Montclair State University head baseball coach Norm Schoenig, who led the Red Hawks to the 2000 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III national championship, was honored Feb. 4 by the New Jersey Sports Writers Association at its 65th anniversary banquet in Edison.

Schoenig was among a handful of award recipients that included Lou Lamoriello, president and CEO of the New Jersey Devils, and Steve Phillips, general manager of the New York Mets.

Schoenig guided MSU to its third NCAA title last season as the Red Hawks became the third school in Division III history to win three national crowns. Montclair State finished the season 42-7-1 and set a school record for victories. MSU also led the nation in three offensive categories and was ranked among the top 10 in three others.

The 50-year-old Schoenig, who's compiled a 407-177-8 record in his 13 years at the helm of the baseball program, was named this year's New Jersey Athletic Conference and American Baseball Coaches Association Division III National Coach of the Year. He is the only coach in the University's history to achieve more than 400 victories, reaching the milestone during the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Yogi Berra Stadium last May. In that contest, the Red Hawks rallied from a 10-0 deficit and waited through a three-day rain delay before posting a 14-11 triumph.