CUMBERLAND — Steve Bazarnic spent all 48 seasons of his Hall of Fame career at Allegany College directing the attention and credit towards his players.
That remained true at the 77th Dick Sterne Memorial Dapper Dan Sports Banquet on Sunday.
Bazarnic, unable to attend the event, had one of his former baseball players, Paul Ackerman, accept the Dapper Dan’s Top Award honor on his behalf.
Ackerman was a catcher on Bazarnic’s first two championship teams during a playing career that ended in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Ackerman then entered into coaching, which included two stints on Bazarnic’s staff, in a life that for some 60 years has been dedicated to the game of baseball.
Upon stepping up to the podium, Ackerman said: “This is probably the most unique speaking engagement, an absolute honor, that I’ve ever had in my lifetime.”
That’s what Bazarnic has meant to his players. Ackerman captured the essence of his former coach’s impact on their lives during a 10-minute speech, one that became emotional at times.
“For us, as players, and speaking on behalf of many tremendous student athletes and baseball players, he was our academic adviser. He was our professor. He was our coach,” said Ackerman.
“He made us better students, championship players, disciplined men, better fathers, productive citizens. In reality, we kind of thought he was just our baseball coach, but he was preparing us for the rest of our lives.”
Bazarnic’s honor was the final of the 26 bestowed by the Dapper Dan on the night, presented to a legendary coach who led the Trojans to a 1,469-617 record (.704), fourth all-time in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) history, and nine World Series appearances from 1972-2019.
The night began with a tribute by banquet chairman Adam Sterne to former toastmaster Paul “Buddy” Mullan, a radio broadcaster at WCBC who passed away in September, and it ended with the benediction by former Times-News sportswriter Mike Mathews.
Sterne said he spoke with two former Top Award winners in preparation for Sunday, area baseball pillars Sam Perlozzo and Leo Mazzone.
“They both wanted me to send their congratulations to Steve and to all the award winners.”
Track and field standout Avery Miller was the night’s big winner, receiving four recognition honors. Miller, winner of 14 track state titles at Allegany, finished fifth in the heptathlon at the Big 10 championships on Saturday, competing for Penn State.
Awards were presented by Sterne, Mathews, George Brown, Nate Price, Matt Gilmore, Brad Reed, Tony Orndoff, Sean Fradiska and Cathy Growden. WCBC’s Rock Cioni and Jim Zamagias were the toastmasters.
Proceeds from the banquet were awarded to Growden, executive director of The Children’s League, by Fradiska.
Growden honored seventh-grader Mya Rose Paugh, 13, of Elk Garden, West Virginia, as the 2025 Dapper Dan Child of the Year.
Paugh, adopted daughter of David and Serena Paugh, was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. She thanked her parents and was presented with a soccer ball by the Dapper Dan.
“When I met her today in person, she quickly informed me that she was going to out-fish me one day,” Ackerman said of Paugh. “And we’re going to challenge ourselves, sweetheart. Give your best efforts and enjoy your life to the fullest. I’m sure you’re going to have one wonderful lifetime.”
While Bazarnic wasn’t physically in attendance, his presence was felt throughout.
After receiving a recognition honor for coaching Allegany to the 2025 Class 1A baseball state championship, Campers skipper Jon Irons said:
“If you live in the baseball world, that man is a legend. To this day, we teach the same things I learned 30 years ago from coach Bazarnic. It’s very humbling to be up here the same time he’s being honored.”
Mathews presented the Top Award to Bazarnic, who was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame on Jan. 9 as part of the Class of 2026.
“Genuine, humble, hardworking, successful, caring,” Mathews described the legendary coach. “Everyone who has known Steve Bazarnic, or even just met him, would agree.”
Ackerman began his speech by paying tribute to Dapper Dan, outlining his initial participation in the organization’s little league in 1966 as a bat boy.
Ackerman first met Bazarnic playing Pen-Mar baseball as a freshman at Fort Hill. At that time, Bazarnic was still a star third baseman at Penn State, voted Most Valuable Player by his teammates.
“There were times that I couldn’t even believe that I was on the same field as him.”
Ackerman spoke with Bazarnic for an hour before the banquet, who was sure to give credit to his wife, Cathy, and daughter, Christie, who Ackerman described as “two other Hall of Famers in Bazarnic’s family.”
Bazarnic noted that along with J.R. Perdew, who like Ackerman both played for and coached with the legendary manager, the duo had “110 years in baseball” between the two of them.
“That’s just two of 48 years of players, so you can imagine the impact he’s had,” Ackerman said.
Bazarnic wanted Ackerman to extend his deep appreciation to Bob Kirk, who was the athletic director who hired him, Allegany College, the school’s staff and all the players and coaches he’s had over the years.
“He was very proud to coach and teach at one school his entire career,” Ackerman said.
“He wanted me to extend a deep thank you to the Dapper Dan organization. If you are from this area, the Dapper Dan has been nothing but a major league class organization.
“On behalf of coach Bazarnic, Mrs. Cathy Bazarnic and Ms. Christie Bazarnic, I thank you, they thank you and God bless each and every one of you.”