2009 Baseball Profiles
Chris Strahowski
Baseball Coach
Chris Strahowski, now in his twelfth season as Manchester Community College's baseball coach, has led the Cougars to nine straight National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Region XXI tournament appearances, including its first Region Championship and JUCO World Series appearance in 14 years in 2008 and return trips in 2009 and 2010. The Cougars finished fourth in the eight team, double elimination tournament in 2010. He has a 191-148-3 overall record, including 103-40 in NJCAA Division III Region XXI games and three consecutive league titles.
Strahowski, who was named Connecticut College Coach of the Year by the American Legion for 2009, has coached eight NJCAA Division III All-Americans-Stan Lewandowski, 3rd team, in 2002; Dustin Fredieu, 2nd team, in '03; Shane Legare, 3rd team, in '05; Clint Mitchell, 1st team, in ’06; Nick Jones, 3rd team, in ’07, Liam Ohlmann, 1st team, in ‘08, Steve Simon, 1st team in '09, Kevin Madera in '10 and A.J. Lowers, second team in '09 and '10. He has also coached an Academic All-American (Jason Banks in ’07) and 61 NJCAA Division III All-Region XXI selections, including 40 first-team members. In 2008, Liam Ohlmann was selected in the 20th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, the highest MCC draft pick, followed by Steve Roath (St. Louis, 30th round, 1981) and Todd Mercier (48th round, Cincinnati, 1987). Simon and Madera won consecutive NJCAA Division III ERA title in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Bristol Central High School (1986-90), in 1996-97. He was the head coach at East Granby High School the next two seasons before arriving at Manchester Community College. He spent four summers (1999-2002) as the pitching coach for the Middletown Giants of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, including their 1999 championship season.
Strahowski, a left-handed pitcher, had a five-year professional career playing for seven teams in three different leagues. He had a 5-11 career record with a 4.19 earned-run average in 117 appearances, all in relief except six starts, eight saves and 143 strikeouts in 171 2/3 innings.
The 6-foot, 1-inch Strahowski signed as a free agent out of Central Connecticut State University with the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs of the Northeast League on June 10, 1995. He was optioned to the Evansville Otters (Frontier League) and concluded the 1995 season with the Newburgh Nighthawks (Northeast League).
Strahowski signed as a free agent with the Adirondack Lumberjacks (Northeast League) in 1996 before being traded to the Elmira Pioneers (Northeast League). The Pioneers traded Strahowski to the Waterbury Spirit (Northeast League) during the 1998 season. He had career highs in appearances (26), innings pitched (43 1/3), batters faced (191) and strikeouts (32) in 1998 for the Spirit. Strahowski was a part of the pitching staff for the 1999 Northern League (formerly Northeast League) champion Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs.
In the winter of 1996-97, Strahowski pitched for Indios De Cartegna in the Colombian Professional League.
After four seasons at Central Connecticut State University (1992-1995), Strahowski left ranked in the top-10 all-time in strikeouts, walks, complete games and appearances and finished in the top-10 for single-season strikeouts twice.
Strahowski was a participant in the 1984 Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA for McCabe Waters Little League of Bristol, Conn. That same year, current Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek was a member of the Altamonte Springs, FL team that was runner-up to Seoul, South Korea.
He teaches mathematics at Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester, Conn., is an Associate Scout for the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, and is an instructor for the Diamond Kings Baseball Academy in Bristol, CT.
Strahowski received his bachelor’s degree in Individualized Studies (focus in Earth Science and Educational Psychology) from Charter Oak State College in 2005, and received his master’s degree in Teaching from Grand Canyon University in 2008.
Strahowski and his wife, the former Lauren Zalewski, have a 7-year-old son, Aidan Christopher, and a two-year old daughter, Delayna Grace. The Strahowskis reside in Wallingford.
Shawn Barry
Assistant Baseball Coach
Shawn Barry, a former left-handed pitcher in the New York Mets’ organization, is in his sixth season as an assistant baseball coach at Manchester Community College and has helped lead the Cougars to three consecutive NJCAA Region XXI Division III Championships and bids to the NJCAA Division III World Series in Tyler, Texas.
Barry signed as a nondrafted free agent by the Mets on May 5, 1997. He went 6-10 with a 3.81 earned-run average and 168 strikeouts (12.1 per nine innings) in 121 career minor league relief appearances from 1997-99.
Before being assigned to the Pittsfield Mets of the short-season New York Penn League, Barry started out in extended spring training for 1 1/2 months. He faced then-Montreal Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrero in extended spring training and got him to pop out to right field. Barry went 2-3 with a 1.73 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 22 relief appearances (26 innings) at Pittsfield.
In 1998, Barry recorded a Mets’ minor-league high 19 saves, a 2.76 ERA, a .186 batting average against and 93 strikeouts in 62 innings for the Capital City Bombers of the Class-A South Atlantic League. His 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings were third in all of minor league baseball for relief pitchers with 35 or more appearances. Barry pitched a perfect ninth inning, including striking out current Oakland A’s outfielder Milton Bradley for the final out, to earn the save in the 1998 South Atlantic League All-Star Game.
Barry had a 3-4 record with 40 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings with the St. Lucie Mets in the Class-A Florida State League in 1999 and was released by the Mets on the final day of 2000 spring training due to a surplus of lefties in the organization. Barry signed with the Elmira Pioneers of the Northeast League in May of 2000 and was released two months later after 11 appearances. He found out a year later his performance deteriorated due to a torn rotator cuff, torn labrum and biceps tears in his left shoulder and, subsequently, had surgery in August 2003.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Barry faced many of baseball’s future stars including Vernon Wells (Blue Jays), Michael Young (Texas), Toby Hall, Aubrey Huff, Morgan Ensberg and Cesar Izturis (Los Angeles). He played in the Mets’ organization with A.J. Burnett (Yankees), Ty Wigginton (Tampa Bay), Jason Phillips, Jay Payton, Jae Wong Seo and Vance Wilson. He pitched to Robin Ventura, Mo Vaughn, Edgardo Alfonzo and Bobby Bonilla in intrasquad spring training games from 1999-2000.
On Feb. 26, 2006, Barry was the starting pitcher for the Bristol Barnstormers in a 1948 vintage baseball game–complete with retro jerseys, bats and gloves–against the Birmingham Barons of the Negro League in Birmingham, Ala. The game, broadcast live on ESPN Classic, was a fundraiser for the Alabama Negro League Association to build a $2-million museum to honor its rich baseball past and its former star, Willie Mays. He is also in his third season as a pitcher in the Vintage Base Ball Association for the New Hampshire Granite, which plays a 20-game schedule throughout the country.
Barry, a 1996 graduate of Keene State College with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry, was the single-season strikeout leader with 56 and the career strikeout leader with 115 upon completion of his baseball eligibility. He spent part of the 1996-97 academic year at his alma mater accumulating more credits for a minor in counseling and as an assistant coach before signing with the Mets. Barry still holds the single-game record for strikeouts in a game with 18 in a nine-inning relief appearance against New Hampshire College on April 12, 1995. He was named to the 1995 All-New England Collegiate Conference team as a junior designated hitter with a .363 batting average in 31 games. That summer, Barry was the only player to hit a home run and record a victory during the 1995 New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) season. He was selected to the 1995 NECBL All-Star Game as an outfielder.
The 36-year-old Barry was an integral member of four Class-S state tournament baseball teams at Bacon Academy in Colchester, CT., and a 1991 Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association All-State goalkeeper.
Barry, who was born in Manchester, CT, is a risk manager for Risk Strategies in Boston, Mass. He is married to the former Justine Innie, and resides in Stafford Springs, CT. Their son, Jackson Christopher Barry, was born May 15, 2008.
