Pellegrini, Joe Rizzo, Matt Agostinelli and John Zinnicker were all named to the All-Conference team while Zinnicker was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 2004 season was the most successful year in school history. Sudbrook guided a young Bonnies club to the school's first Atlantic 10 Championship and first NCAA Tournament berth. Seeded fourth out of six teams in the A-10 Championship, the Bonnies rattled off four consecutive victories, including a pair over top-seeded Rhode Island. The finale was a 3-2 decision over Rhode Island. St. Bonaventure went on to play third-ranked Miami to a hard-fought, 6-3 decision on the Hurricanes' home field in the NCAA Regionals. Even while playing as many as four freshmen in the starting lineup, the Bonnies finished 29-22 overall and 14-7 in the A10. Among the players Sudbrook helped develop were All-Conference shortstop Eric Wilson, who graduated in 2004, and outfielder/pitcher Brian Pellegrini, who was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was a second team All-Conference choice. In 2002, Sudbrook guided St. Bonaventure to the A-10 East crown and school records of 30 wins overall and 16 conference victories. Three of his players, outfielder Mike Rapacioli, pitcher Kyle Johnson and infielder Mike Sedor, were named to the All-Conference team. Sudbrook was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading the Bonnies to their first A-10 East Division Championship and 13 conference wins. The Bonnies also qualified for the A-10 Tournament in 1994 and 1995.
Individual player development is a key to any successful team, and Sudbrook has proven his skill in that area. Over Sudbrook's career, 12 St. Bona players have moved on to the professional level. Eight players have been selected in the Major League Draft, most recently Zinnicker, and four other players have been signed as free agents, most recently catcher Jonathan Myler in 2001. Sudbrook has developed 25 All-Conference players, three Freshman All-Americans, two NCAA statistical champions, one A-10 Player of the Year, an A-10 Pitcher of the Year, A-10 Rookie of the Year and 14 A-10 statistical leaders. Sudbrook's players also achieve off the field. In 2000, both shortstop Mark Evers, then a junior, and senior outfielder Jason Milleisen were named GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. Shortstop Eric Wilson was named to the Academic All-District team in 2002, 2003 and 2004 while center fielder Randy Moley earned that distinction in 2006. Prior to coming to St. Bonaventure, Sudbrook guided Fairport (Ohio) High School to four sectional titles in five seasons. As a player, he was a two-year letterman at Lakeland (Ohio) Community College before graduating from Kent State University. Sudbrook and his wife, Beverly, have two sons, Shane and Cory, who both have played at St. Bonaventure. A native of the Cleveland area, Sudbrook is an ardent Cleveland Indians fan.
Sudbrook's Milestone Wins:
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