Baseball Team Demonstrates Resilience

By Catarina Cruz

College Hill Writer

At Sussex County Community College in Newton, baseball is a home-hitting sport that goes beyond wins or losses.

SCCC Stock Photo

As of April 9, Head Baseball Coach Ramadan Mehmedi hit a major milestone and won his 200th game. The season ran from February through the final games on May 8, and while it turned out to be a rough season, the rough season put a spotlight on the team’s resilience and strong work ethic.

“I think the team prides itself on just hard work,” said SCCC Athletic Director Poltersdorf. 

“They work really hard, both in the classroom and on the field. It’s a good group of young men. Academically, they do very well. They work nonstop. Coach is a demanding person, he wants to get as much practice in as they possibly can.”

Now in his 11th season, Mehmedi started as a player under Poltersdorf before transitioning to New Jersey City University to complete his career. In 2009, he returned to SCCC as an assistant coach to Poltersdorf, who oversees the 12 intercollegiate sports and approximately 280 athletes at SCCC. 

A staple in the department,  Poltersdorf’s career as the head baseball coach spanned from 1994 to 2012; he also became assistant athletic director in 1997. He built up the admissions office in 2000, started the football program in 2019, and returned to the athletic department as its director in 2022. 

The transition between these positions was smooth, as each one involved working with students and guiding them to new opportunities in both academics and sports alike. 

“I think it’s been a good transition because I’m still working with student athletes,” Poltersdorf said. “But I’m doing less coaching, more important things like academics and making sure they’re representing the institution in a real positive way. Also giving them the opportunity to succeed and transition to four-year schools.

“We have a great reputation for our student athletes to make that transition when they’re done playing with us,” he continued. “So managing all that, plus all the different personalities of our coaches, it’s been fun. It’s been challenging at times, but it’s been fun.”

These challenges primarily arise in keeping people on the same page. Coaches must understand that student athletes and their academics come first, as well as what issues may develop with them. 

There are unique hurdles that arise when recruiting student athletes, especially those from out of state and even other countries. International students offer a huge wealth of culture and skills to draw upon, yet the process to recruit from this demographic may be complicated depending on the student’s situation. 

The baseball team is predominantly made up of students from Canada, as well as athletes from Japan and other states. In a similar vein, the men’s soccer team has the largest international population, with students from Europe and South America playing alongside other Sussex County residents.

With the Skylands Stadium still putting down fresh turf to play on, the team has played elsewhere for every practice and game. The constant travel and lack of a home stadium have been difficult, but the athletes have taken it in stride and responded well, maintaining their morale across 24 wins and 15 losses toward the end of the season. 

More wins than losses turned out it was more of a promising season despite a major hurdle that came about early in the season after facing an injury to its closing pitcher. Other players have sat out here and there to rest from the constant wear and tear, keeping in mind that pacing things out to avoid further injury is crucial.

Despite those obstacles that had popped up, the team remained vigilant in pushing forward.