Mike LaRosa
has been handed the reins as the new baseball coach at Widener
University.
LaRosa spent the last two years as an assistant coach at Neumann
University. He primarily was responsible for coaching the
infielders, serving as the base running and assistant hitting coach
as well as being the first base coach. LaRosa also was the
Knights’ JV coach.With
LaRosa’s help, Neumann last season posted a 28-13 record,
advanced to the Colonial States Athletic Conference Tournament and
competed in the ECAC South Region Tournament. The 2010 team
went 20-18-1 and played in the CSAC Tournament before advancing to
the ECAC South Tournament final.
LaRosa also
served as an instructor with On Deck Baseball in Warminster and the
All-Star Baseball Academy in Downingtown, providing instruction to
high school students and coordinating youth summer
camps.
LaRosa was a
four-year starter at second base for West Chester University,
serving as captain his junior and senior seasons. He was
tabbed All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference all four years
and was named the NCAA Division II National Defensive Player of the
Year in 2003.
He graduated
with a career .362 batting average and ranked second in school
history with 234 hits. He helped the Rams to two PSAC East
regular season titles and three trips to the NCAA
Tournament.
LaRosa
graduated West Chester in 2005 with a B.S. in Business Management
and was a four-year member of the school’s Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee (SAAC). He will earn his Master’s
this December from Neumann in Sport Management.
“I’m honored and humbled to be
given this opportunity by (director of athletics) Jack Shafer and
the staff,” LaRosa said. “Coach (Steve) Carcarey
has done a great job over the last eight years building the program
and making it into a winner. Widener University has a great
tradition that I plan on working tirelessly to
uphold.”
LaRosa takes
over a program which has notched seven consecutive 20-win seasons
and has played in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament the last
seven years. The Pride have advanced to the NCAA Tournament
six times, most recently in 2010.