The Community College of Rhode Island baseball team hosts Quincy College this Thursday, March 23 in its 2023 home opener following an encouraging week-long trip to Myrtle Beach for Spring Break.

The Knights played nine games in five days and finished 2-7 on the trip, which included games against Division II schools SUNY Sullivan, Sussex County, and County College of Morris. First pitch Thursday in Warwick is 3:30 pm; the Knights then travel to Quincy for a Saturday doubleheader beginning at noon.

Several players stood out during the first week of play in Myrtle Beach. Sophomore outfielder Sam Laurie (Narragansett) batted .533 in five games with three RBIs and five stolen bases while fellow sophomore outfielder Dylan Barlow (Warwick) batted .500, scored three times and reached base five times in four games. Sophomore infield Caleb Harris (Cranston) drove in a team-best four runs in five games and freshman infielder Zak Thomas (North Providence) scored four runs and batted .438 over five games.

Sophomore pitcher Brock Bruneau (Ontario, Canada) earned a win during the road trip, allowing one earned run over four innings in the Knights’ 18-8 victory over Montgomery County on March 15. Harris and Laurie combined for seven RBI in the win while freshman third baseman Noah Cook (Cranston) scored three runs and drew four walks.

In his second season as head coach, Joe Hopkins is looking to build off the late-season success of the 2022 team. The Knights finished 10-21 last year, but advanced to the finals of the NJCAA Division III Region XXI Championships against Northern Essex after sweeping a consolation bracket doubleheader against rivals Quinsigamond and Massasoit.

Salisbury named AD of the Year

Community College of Rhode Island Director of Athletics Kevin Salisbury has received a 2022-23 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Cushman & Wakefield Athletic Director of the Year Award (ADOY) for his commitment and positive contributions to CCRI’s student-athletes, campuses, and surrounding communities.

Now in its 58th year, the NACDA is the professional and educational association for more than 22,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,200 institutions throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each year for the past 25 years, it selects Athletic Directors from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision schools; institutions at the Division I-AAAA, II, IIII, and NAIA levels; and community colleges as recipients of its ADOY. Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 58th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando on June 13.

Nominees are selected by fellow Athletic Directors, conference commissioners, and institutional presidents based on their years of service, commitment to higher education and student-athletes; continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence; and the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishments.

Salisbury is one of four community college Athletic Directors nationwide to receive the ADOY award in 2022-23, joining Dan Clauss of Saddleback College, Darin Monroe of Rock Valley College, and Troy Tucker of Northampton Community College.

“I would like to thank NACDA for this honor and thank those that nominated me,” Salisbury said. “I am extremely humbled by this award and feel strongly that nobody wins anything alone!  Our staff, coaches, and student-athletes are outstanding people and they all have their fingerprints on this. I appreciate every single individual that plays a role in the success of our program. Lastly, I would like to thank my wife Lisa for her unending support.”

“Cushman & Wakefield is thrilled to welcome the 28 new recipients into the ADOY family,” said Craig Cassell, Executive Managing Director, Leader, Education Advisory Group and Co-Leader, Sports & Entertainment Group at Cushman & Wakefield. “We are humbled by the leadership and initiative the candidates demonstrated to achieve this designation. We are also inspired to emulate their actions and qualities and be a steward of the candidates’ commitment to student-athletes and the communities they serve. Cushman & Wakefield is proud to be a NACDA partner and honored to sponsor the ADOY award.”

In 2022-23, CCRI won NJCAA Region XXI championships in men’s soccer, volleyball, and women’s basketball with both soccer and basketball earning trips to the NJCAA Division III National Championships. Coaches Doug Haynes (women’s basketball), Patrick Chin (volleyball), and Gabriel Toro (men’s soccer) also won Region XXI Coach of the Year honors. In addition to the success on the field, CCRI also revived its women’s soccer program under the guidance of first-year head coach Jeff Patten after two canceled seasons due to the pandemic and celebrated 27 student-athletes qualifying for the Region XXI Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.20 or higher.

Among his many roles in collegiate athletics, Salisbury is currently the President of the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) for the 2022-23 academic year. In 2022, he was selected by the NJCAA Board of Regents as its Men’s Senior Administrator, a three-year term effective August 1, where he serves as a voting member of the Board of Regents, represent men’s sports for all NJCAA colleges, assist the Board Chair with selecting all sports committees and divisional council members, and vote on the NJCAA Eligibility and Championships Events committees.

Salisbury resides in North Smithfield, RI.