The summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League announced Joe Vasile of the Fayetteville SwampDogs is broadcaster of the year, and the Peninsula Pilots organization of the year.
“It is with great pleasure and respect that we recognize the Peninsula Pilots as our 2014 Organization of the Year,” said CPL Commissioner Justin Sellers. “This honor certainly acknowledges all of the hard work, dedication and tireless efforts of caretaker (and owner) Henry Morgan, Vice President and head coach Hank Morgan, General Manager Jeffrey Scott, as well as all of the Pilots staff members; but also the host families, community leaders and loyal Pilots fans that have added to the overall experience at War Memorial Stadium. The Pilots have done an outstanding job of being a staple in the community on the Peninsula and have been a shining star for the Coastal Plain League; and we are happy to honor them today.”
Peninsula was chosen after collecting surveys from team owners, general managers, head coaches, players, umpires and league officials that had them vote on on every facet of an organization from game-day operations and competitiveness of team to overall hospitality and community involvement. The Pilots received high marks in categories such as game day atmosphere, ballpark aesthetics (including playing surface, lighting, etc.), competitiveness of team, fan involvement, league matters (including WebPass broadcasts, statistics, press releases, etc.), and exhibiting a true, positive, hands-on relationship with the community.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am for everyone involved with Peninsula Pilots Baseball,” said General Manager Jeffrey Scott. “We would not be able to celebrate this honor without the support of our sponsors, fans, and the community here at Peninsula and the hard work and dedication our staff puts forth during the season. Our staff did a tremendous job this season…they created and presented a fun and exciting atmosphere that started from opening day and evolved all the way through the final game of the championship series.”
In total, the Pilots drew over 73,000 fans between the regular season and playoffs this season, good for most in the league.
This was Vasile’s first season with the SwampDogs.
The CPL’s Broadcaster of the Year award has been presented annually since 2011. Vasile marks the third winner of the award, following former High Point-Thomasville HiToms broadcaster and current CPL Director of Broadcasting Chris Edwards, who won the inaugural award in 2011; and former Edenton Steamers broadcaster Danny Angel, who won the award in both 2012 and 2013.
“It’s a complete honor,” said Vasile when informed he had been named Broadcaster of the Year. “There are so many very talented broadcasters in this league. It really is an honor, I truly wasn’t expecting it.”
Fan voting accounted for 50 percent of his overall score, with other input was gathered from member clubs and league personnel, including Edwards, who was responsible for monitoring the CPL’s broadcasts all season long. In addition to his work with the CPL, Edwards currently serves as the voice of Duke Baseball as well as covering high school football for Time Warner Cable.
“Joe has a tremendous passion for his craft and displayed that on a nightly basis,” said Edwards. “His love for the game and ability to paint a picture for the listener are contributing factors as to why he won the broadcaster of the year award.”
Prior to joining the SwampDogs, Vasile gained experience as the Media and Public Relations intern for the Rockland Boulders (Independent; Can-Am League). He has also spent time with Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) as a studio host and game engineer, as well as working as a camp counselor at the Play-By-Play Scholastic Broadcasting Camps.
The New Jersey Native graduated from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in December of 2013 with a degree in Radio/TV/Film Communications. During his time at TCNJ, Vasile served as the Sports Director at Lions Television, the student television station, where he produced all the sports content for each broadcast. He was also the Assistant Sports Director at the school’s radio station, WTSR, for three years. All of this experience and particularly his time with the SwampDogs this summer have well prepared Vasile for his new job, working with ESPN Radio covering football and basketball at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
“It was a great experience,” added Vasile of his time in Fayetteville. “I feel like I really grew a lot from the beginning of the summer to the end. I got a taste of all the work it takes in putting everything together from an operations standpoint. I learned so much from everyone there, [GM] Jeremy Aagard, [owner] Lew Handelsman — everyone taught me so much and I could not have won this award without them.”
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