SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Eckerd baseball alumnus Craig Albernaz '05 earned an important accolade to add to his coaching resume, receiving Midwest League Coach of the Year honors on Friday, August 17.
In his first season with the Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods, Albernaz guided the team to the best record in the league (through August 17) and twice set franchise records for consecutive wins, first with 11 in a row followed by 13 straight wins from May 7 through May 22. Â His squad produced four Midwest League All-Stars, the most in franchise history.
Albernaz is the first Bowling Green manager to receive manager of the year honors.
The native of Somerset, Massachusetts, played at Eckerd from 2001 through 2005 under head coach
Bill Mathews.
Albernaz has made several stops throughout his time in the Tampa Bay organization. Â The catcher spent eight seasons in the minors as a player, cutting down 44.1 percent of base-stealers during his career. In 2015, he joined the coaching staff of Princeton Rays of the rookie league before moving on to AAA Durham where he coached third base and worked with the catchers.
He received his first head assignment in 2017 as manager of the Short-A Hudson Valley Renegades and moved to the helm of Bowling Green this year.
The Hot Rods have clinched a spot in the Midwest League playoffs, where they will take on the Lansing Lugnuts beginning September 6.
