Stony Brook Seawolves baseball
The Stony Brook Seawolves baseball team represents Stony Brook University in NCAA Division I men's college baseball. Stony Brook currently competes in the America East Conference and plays its home games on Joe Nathan Field. Matt Senk has coached the team since the beginning of the 1991 season. The team has won the America East tournament six times in 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2019. In 2011, the Seawolves claimed their first America East regular season championship. Stony Brook has participated in the NCAA Tournament on six separate occasions, winning their first game in 2010.
| Stony Brook Seawolves | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1966 |
| University | Stony Brook University |
| Head coach | Matt Senk (30th season) |
| Conference | America East |
| Location | Stony Brook, New York |
| Home stadium | Joe Nathan Field (Capacity: 1,250) |
| Nickname | Seawolves |
| Colors | Red, Blue, and Gray[1] |
| College World Series appearances | |
| 2012 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2019 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2019 | |
| Conference champions | |
| 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 | |
In 2012, the Seawolves clinched their second consecutive regular season championship and their fourth America East Conference Baseball Tournament championship, earning the league's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. The team went on to win the Coral Gables Regional and the Baton Rouge Super Regional, becoming the first ever team from the America East Conference to advance to the College World Series.[2]
History
Pre-Division I era (1966–98)
Stony Brook first fielded NCAA–sanctioned baseball in 1966.[3] The program struggled hard initially, posting only six winning seasons until the hiring of Matt Senk as head coach in 1991.[4] Senk's leadership helped the team succeed at the Division III level, and Stony Brook finished 1995 with a 30–8 record and a trip to their first Division III NCAA Tournament.[5] Stony Brook shortstop Joe Nathan was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the sixth round with the 159th overall pick in the 1995 MLB Draft. He debuted for the Giants in 1999 as a pitcher, becoming the first player in program history to play in the MLB.
Early years in Division I (1999–2004)
Stony Brook began in Division I as a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. In 2002, the Seawolves joined the America East Conference. In 2003, Stony Brook advanced to their first America East Tournament title game, needing to beat Northeastern twice to win the championship. While they won 11–10 in game one, they were blown out 11–0, leaving them one game away from their first NCAA Tournament berth.[6] In 2004, the fourth-place Seawolves upset first-place Northeastern 15–6 in the first round of the America East Tournament, and advanced to the championship game for a second straight year, this time defeating Maine 3–1 to win their first America East championship and advance to their first NCAA Tournament in the program's Division I history.[7] Stony Brook was assigned as the fourth seed in the Kinston Regional, where they lost to host East Carolina 8–2 and Tennessee 1–0 and were eliminated from the tournament in two games.[8][9]
Program on the rise (2005–11)
After reaching their first NCAA Tournament in 2004, Stony Brook followed up with their first losing season since 1997, not qualifying for the America East Tournament.[10] Stony Brook suffered another losing season in 2006 and a quick elimination from the America East Tournament in 2007. On December 6, 2006, Joe Nathan's No. 22 was retired, becoming the first retired number in Stony Brook athletics history.[11] In 2008, Stony Brook finished 34–26 (14–10 America East) in second place in the regular season behind the Binghamton Bearcats. In the double-elimination tournament, the Seawolves beat UMBC and Binghamton twice to clinch their second tournament championship and advance to their second NCAA Tournament Regionals. Steve Mazzurco was named the Most Outstanding Player in the league. In the Tempe Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Stony Brook lost 9–7 to Arizona State and 9–4 to Vanderbilt, resulting in another early exit from the tournament.[12][13]
The 2009 season was less promising and the Seawolves ended the regular season in third place with a 29–23 (14–10) record. Stony Brook was ousted early in the America East tournament after consecutive losses against second-seeded Albany and fourth-seeded Vermont.
Following a disappointing season, the Seawolves came out stronger in 2010, ending the season 30–27, 15–9 in the America East. Stony Brook entered the tournament as the third seed but surprised with victories against Maine and consecutive victories against Albany to earn their third tournament championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time. Pat Cantwell, William Carmona, Maxx Tissenbaum, Nick Tropeano, and Adam Brown were named to the All-Tournament team and Cantwell additionally earned the MOP award. In the NCAA Tournament, the Seawolves played in the Myrtle Beach Regional. They lost to Coastal Carolina 6–0, but defeated NC State 6–2 in the loser's bracket to earn their first victory in the tournament. The Seawolves were then eliminated in a rematch with Coastal Carolina, losing 25–7.[14][15]
In 2011, Nathan's donation allowed for the construction of a new venue, Joe Nathan Field, which was unsuitable for play entering the season. As a result, the Seawolves played their home games at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, New York.[16] Joe Nathan Field opened on May 20, 2011.[17] Stony Brook won their first conference regular season title in 2011 after going 22–2 in America East play; the Seawolves ended with a program-record 42 wins and went 42–12. However, Stony Brook was upset twice in the America East Tournament, once by Albany and again by Maine to eliminate the Seawolves before reaching the title game, putting their record-breaking season to a stunning halt.
2012: Conference championships, national recognition and College World Series
| 2012 America East Conference baseball standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | W | L | T | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Stony Brook †‡y | 21 | – | 3 | – | 0 | .875 | 52 | – | 15 | – | 0 | .776 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albany | 16 | – | 8 | – | 0 | .667 | 22 | – | 32 | – | 1 | .409 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Binghamton | 13 | – | 9 | – | 0 | .591 | 23 | – | 26 | – | 0 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maine | 11 | – | 11 | – | 0 | .500 | 28 | – | 28 | – | 0 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hartford | 7 | – | 17 | – | 0 | .292 | 16 | – | 40 | – | 0 | .286 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UMBC | 2 | – | 22 | – | 0 | .083 | 10 | – | 42 | – | 0 | .192 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † – Conference champion ‡ – Tournament champion y – Invited to the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament As of June 17, 2012[18]; Rankings from Coaches' Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stony Brook opened their 2012 campaign with a perfect 4–0 weekend at Thibodaux, Louisiana, with pair of victories over Alabama State and Nicholls State in the Coronel Round Robin. The team then traveled to Greenville, North Carolina, to face off against East Carolina, swept in three consecutive one-run games. They returned to the Northeast for a single game against Fairleigh Dickinson, routing the Knights at Teaneck, New Jersey. Stony Brook participated in the Dairy Queen Classic splitting the weekend against Kansas and host Minnesota. Stony Brook opened their home season on March 10 against Iona beating the Gaels 12–7. The Seawolves followed up beating the Yale Bulldogs three out of four in a weekend series and compiled a string of victories against Fordham and Columbia for their first five-win streak of the season. Stony Brook couldn't keep the pace and lost back-to-back games against Sacred Heart but bounced back to win a pair of games against NYIT and victories against Marist and Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Seawolves opened conference play against Binghamton taking two of three at home. The team went on to win their following two games against Iona and Marist at home and then traveled to Albany for a weekend series; the Seawolves took three out of four. The team returned home to beat Rhode Island 8–2 and swept a four-game series against Hartford. Stony Brook played a pair of games against Fairfield and Central Connecticut coming out victorious on both occasions and swept a four-game series at UMBC extending their winning streak to ten games and taking command of first place in the America East.
Stony Brook took two out of three against Binghamton at home and swept another four-game series against UMBC to clinch a second consecutive regular season championship. Stony Brook closed the regular season with a four-game sweep at conference rival Maine to win a program record 43 games with 11 losses. The Seawolves headed into the conference tournament with the best winning percentage in Division I.
Stony Brook won three consecutive games in the America East tournament to earn the program's fourth title, beating Maine 13–6 in the finals to advance to the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament with a 46–11 record, the best record in Division I. The Seawolves were the first team in the America East since 2002 to earn both the regular season and conference tournament championships in the same season. For the first time in the history of the program, Stony Brook found itself ranked, sitting at No. 25 in the Baseball America poll and No. 29 in the NCBWA poll.
Stony Brook traveled to South Florida to play in the Coral Gables Regional as the fourth seed. In the first game the Seawolves knocked off top-seeded Miami and went on to the winners bracket. Following a loss to second-seeded Central Florida, Stony Brook beat Missouri State to eliminate the Bears and force a rematch against the Golden Knights. The Seawolves topped Central Florida 12–5 and 10–6 in consecutive days to win the regional and advance to face LSU in the Super Regionals.
In a rain-soaked Baton Rouge Super Regional, Stony Brook fell in the first game to the LSU Tigers in an extra-innings affair that spanned two days due to rain. The Seawolves bested LSU in game two just hours after the end of the first game to set up a series-determining game three. Stony Brook won the third game 7–2 and advanced to the 2012 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The Seawolves are the second team to be the fourth seed in its region and advance to the College World Series.
NCAA participation
| AE Tourney champions | Postseason game and location | Opponents and results |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | NCAA Regional (Grainger Stadium) – Kinston, NC |
Loss vs. East Carolina (2–8) |
| Loss vs. Tennessee (0–1) | ||
| 2008 | NCAA Regional (Packard Stadium) – Tempe, AZ |
Loss vs. Arizona State (7–9) |
| Loss vs. Vanderbilt (4–9) | ||
| 2010 | NCAA Regional (BB&T Coastal Field) – Myrtle Beach, SC |
Loss vs. Coastal Carolina (0–6) |
| Win vs. North Carolina State (6–2) | ||
| Loss vs. Coastal Carolina (7–25) | ||
| 2012 | NCAA Regional (M.L Field at A.Rodriguez Park) – Coral Gables, FL |
Win vs. Miami FL (10–2) |
| Loss vs. Central Florida (8–9) | ||
| Win vs. Missouri State (10–7) | ||
| Win vs. Central Florida (12–5) | ||
| Win vs. Central Florida (10–6) | ||
| NCAA Super Regional (Alex Box Stadium) – Baton Rouge, LA |
Loss vs. LSU (4–5) | |
| Win vs. LSU (3–1) | ||
| Win vs. LSU (7–2) | ||
| College Word Series (TD Ameritrade Park Omaha) – Omaha, NE |
Loss vs. UCLA (9–1) | |
| Loss vs. Florida State (12–2) | ||
| 2015 | NCAA Regional (Lupton Stadium) – Fort Worth, TX |
Loss vs. North Carolina State (0–3) |
| Win vs. Sacred Heart (11–6) | ||
| Loss vs. TCU (3–8) | ||
| 2019 | NCAA Regional
(Alex Box Stadium) – Baton Rouge, LA |
Loss vs. LSU (3–17) |
| Loss vs. Arizona State (5–13) |
Notable players
Below is a list of notable players who have played for the Stony Brook Seawolves Baseball program:
Facilities
Joe Nathan Field
Joe Nathan Field, located in the north end of the Stony Brook campus, is the home field of Seawolves baseball. Known as Seawolves Field until 2002 and University Field from 2002 to 2011, the field was named after Stony Brook alumnus and six-time MLB All-Star relief pitcher Joe Nathan, who donated $500,000 for the construction of a new baseball field in 2008.[19] As part of the renovations, a new FieldTurf was installed and dugouts were constructed.[20] Additional donations allowed for a new scoreboard adjacent to the field.
The field's dimensions are 330 feet to left and right field, 365 feet to left and right center, and 390 feet to center field. Joe Nathan Field's capacity stands at 1,000 spectators. Stony Brook has hosted the 2011 and 2012 America East Baseball Tournaments at Joe Nathan Field.
Year-by-year results
| Year | Overall Record | Win % | Conference Record | Conf. Win % | Standing | Postseason appearances | ||
| Division III: Independent (1966–1967, Herb Brown) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 3–5 | .375 | ||||||
| 1967 | 7–11 | .388 | ||||||
| Independent (1968–1970, Frank Tirico) | ||||||||
| 1968 | 7–10 | .411 | ||||||
| 1969 | 7–11 | .388 | ||||||
| 1970 | 5–17 | .227 | ||||||
| Independent (1968–1977, Rick Smoliak) | ||||||||
| 1971 | 3–14 | .176 | ||||||
| 1972 | 6–13 | .315 | ||||||
| 1973 | 9–15 | .375 | ||||||
| 1974 | 12–10 | .545 | ||||||
| 1975 | 12–13 | .480 | ||||||
| 1976 | 13–10 | .565 | ||||||
| 1977 | 6–16 | .272 | ||||||
| Independent (1978–1979, Byrne Gamble) | ||||||||
| 1978 | 10–13 | .434 | ||||||
| 1979 | 12–6 | .666 | ||||||
| Independent (1980, Rich Krumholz) | ||||||||
| 1980 | 13–14 | .481 | ||||||
| Independent (1981–1982, Rich Wurster) | ||||||||
| 1981 | 13–17 | .433 | ||||||
| 1982 | 3–21 | .125 | ||||||
| Independent (1983–1988, Mike Garafola) | ||||||||
| 1983 | 6–12 | .333 | ||||||
| 1984 | 6–17 | .260 | ||||||
| 1985 | 7–19 | .269 | ||||||
| 1986 | 12–10 | .545 | ||||||
| 1987 | 11–10 | .523 | ||||||
| 1988 | 9–21 | .300 | ||||||
| ECAC Baseball (1989–1990, Tim Tenaglia) | ||||||||
| 1989 | 16–10 | .615 | Knickerbocker Conference DIII Champs | |||||
| 1990 | 12–15 | .444 | ||||||
| ECAC Baseball (1991–2001, Matt Senk) | ||||||||
| 1991 | 16–9 | .640 | ||||||
| 1992 | 17–12 | .586 | ||||||
| 1993 | 13–14 | .481 | ||||||
| 1994 | 26–9 | .742 | ||||||
| 1995 | 30–8 | .789 | 1995 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament | |||||
| 1996 | 27–14 | .658 | ||||||
| 1997 | 15–19 | .441 | ||||||
| 1998 | 23–11 | .671 | ||||||
| 1999 | 36–12 | .750 | ||||||
| 2000 | 30–11 | .731 | ||||||
| 2001 | 35–16 | .686 | ||||||
| Division I: America East (2002–present, Matt Senk) | ||||||||
| 2002 | 27–24 | .529 | 11–11 | .500 | 4th | America East Conference Tournament: D. Elim. (Game I: won against Maine 16–4) (Game II: lost against Northeastern 5–10) (Game III: lost against Maine 3–9) | ||
| 2003 | 33–21 | .611 | 15–9 | .625 | 3rd | America East Conference Tournament: D. Elim. (Game I: won against Maine 4–2) (Game II: lost against Northeastern 4–5) (Game III: won against Maine 6–3) (Game IV: won against Northeastern 11–10) (Game V: lost against Northeastern 0–11) | ||
| 2004 | 29–27 | .524 | 11–10 | .518 | 4th | America East Conference Tournament: D. Elim. (3–0) NCAA Regional (Game I: lost against East Carolina 2–8) (Game II: lost against Tennessee 0–1) | ||
| 2005 | 23–28 | .451 | 10–11 | .476 | 6th | DNQ | ||
| 2006 | 25–29 | .463 | 13–8 | .619 | 2nd | America East Conference Tournament: D. Elim. (Game I: lost against Maine 8–11) (Game II: won against Albany 5–3) (Game III: won against Vermont 2–1) (Game IV: lost against Maine 3–5) | ||
| 2007 | 31–24 | .694 | 16–7 | .564 | 2nd | America East Conference Tournament: D. Elim. (Game I: lost against Albany 2–5) (Game II: lost against Maine 8–13) | ||
| 2008 | 34–26 | .567 | 14–10 | .558 | 2nd | America East Conference Tournament: D. Elim. (3–0) NCAA Regional (Game I: lost against Arizona State 7–9) (Game II: lost against Vanderbilt 4–9) | ||
| 2009 | 29–23 | .583 | 14–10 | .558 | 3rd | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. (Game I: lost against Albany 1–8) (Game II: lost against Vermont 11–13) | ||
| 2010 | 30–27 | .526 | 15–9 | .625 | 3rd | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. (3–0) NCAA Regional (Game I: lost against Coastal Carolina 0–6) (Game II: won against North Carolina State 6–2) (Game III: lost against Coastal Carolina 5–27) | ||
| 2011 | 42–12 | .777 | 22–2 | .916 | 1st | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. Played at Joe Nathan Field, Stony Brook, NY (Game I: won against Albany 14–2) (Game II: lost against Maine 1–8) (Game III: lost against Albany 1–4) | ||
| 2012 | 52–15 | .800 | 21–3 | .875 | 1st | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. (3–0) Played at Joe Nathan Field, Stony Brook, NY NCAA Regional (4–1) Played at M.L Field at Alex Rodriguez Park NCAA Super Regional (2–1) Played at Alex Box Stadium NCAA College World Series (0–2) Played at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha | ||
| 2013 | 25–34 | .424 | 15–15 | .500 | 4th | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. Played at LeLacheur Park, Lowell, MA (Game I: won against Maine 4–1) (Game II: won against Hartford 10–6) (Game III: lost against Binghamton 3–4) (Game IV: lost against Binghamton 7–8, 12 inn.) | ||
| 2014 | 35–18 | .660 | 18–5 | .783 | 1st | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. Played at LeLacheur Park, Lowell, MA (Game I: lost against Maine 0–7) (Game II: won against Albany 3–1) (Game III: lost against Maine 1–3) | ||
| 2015 | 35–16–1 | .686 | 18–4–1 | .818 | 1st | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. (3–0) NCAA Regional (Game I: lost against North Carolina State 0–6) (Game II: won against Sacred Heart 11–6) (Game III: lost against TCU 3–8) | ||
| 2016 | 27–27 | .500 | 13–9 | .591 | 3rd | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. Played at LeLacheur Park, Lowell, MA (Game I: won against Maine 1–0) (Game II: lost against Hartford 6–7, 10 inn.) (Game III: won against Albany 10–4) (Game IV: won against Hartford 3–2) (Game V: lost against Binghamton 3–6) | ||
| 2017 | 26–26 | .500 | 12–10 | .545 | 3rd | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. Played at LeLacheur Park, Lowell, MA (Game I: won against Hartford 4–3) | ||
| 2018 | 32–25 | .561 | 12–12 | .500 | 4th | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. Played at LeLacheur Park, Lowell, MA (Game I: won against Maine 2–1) | ||
| 2019 | 31–21 | .596 | 15–9 | .625 | 1st | America East Conference Tournament: D Elim. (3–0)
(Game I: lost against LSU 3–17) (Game II: lost against Arizona State 5–13) | ||
| Total | 1026–863–5 | .543 | 250–145–1 | .633 | N/A | |||
References
- "Stony Brook University Brand". Retrieved April 5, 2017.
- "Stony Brook Makes Historic Run To College World Series". americaeast.com. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- "SBU's Vanderka wanted to face LSU". Newsday. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Matt Senk - Head Coach - Staff Directory". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "1995 Division III Regionals - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Northeastern Ends Stony Brook's Title Hopes 11-0". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Seawolves Crowned America East Champions". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Seawolves Headed South". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Baseball Outlasted 1-0 By Tennessee at NCAA Regionals". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Baseball Defeats Northeastern 10-9 With Ninth Inning Rally". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- Statesman, The. "Hofstra Defeats Seawolves as Nathan's Number is Retired". The Statesman. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Baseball Falls To Arizona State In NCAA Tournament Opener, 9-7". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- "Vanderbilt Sends Stony Brook Home From Baseball NCAAs". americaeast.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- "Stony Brook Takes Down North Carolina State, 6-2". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- "Baseball Eliminates Stony Brook 25-7 in the NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- O'Connor, David. "Baseball forced to move home opener". The Statesman. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "SBU's Joe Nathan Field Makes Its Debut Friday". Three Village, NY Patch. 2011-05-19. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
- "Baseball Standings". americaeast.com. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
- "Stony Brook University Announces Lead Gift from Major League Baseball All-Star And SBU Alumnus, Joe Nathan :: New Baseball Field to be Named". 2008-08-18. Archived from the original on 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- "WebCite query result". www.webcitation.org. Archived from the original on 2011-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-05.