ATHLETICS
Baseball field named for legendary Coach Bill Holowaty
Ceremony pays tribute to Eastern baseball family
By Michael Rouleau ’11
Eastern Connecticut State University honored one of the most storied coaches in NCAA Division III history on June 28 with the formal naming of its baseball eld as Holowaty Family Field. e ceremony paid tribute to Coach Bill Holowaty, whose remarkable 45-year tenure at Eastern not only brought national acclaim to the program, but also created a familylike environment among generations of Eastern baseball players.
Coach Holowaty led Eastern’s baseball program from 1969 to 2013, amassing one of the most decorated coaching records in NCAA Division III history. Under his leadership, the team captured four national championships (1982, 1990, 1998, 2002), appeared in 12 College World Series, and maintained a career winning percentage of 72% with a record of 1,404-525-7.
“Naming the eld in honor of the Holowaty family is a tribute to a coach whose impact on this program is de ned not only by remarkable records, but by the generations of student-athletes who came through it,” said Eastern President Karim Ismaili. “His teams brought national recognition to our university and created some of the most memorable moments in Eastern athletics.”
Current head baseball Coach Mike Odenwaelder acknowledged the foundation his predecessor laid. “Coach Holowaty built from the ground up so much of the rich history, tradition, and winning culture that is Eastern baseball. … As I look forward to my own tenure at the helm here, the tall task of lling Coach’s shoes is made immensely easier because of that rich history and culture, baked into the walls of this stadium.”
e eld naming re ects the collective e ort of nearly 100 alumni and supporters who, since fall 2024, have committed more than $150,000 to the Holowaty Family Field Fund. e fund supports ongoing maintenance, renovations, and upgrades to the eld and overall venue.
Bill and Jan Holowaty look on as the Holowaty Family Field sign is revealed.
Speaking on behalf of donors and alumni, former player Greg Sullivan ’06 emphasized the importance of staying connected to the team after their time on the eld. To Coach, he added: “You taught us character, toughness, and class. You taught us 'we' over 'me' and you taught us loyalty. ... Yes, you will always be our coach, but more importantly, you will always be family.”
our family here and developed a huge baseball family. e name Holowaty Family Field — the ‘Family’ part — is for all of you, because you’ve made our lives so much better.”
Daughter Jennifer Holowaty ’97 echoed her mother’s sentiment. “ e naming of the eld is an incredible moment for our family,” she said. “However, it is not simply about the Holowaty family, but the
“His re to compete shaped us into better players — and even better men.” - Tom Roath ’81
Former player Tom Roath ’81 emphasized Coach’s unwavering dedication to developing players both on and o the eld. “Yes, winning games was important, but it was about pushing us — every single day — to be better than we were the day before,” said Roath. “His re to compete shaped us into better players — and even better men.”
Roath also paid tribute to Jan Holowaty, Coach Holowaty’s wife, calling her the “real MVP” for her steadfast support behind the scenes. “Whether it was managing the bus driver, keeping Coach out of trouble, or making sure we were all fed, Jan was the glue that held everything together,” he said.
Re ecting on her decades of building a life around Eastern baseball, Jan Holowaty said: “Nothing can compare to the 45 years that we spent here at Eastern — we raised
Eastern baseball family — all of the players, families, and friends who have been impacted by my father and by Eastern baseball. It’s a recognition of everyone who helped build the program.”
Son Jared Holowaty ’02 recalled growing up with Eastern baseball as a constant presence in his life, from his adolescence as the team’s bat boy to his college days playing for the Warriors. “To all the players, sta , and supporters — it takes a family,” he added. “ e naming of this eld is about all of us.” E
Class of 2025
Lee A. Cattanach ’16 2011-2016
Cross Country/Track & Field
Dwayne J. Coles ’03 1999-2002
Men’s Lacrosse
Michael J. Garrow ’14 2009-2014
Men’s Basketball
Amy M. (Arisco) Geriak ’12 2007-2011
Women’s Swimming
Priscilla M. (Alicea) Pierro ’12 2009-2012
Softball
2025 Little East Conference Inductee Marianna (Capomolla)
Linnehan ’07 2004-2006
Women’s Volleyball
Induction Ceremony and Social Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at 5 p.m. Fine Arts Instructional Center, Concert Hall
Contribute to baseball field renovations with a gift to the Holowaty Family Field Fund.
Purchase tickets:
e Holowaty Family: Jan, Bill, Jared, Gretchen, Jennifer, granddaughter Ella, and Jason
Coach Bierly retires after 31 years leading women’s basketball
By Bob Molta ’78
e most successful women’s basketball coach in Eastern’s history, Denise Bierly, retired this past spring after a celebrated 31-year career.
Bierly led the Warriors to 15 postseason tournaments and 13 seasons of 20 or more wins over three decades.
e program’s all-time leading coach in terms of years and games coached and won, Bierly compiled an overall record of 553-279 (66.5%). She coached 488 of the program’s 588 Little East Conference (LEC) regular-season and tournament games, winning or sharing eight regularseason titles and capturing six LEC tournament championships, including four in a six-year span between 2015 and 2020.
“What started out as a way to continue my love of the game of basketball turned into so much more than I could have ever imagined,” said Bierly. “Becoming a mentor, teacher, and supporter to our student-athletes has been the joy of my life. I want to thank Eastern for giving [me] a chance. I gave everything I had for 31 years. It has been quite a ride.”
A native of Lafayette, OH, Bierly joined Eastern in 1994. Following a four-year playing career at Division III De ance College, Bierly spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Capital University — where the team won a Division III national title.
“I want to thank all of the administrators, coaches, assistant coaches, and sta that I have had the pleasure of working with,” said Bierly. “ ey are truly what make Eastern a special place. Most importantly, I want to thank all of the wonderful studentathletes who chose to become Warriors and play for me. It has been my honor to have coached them. e success of the program does not happen without their loyalty, dedication, and hard work.”
Bierly continued, “I will miss terribly the daily interactions with our players, but I know that Eastern will hire a great coach to lead them into the next chapter, and I will be their biggest cheerleader.”
“Becoming a mentor, teacher, and supporter to our student-athletes
has been the joy of my life.”
- Coach Bierly
Scudder named LEC Student Athlete of the Year
Soccer player Walter Scudder ’25 was named LEC Student Athlete of the Year, following his success on the eld as a four-year starting mid elder and in the classroom as a biology major. Scudder is one of three studentathletes across the conference to receive the annual award.
“My experiences as a scholarathlete at Eastern have, most importantly, prepared me to serve,” said Scudder. “My time studying biology, tutoring underclassmen, researching cell migration, shadowing physicians, volunteering in a nursing home, speaking at schools and churches in
India, and captaining the men’s soccer team have shaped me into a leader ready for a career in medicine.”
In January 2024, Scudder traveled to India to shadow physicians. “ e experience changed my life,” he said. “I saw the desperation of people in underserved areas. I learned the value of empathy. … e experience gave me an appreciation for diversity that I didn’t previously have. One of my biggest takeaways is that we student-athletes are so lucky to have the experiences we do.”
2 athletes named to All-America teams in 2024-25
By Bob Molta ’78
Junior pole vaulter Natasha Frisch ’25 became the rst Eastern women’s track athlete to gain All-America honors in 38 years, and senior center elder Ray Leonzi ’26 became the baseball program’s 62nd selection to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America team in spring 2025. e two give the Eastern athletic program a total of 163 All-Americans.
Frisch, also a Little East Conference swimming champion, placed 16th in a eld of 22 with a mark of 12-3 ½ at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past May at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, OH. Her performance earned her secondteam All-America honors with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
She became just the third Eastern female to earn All-America track and eld honors, following three-time AllAmerican Judy Pemberton and twotime All-American Bonnie Edmondson
’87. Frisch set the program’s current indoor (11-7 ¾) and outdoor (13-0 ¼) pole vault records within a span of three months this year.
A two-time All-Region II and three-time All-Little East selection in his three-year career after transferring from the Division I level, Leonzi was the only player from the Little East to earn ABCA All-America honors when he was named to his fourth team in late May.
e lefty-hitting leado batter and tri-captain did not miss a start this year and led the team in at-bats, runs, home runs, total bases, slugging, walks, on-base percentage, and steals; he did not commit an error on 97 out eld chances. Leonzi is the rst Eastern player in eight years to lead the team in home runs and stolen bases in the same season — the last being All-American Alex Zachary ’17 in 2017.
Eastern to launch women’s golf program
Eastern will launch a varsity program in women’s golf in the fall 2025 semester, its 20th intercollegiate program overall and 11th for women.
Current men’s golf Coach Kyle Gallo has been elevated to full-time status for both the men’s and women’s programs. A respected veteran coach and Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Gallo brings more than 25 years of experience as a competitive amateur and professional golfer.
King named head women’s basketball coach
Veteran college basketball Coach Mandy King was named head coach of the women’s basketball team this summer. Following Coach Denise Bierly’s 31-year tenure, King is the program’s fth head coach in its 54-year history.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed as the head women’s basketball coach at Eastern Connecticut State University,” said King at the time of her appointment. “Eastern has a distinguished tradition in both athletics and academics, and I am committed to continuing the legacy established by Coach Bierly and the exceptional young women who have worn the jersey over the past 31 years.”
After playing collegiately at the Division III level as a point guard at the University of Southern Maine — a fellow member of the Little East Conference — King went on to coach at the Division III level in all but two seasons of her 26-year career. For 22 of those seasons, she served as head coach at Kean University in New Jersey and Washington & Lee University in Virginia.
“ e community at Eastern is truly special,” said King. “ e administrators, coaches, and support sta genuinely care about each other and work collaboratively and tirelessly to create an environment where everyone can do their best work and win championships. I can’t wait to contribute to this welcoming family.”
Natasha Frisch
Ray Leonzi