Features: July 1, 2002

Steffen Named Coach of the Year

The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) has selected Rensselaer head baseball coach Karl Steffen as the New York Region Coach of the Year. Steffen, who recently completed his 18th season at Rensselaer, led the team to a school-record 33 wins (33-11) and its second-ever Division III World Series appearance.

This season, Steffen guided the Red Hawks into the NCAA Regionals for the 11th straight season and the 12th in the last 13 years. The team captured the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) championship for the seventh straight year, posting a 10-2 league mark. In addition, nine players earned individual honors, including First Team National All-American (Travis Teeter) and Academic All-District First Team (Flynn Cochran).

During his career, Steffen, whose 1996 team also advanced to the Division III Championships, has posted a career record of 432-213-2 for a .669 winning percentage. He currently ranks in the top 30 among active Division III coaches for most wins and highest winning percentage.

For the past 14 seasons, Rensselaer's baseball team has been ranked as one of the top 30 teams in the country, including a final national ranking of fifth this season — the best in school history.

This is the second time Steffen has been named Coach of the Year. He also has been honored twice with the Marvin T. Anderson Award, given by his fellow coaches at Rensselaer, and he has been the recipient of the Student Affairs Service Award at Rensselaer.