NDC Baseball helps future Falcons take flight
SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – On Feb. 16, the NDC Baseball team held a preseason banquet at Springvale Country Club in North Olmsted.  The 2008 Falcon players and coaching staff alike came together to kick off the season with the event for what is now the second year in a row.

“This is a way for us to come together before travel and doubleheaders take over,” said fourth-year Head Coach Craig Moro.  “The night was successful for us as a fundraiser and as a team-building event.  This year’s banquet was also special with our involvement with the Ohio Falcons and with the establishment of the NDC Baseball Falcon Club.”

Those two groups represent the new and old of Blue & Gold Baseball.  The Ohio Falcons are comprised of South Euclid and Euclid youth baseball players (age 12-14) who have formed a traveling tournament All-Star team.  Ohio Falcon players and coaches have participated in several clinics put on by the NDC Baseball program each of the last three years.

With the establishment of the Ohio Falcons, NDC Baseball chipped in and donated equipment.. and colors – the young Falcons have chosen blue and gold as their team colors.

“This is great to see on a number of levels,” said Moro, of the affiliation with the youth team.  “I like to see all of our players involved and giving back to the community.  And we all like to support young players as they develop.”

The Ohio Falcons will be recognized at multiple NDC home games this season.  At the preseason banquet, Notre Dame Baseball also took the opportunity to look back… with the founding of the Falcon Club.

The Falcon Club is a recognition of former players and their contributions to the program.  The club’s inaugural membership is two – pitchers Matt Kidd (2005-06) and Joe Link (2006).  Both were lauded for their contributions to the program in its early days.

Although program records at NDC are of a recent mint, the numbers Matt Kidd hung in his two seasons may stand for quite some time.  Kidd is Notre Dame’s leader in multiple career and single-season categories.  His career records include lowest ERA (2.35 in 188 innings), most innings pitched, complete games (18), shutouts (4), and strikeouts (134).

“He’s the most dominant pitcher we’ve had,” said Moro.  “He was a bulldog.  He took the ball and did everything you could ask of him.”

Head Coach Craig Moro with a coach and player from the Ohio Falcons

Kidd earned an Honorable Mention on the 2005 NAIA All-American team.
Link was honored for contributions that numbers can’t capture – he posted a 6.68 ERA in 36-2/3 innings in his one season (2006).

“Joe was a team leader who led by example,” said Moro.  “He had an incredible work ethic, an infectious work ethic.  I can’t stress how important that is for a young program.  Joe Link was the epitome of that ideal.”

The program plans to reconvene on the membership of the Falcon Club in future annual preseason banquets.  The program’s complete statistical record, as provided by NDC Sports Information, will also be a part of the Club, with career achievements and milestones highlighted.

Notre Dame College is a co-educational liberal arts institution in South Euclid, Ohio. The Notre Dame Athletics Department sponsors the Falcons' participation in 17 men's and women's sports. The College is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Mideast Conference (AMC), which is the largest NAIA conference in the country.

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