Story by Zach Giroux
BENNINGTON, Vt. — While the Southern Vermont College baseball team wrapped up its 2015 campaign in early May, there was not much of an "off-season" for head skipper Dave Gage as he quickly turned to leading the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs of the Futures of Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) of New England.
The Dirt Dawgs, a team established in 2012 and located in Leominster, Mass., is comprised of collegiate players who either hail from New England or attend colleges and universities in the region.
Other than his three years of experience as a head coach at the NCAA level, Gage brings to the plate his natural instincts and love for the game of baseball. His hard-working and goal-oriented style will look to be the driving force behind the Dirt Dawgs' run through the summer.
"It is my goal to make our players better people and to strive for daily excellence," commented Gage. "I also believe we have to allow players to play while at the game. Teaching is for before and after the game; during the game, we want our players to compete."
Gage is no stranger to being in command and taking hold of the reins on the diamond throughout the calendar year. Dirt Dawg fans can expect him to make a smooth transition from spring collegiate ball to the summer league, something he's done frequently since his playing days. Gage led the Tri-County Bees 18U AAU team in New York from 2007-2011, and he was the pitching coach for the Pittsfield Suns in 2012, another team in the FCBL.
"The number one thing I have tried to bring to Wachusett is the 'expect to win every day' mentality," added Gage. "My experience between coaching with the Suns and my brother [Matt] being drafted (San Francisco Giants, 2014) has given me the professional baseball background needed for the FCBL. At Southern Vermont we have also shown a steady improvement, and people are starting to take notice."
In Gage's three seasons thus far at the helm of SVC, the Mountaineers have seen major improvements. The team has fielded program bests in each season, and Gage's 2013 squad lowered the total amount of errors from the previous year by 111. Since he took over, the Mountaineers have also set program marks in stolen bases (89 in 2014) and ERA (4.86). Most recently, his 2015 roster compiled Southern Vermont's best-ever batting average (.304) and fielding percentage (.960) while swiping the 14th most bags per game in NCAA DIII (2.56). Additionally, Gage saw three-year captain Chris Nicastro Jr. graduate in May before becoming SVC's first player in team history to sign a paid professional baseball contract.
The 2014 Mountaineers reached the third-most wins in program history with their 15-19 record, topping that in 2015 with a 16-18 overall mark. This year's Mountaineer crew also compiled the program's best ever spring trip as the team went 3-2, finishing above .500 for the first time in team history.
Gage became acclimated with Mountaineer Baseball far before being named the head coach for the 2013 season; from 2008-2011, he was the starting second baseman and served as one of the team's captains during his final three seasons. His leadership and play helped guide his team to the New England Collegiate Conference playoffs in 2009, 2010 and 2011, the first three consecutive playoff appearances in program history.
Just one week into the season, the Dirt Dawgs are only 1.5 games back from first place in the West division standings (2-4) heading into Thursday night's home game against the Torrington Titans. For more information and the team's complete schedule, please visit dirtdawgsball.com.