LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40th Anniversary throughout the 2020-21 academic year, continuing its mission to provide student-athletes the opportunity to succeed in both academics and athletics.

The 40th Anniversary Baseball Team highlights some of the best student-athletes in MAAC history. MAAC Baseball traces back to 1982, when Army captured the first MAAC Championship with the best regular season record. From 1982 through 1993, the MAAC Baseball Champion was determined by regular season conference records. From 1990 through 1993, the MAAC, which was split into two divisions, had a North Division Champion and a South Division Champion.

The MAAC Baseball Championships are set to return May 26th through the 29th in 2021. The MAAC
Baseball Championship is currently hosted at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark in Staten Island, New York, home of the Staten Island Yankees – Single A Short Season affiliate to the New York Yankees. The following are Rider's representatives on the 40^th Anniversary Baseball Team:

Jamie Hayes '09

Hayes rewrote the Rider Baseball Record Book, setting the Broncs' high marks in career hits (265), runs scored (180), stolen bases (96) and saves (33). The 2008 MAAC Tournament MVP was named MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-MAAC as a utility player. In addition, he earned New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Division I Player of the Year. He led Rider in batting average (.336), runs scored (52) and stolen bases (37), coming three shy of the Rider record at the time, as a junior. A four-time All-MAAC Selection, he earned Second Team honors in his freshman, sophomore and senior seasons. He earned MAAC and New Jersey Rookie of the Year as a freshman and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2009.
 
Kevin Barry '06

Barry reached the major leagues in 2006. He pitched in 19 major league games and compiled a 1-1 record. He pitched 25 innings and struck out 19 and had a major league earned run average of 5.61 in 2006. In 2007, he pitched in one major league game, a two inning stint where he gave up five runs but stuck out four. He pitched in the AAA minor league (highest one) Championship Game in 2007. He has since retired. Barry was drafted twice while at Rider, as a junior (15th round by Oakland) and again as a senior (14th round by Atlanta). He graduated with a 20-12 career record. His 20 wins are tied for seventh highest ever at Rider. He set a single season Rider record with 91 strikeouts and a career record with 262 strikeouts, that only Mike Thomas have since eclipsed. Barry was 8-5 as a junior and was named All-MAAC and All-New Jersey. He was named the MAAC South Pitcher of the Year in 2000 as a junior. He earned Second Team All-NJ honors as a sophomore.
 
Scott Rich '04

Rich set six Rider career records, including hits, RBI and doubles.  He was selected in the 21st round by the New York Yankees in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. Rich batted .375 in his final Rider season with 75 hits in 51 games, including 15 home runs and 17 doubles, and earned first team All-MAAC and first team All-New Jersey honors. Rich ended the season ranked 18th in the nation in slugging percentage (715). A right fielder, Rich graduated from Rider with career records in hits (263), RBI (164), and doubles (63), as well as total bases, games played and at bats, and was a standout outfielder, playing Rider's infamous 'sniper hill' in right field.
 
Mike Thomas '11

Thomas set the program record with 29 wins and 286 strikeouts on the mound. The 2010 NJCBA and MAAC Pitcher of the Year, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 35th Round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft and reached Triple-A, one step away from the majors. He was a two-time All-East, All-MAAC and All-NJCBA selection. Thomas set Rider's single-season records for strikeouts (98) and innings pitched (104.1) and led the MAAC in strikeouts and victories in 2010. He led Rider to the 2008 and 2010 NCAA Tournament. He went 6-0 against MAAC teams in 2010 and was a three-time MAAC All-Academic team member. He was selected to the 2008 NJCBA All-Rookie Team.

Sean Olson '09

Olson graduated as Rider's all-time RBI's leader with 168, a record that has since been broken by Mason Heyne. Olson's 30 career home runs ranks fourth all-time, while his 221 career hits also rank fourth all-time at Rider. He posted a career .319 batting average. A three-time First Team All-MAAC selection, while also earning three First Team All-New Jersey nods. As a senior, Olson was named Second Team All-East and New Jersey Division I Player of the Year, in addition to being a member of the MAAC All-Tournament Team. As a senior, Olson led Rider in batting (.351), hits (65) and home runs (12) while setting a then-Rider record with 58 RBI. He ranked 75th in nation in RBI per game. As a junior, Olson led the team in seven offensive categories, including home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage, on base percentage, leading the Broncs to the MAAC Title and NCAA Tournament. He homered and scored four runs in the 2008 MAAC title Game. He hit a three-run home run in his final collegiate at bat to give Rider an 8-7 lead in the 2009 MAAC title game (Broncs finished runner-up).