Dean Straga made a fine comeback during the 2007 season after an injury-riddled 2006 campaign. Straga appeared in 29 games, starting 26 at second base. He hit .234 with 15 runs, four RBIs, three doubles, one triple, 11 walks and a .352 on-base percentage. The slick-fielding second baseman also had 56 putouts, was third on the team with 57 assists and had only three errors for a .974 fielding percentage. He tied for fourth on the team with eight double plays.

        Straga collected four multi-hit games last season, including back-to-back 2-for-3 performances against Wheaton College (March 14) and Springfield College (March 15). Against Wheaton, ranked No. 2 nationally at the time, he had a double, a single and a walk, stole three bases and had two runs and two RBIs, playing a major role in the Scarlet Raptors’ 7-3 victory. He also added two putouts and three assists.

        Straga collected six assists against William Paterson (April 19) and had an incredible defensive game against New Jersey City University in the opener of an April 21 doubleheader, notching six putouts and five assists. He also had six putouts and added four assists against Montclair State University in the first game of a doubleheader April 7.

        In the opener of an April 29 doubleheader against eventual national champion Kean University, Straga went 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored. He added four putouts and four assists.

        Straga’s 2006 season ended prematurely after four games when he suffered a shoulder injury while diving to make a play in the second base hole against Haverford (March 1). He played only two more games and had only one more at bat the rest of the way, finishing his year with a .250 batting average (2-for-8), five runs scored, one RBI and two stolen bases. Most of his production came in his first game of the year when he went 1-for-3 with one walk, one stolen base, one RBI and three runs scored against John Jay College (Feb. 25). He was 1-for-4 with a stolen base and one run scored in the Haverford game.

        Straga’s injury shut him down for the year, accomplishing what few opponents could do during his brilliant freshman campaign at Rutgers-Camden. Straga earned a berth on the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Div. II/III All-Rookie Team and captured New Jersey Athletic Conference Honorable Mention in 2005 after hitting .329 (third among Raptor regulars) with 23 runs (sixth) and 10 stolen bases (in 11 attempts), tying for the club lead. He also had 55 putouts and 52 assists (third on the team) at second base, while turning 12 double plays. Three of those twin killings came against Catholic University April 26, helping him tie the club’s old single-game record. That mark was raised to four in 2006 by Brian Jakubowski.

        Straga’s success was all the more impressive considering he didn’t become a full-time starter until the Raptors’ 21st game. Although he had three starts before that contest, it was his production against Montclair State (April 10, 2005) in the second game of a doubleheader that earned him a spot in the lineup for good. Straga went 3-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and a stolen base in that game, helping the Raptors to a 7-3 victory and a doubleheader split. He added a sacrifice and was hit by a pitch. The performance sparked a three-game hitting streak in which Straga went 6-for-12 (.500) with four runs, three RBIs, two stolen bases, two HBP and a sacrifice.

        Straga’s first collegiate start came against Occidental College (March 13), when he went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, two runs and one RBI. He started his second game against John Jay (March 26) and went 4-for-5 with three runs and a stolen base, helping him earn both the NJAC Rookie of the Week and NJCBA Div. II/III Rookie of the Week honors for March 28.

        Straga also earned NJAC Rookie of the Week honors on May 9 after hitting .333 (4-for-12) in the NJAC tournament, with a double, a stolen base and a run scored.

        For the season, Straga played in 29 games, making 21 starts. He collected 10 multi-hit games, one game with multiple RBIs (a 2-for-5 performance with one run, two RBIs and a stolen base against Eastern University April 13) and added a four-game hitting streak from May 1-6, collecting two hits in each of those games to go 8-for-17 (.471). He hit .484 (15-for-31) as a leadoff batter.

        Straga earned three varsity letters in baseball and four in soccer during his fine athletic career at Clearview Regional High School. A two-time All-Tri-County Conference Royal Division ballplayer, Straga earned the Courier-Post’s Second Team All-Group 3 honors as a sophomore and added First Team All-Group 3 as a senior. He also was named to the Gloucester County Times’ All-Area Second Team during his senior year, when he served as the Pioneers’ captain, won team MVP honors and hit .427. He also earned All-Tri-County Conference Royal Division First Team honors as a goalie in soccer.

        A Business Management major at Rutgers-Camden, Dean is the son of Dennis and Gail Straga of Mullica Hill.