Wildman
SEYMOUR — The following information is from a press release:
Five individuals representing six sports who combined to lead their teams to 27 conference championships and 18 post-season tournament berths comprise the Eastern Connecticut State University Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2020, it has been announced by committee chair Scott Smith.
The 27th hall of fame induction ceremony and social has been postponed this fall and tentatively re-scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 at the University’s Betty R. Tipton Room located in the Student Center.
Comprising the Class of 2020 are Patrick J. Ammendolia ’03 (lacrosse) of Acton, MA; Marianna (Capomolla) Linnehan ’07 (volleyball) of Stamford; Lori A. Franchina ’95 (basketball/softball) of Falconer, NY; David H. Nicholson ’06 (track & field) of Windsor; and Dwight A. Wildman ’13 (baseball) of Seymour, who played from 2001-04.
“Our dedicated committee met on-line over the last few months and once again selected an outstanding group of individuals worthy of Hall of Fame induction, but given the tremendous impact and uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus, the committee has decided to postpone the 2020 induction ceremony until the fall of 2021,” said Smith. “The committee felt strongly that the induction event was too significant to be held ‘virtually’ and should be postponed until we are able to honor the awardees in the proper way – on-campus, safely and appropriately – with our hall of famers, award recipients, alumni and friends.” Added Smith, “We are certainly looking forward to the opportunity to once again gather together with our hall of fame family to honor the history, traditions and accomplishments of the Eastern Connecticut athletics program.”
For the 19th year, the Alumni Hall of Fame will also be presenting the Michael A. Atkind Exceptional Service Award as part of the induction ceremony. This year’s recipient is Dr. Michael E. Pernal, who played a major role in shaping the University before retiring on Feb. 1, 2013 after 44 years of service. Pernal served under three presidents in numerous teaching and administrative positions – including interim president for nearly a year in 2006. Named Executive Vice President in 1998, Pernal oversaw intercollegiate athletics for several years prior to his retirement.
In addition to Hall of Fame-worthy individual accomplishments, honors and statistics, each of the five 2020 selections was integral in their respective team’s remarkable conference, regional and national success.
With Ammendolia, the lacrosse program won four straight conference regular-season crowns (including the first three LEC championships contested) without a loss and claimed the LEC’s first three playoff titles, qualifying for one ECAC and the program’s first three straight NCAA tournaments.
All three of Linnehan’s volleyball teams won or shared Little East Conference regular-season titles and two went on to capture LEC tournament championships.
Franchina was a member of eight post-season tournament teams: five in softball (two winning regional titles and won reaching the national tournament championship round) and three in basketball, two of them qualifying for back-to-back Final Four tournaments.
In winning a total of 27 Little East and New England Alliance individual champion in the sprints and relays indoors and outdoors, Nicholson paced the Warriors to LEC outdoor track & field titles in each of his four years and to LEC and New England Alliance indoor championships as a senior.
Behind Wildman, the baseball program qualified for four straight NCAA tournaments, won three Little East regular-season and three LEC tournament titles, three regional championships, and the 2002 national championship.
Dwight Wildman
Any discussion of the most memorable individual seasons (and careers) in the storied history of Eastern baseball must include Wildman, a five-tool player who capped a remarkable four-year career as a senior in 2004 as a first-team ABCA Division III All-America, NCBWA National and Little East Conference Player-of-the-Year.
That season, the menacing six-foot, 190-pound right-handed hitter batted .419 and set program season records which remain today for hits (93), home runs (tying the record of 20), total bases (174) and RBI (79) to go along with 67 runs and 21 doubles (both marks being the second-highest totals in a season), 27 stolen bases and a .990 fielding average (one error on 100 chances). In 2004, he also concluded a hitting streak of 31 games which began in 2003 and tied the program career record and stood for 13 years.
For good measure that season, he socked a dramatic walk-off two-run home run in an elimination game of the national tournament that helped carry the team to an eventual national second-place finish. At the plate in his career, Wildman hit for average (.370), power (37 home runs and a .622 slugging percentage) and in the clutch (195 RBI), was unstoppable on the basepaths with a record 96 stolen bases – including a record 30 in a row – on 110 attempts, and compiled a .982 fielding average on 326 chances.
To further illustrate Wildman’s unusual combination of power and speed, is the fact that he is the most recent of nine players to hit as many as three home runs in a game and was the first of only two players in program history to steal as many as five bases in one contest, the feats coming a week apart in 2003.
