The four-year period that Steve Novak C’00 played baseball at Drew was one of the most successful in the program’s 83-year history. A three-sport athlete coming out of North Plainfield High School, Novak was the prized recruit of Jason Kroll, an assistant to Head Coach Vince Masco at the time.
Novak delivered for the Rangers, becoming a three-time, First Team All-Conference selection at first base. He appeared in 136 games in four seasons and at the time of his induction still held the school record for putouts in a career with 1014. At the plate, Novak was a career, .336 hitter with 17 home runs and 146 RBIs. Upon graduation, Novak held school records for games started, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs and total bases. He still ranked in the top 10 in almost every offensive category at the time of his induction.
In four seasons, the Rangers won a total of 80 games, the most ever in any four-year stretch in school history. The Rangers compiled three, 20-win seasons and set school records for wins in a season, winning percentage and conference wins in that span.
After finishing in first place for the first time in school history in 1999, the Rangers made their deepest run into the conference playoffs since joining the Middle Atlantic Conference in the late 1960’s. The postseason concluded with an appearance in the ECAC finals where Drew was narrowly defeated by SUNY Old Westbury, 12-11.
From the moment he stepped on the diamond at Drew, Novak was one of the most feared hitters in the Middle Atlantic Conference. Twice, he led the league in RBIs and finished in the top 10 in the league all four years at Drew. He established single season records as a sophomore with six home runs and 43 RBIs. He had his finest year as a senior in 2000, batting .371 with .529 on base percentage that was just three points shy of a school record.
He is the only player in Drew baseball history with three, multiple home run games. In the first game of a doubleheader against King’s in 1998 he had one of the best games of his career, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs in an 11-7 Drew victory.
Off the field, Novak was a three-time Middle Atlantic Conference All-Academic Team member. In 1998 he was selected the Middle Atlantic Conference Executive Director’s All-Academic Team. He was a Dean’s List Honoree all four years in Madison.
