UConn Huskies baseball

UConn Huskies baseball
2024 UConn Huskies baseball team
Founded1896; 129 years ago (1896)
UniversityUniversity of Connecticut
Head coachJim Penders (21st season)
ConferenceBig East
LocationStorrs, Connecticut
Home stadiumElliot Ballpark (Capacity: 1,500)
Dunkin' Park (Capacity: 6,121)
NicknameHuskies
ColorsNational flag blue and white[1]
   
College World Series appearances
1957, 1959, 1965, 1972, 1979
NCAA regional champions
1979, 2011, 2022, 2024
NCAA Tournament appearances
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965 1968, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference tournament champions
Big East: 1990, 1994, 2013, 2021, 2022
American: 2016
Regular season conference champions
Big East: 2011, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Yankee: 1959, 1965, 1972

The UConn Huskies baseball team represents the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, in college baseball. The program is classified as NCAA Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference. The team is coached by Jim Penders.

As of 2024, UConn has appeared in five College World Series and 25 NCAA tournaments.

History

The Huskies were a regional power under coaches J. Orlean Christian and Larry Panciera, making 12 appearances in the NCAA tournament and five appearances in the College World Series from 1957 to 1979. The Huskies made their first Super Regional appearance in 2011, defeating traditional power Clemson before falling to eventual national champion South Carolina. Connecticut has claimed five Big East Conference baseball tournament championships (1990, 1994, 2013, 2021 and 2022), five Big East Regular season championships (2011, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and one divisional championship in the first year of Big East competition in 1985. During their seven-year tenure in the American Athletic Conference, the Huskies had three NCAA tournament appearances and won the 2016 American Athletic Conference baseball tournament.

Facilities

The Huskies play at the 1,500-seat Elliot Ballpark, located at the southwest edge of the campus athletic complex, which opened for the 2021 season. It is named after the primary donors to the ballpark project, the Elliot family, headed by Doug Elliot, a former UConn baseball player who became an executive with The Hartford.[2] Elliot Ballpark replaced J. O. Christian Field, a 2,000-seat stadium formally located across the street from the new ballpark.[3][4] The team plays select home games at minor league venues in Connecticut, most frequently Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford, Connecticut, Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut, and New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut, all of which seat over 6,000 spectators.

Year by year results

Main article: List of UConn Huskies baseball seasons

Head coaches

Main article: List of UConn Huskies head baseball coaches

The following is a list of all UConn coaches and their known records, through the end of the 2023 season.[5]

Coach Tenure Wins Losses Ties %
(no coach) 1896–1898 6 9 0 .400
T. D. Knowles 1899–1901 11 9 1 .555
Edwin O. Smith 1902–1905 13 9 1 .591
George E. Lamson 1906–1908 12 13 1 .480
John Sullivan 1909–1910 9 7 0 .563
James Nicholas 1911 0 9 0 .000
No coach 1912 6 6 0 .500
Robert Edger 1913 4 6 0 .400
Charles A. Reed 1914 0 4 0 .000
J. J. Donovan 1915 1 7 0 .125
D. E. Chase 1916 1 8 0 .111
John J. Donahue 1917 1 1 0 .500
Roy J. Guyer 1919 6 6 0 .500
William Mellor 1920 3 8 0 .273
Ross Swartz 1921 2 11 1 .154
J. Wilder Tasker 1922–1923 12 18 0 .400
Sumner Dole 1924–1935 64 90 2 .416
J. Orlean Christian 1936–1961 254 170 7 .599
Larry Panciera 1962–1979 297 160 5 .650
Andy Baylock 1980–2003 556 492 8 .530
Jim Penders 2004–present 700 449 5 .609

Huskies in the pros

Connecticut has produced dozens of professional players, coaches, and umpires, most notably Jeff Fulchino (Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres), Jesse Carlson (Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox), Bob Schaefer (numerous coaching positions with 11 teams, currently Washington Nationals), Charles Nagy (Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres; coach Arizona Diamondbacks), Walt Dropo (1950 AL Rookie of the Year), Jim Reynolds (umpire), and Dan Iassogna (umpire). Ten players were selected in the 2011 MLB Draft, including first round picks Matt Barnes (Boston Red Sox) and George Springer (Houston Astros). Anthony Kay was also drafted in the first round by the NY Mets. [6] As of 2017, Nick Ahmed, Matt Barnes, Scott Oberg, George Springer, Ben Caspirius and Anthony Kay are on active Major League rosters.

Player awards

Retired numbers

The Huskies have retired three numbers in their more than 100-year history.[7]

Uconn Huskies baseball retired numbers
No. Name Pos. Career
17 J. O. Christian Head Coach 1936–61
28 Andy Baylock Head Coach 1980–2004
35 Larry Panciera Head Coach 1962–79

All-Americans

The following All-Americans are recognized by the University of Connecticut. First team selections are noted with a check.[8]

Season Name Pos. ABCA BA CB NCBWA
1958 Bob Wedin P
Green tickY
 N/A
1959 Moe Morhardt OF
Green tickY
 N/A
Bill Stevens OF N/A
1961 Joe Clement P N/A
1963 Eddie Jones P
Green tickY
 N/A
1967 George Greer OF N/A
1968 N/A
1972 John Ihlenburg 3B N/A
1976 Tom Germano P N/A
1979 Colin McLaughlin P N/A
Randy LaVigne OF N/A
1988 Charles Nagy P N/A
1993 Dennis Dwyer OF
N/A
1994 Brian Majeski OF
N/A
1996 Jason Grabowski DH
Green tickY
N/A
1997
N/A
1999 Mike Scott OF
N/A
2010 Mike Nemeth 1B
2011 Matt Barnes P
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
George Springer OF
Green tickY
Green tickY
Green tickY
Kevin Vance P
2013 L. J. Mazzilli 2B
2015 Vinny Siena 3B
Carson Cross P
2016 Anthony Kay P
2019 Mason Feole P
Green tickY

References

  1. ^ "University of Connecticut Brand Colors" (PDF). Brand.UConn.edu. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "New Stadium to be Named Elliot Ballpark" (Press release). University of Connecticut. April 25, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  3. ^ Tim Tolokan (March 12, 2018). "Time to Bring UConn Baseball into a New Home". UConn Huskies. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  4. ^ Kathleen Megan (March 2, 2017). "UConn Trustees Approve $4.75 Million Design for 3 New Stadiums". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  5. ^ "2024 Baseball Media Guide (PDF)" (PDF). University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  6. ^ 2012 Baseball Media Guide. uconnhuskies.com. pp. 49–51. Retrieved 2012-06-27.
  7. ^ "Three Former UConn Baseball Greats Have Numbers Retired". UConn Huskies. June 1, 2004. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  8. ^ 2012 Baseball Media Guide. uconnhuskies.com. p. 48. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
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