FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Baseball pitching coach Jordan Tabakman was named the Collegiate Baseball News National Pitching Coach of the Year after guiding the Stags to become one of the best pitching staffs in the country during their historic 2021 season. As a team, the Stags finished the year ranked in the top-5 in the NCAA in most pitching statistics and were awarded with five All-MAAC selections on their pitching staff.
 
"I am excited and grateful to be the recipient of this prestigious award," Tabakman said. "I would like to thank the Collegiate Baseball News and Rawlings for selecting me as the Pitching Coach of the Year. I am honored to share this award with coaches I look up to and respect. This was absolutely a team accomplishment. Last year was special, everyone played a part in it."
 
"Coach Tabakman did a great job preparing the pitchers for conference competition right out of the chute to start our season," Head Coach Bill Currier said. "He scheduled the pitching staff during the winter months perfectly to get them ready, in a very uncertain year of not knowing exactly when our season would begin."
 
Tabakman mentored a Fairfield pitching staff that finished second in the country with a 3.14 ERA while leading the NCAA in WHIP at 1.09. Fairfield also recorded eight shutouts during the campaign, the third most in the nation.
 
The Stags were led by several aces in their pitching staff including All-MAAC First Team honorees Michael Sansone and Jake Noviello. Both of the student-athletes set a program single season record with nine wins and both being a vital part to the historic season.
 
Sansone won his first eight starts of the campaign and would finish in the top-5 in the MAAC in: ERA (2.58), WHIP (1.01), and strikeout-to-walk ratio at 4.87. He helped the Stags to one of their biggest wins in school history as he came out of the bullpen to eliminate Arizona State in the NCAA Regionals. He would earn a spot in the prestigious Cape Cod League where he found success and became the first Stag ever to be named a Cape Cod League All-Star.
 
Noviello also had one of the best pitching years in school history with a MAAC leading 1.47 ERA, the fourth best number in the country. The 1.47 mark was also the second lowest in program history by a Fairfield starter. He helped the Stags advance in the MAAC Championship with a stellar 8.1 innings against Monmouth and also picked up the first NCAA Regional win in program history.
 
One of the biggest improvements for the Stags was also found on the mound in left-hander Bryson Cafaro who became the first Stag to be named the MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year award. He posted a 0.60 ERA during the regular season, marking the third lowest in a single season for the Stags. He also went a perfect 4-0 as a starter.
 
On top of the five All-MAAC selections, Tabakman had an influential hand in the development of right-hander Trey McLoughlin, who would be drafted in the 17th round by the New York Mets.
 
John Signore also became Fairfield's all-time winningest pitcher with his 22nd career win, part of his five victories in 2021.
 
The Stags used that success on the mound to experience the best season in school history as they finished with a program record 39 wins. Fairfield also spent three weeks ranked in the top-25 by Baseball America, their first national ranking in school history.  


Previous Award Winners:
2004 Derek Johnson, Vanderbilt
2005 Tom Holliday, Texas
2006 Gordie Alderink, Grand Valley St
2007 Dan Spencer, Oregon St
2008 Scott Forbes, UNC
2009 Jerry Weinstein, Colorado Rockies
2010 Mark Calvi, South Carolina
2011 Phil Cundari, Seton Hall
2012 Sean Cole, Arizona
2013 Nate Yeskie, Oregon St
2014 Karl Kuhn, UVA
2015 Alan Dunn, LSU
2016 Jason Dietrich, Oregon
2017 Nate Yeskie, Oregon St
2018 Save Therneau, Stetson
2019 John Savage, UCLA
2020 Covid
2021 Jordan Tabakman, Fairfield