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Stony Brook Athletics

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook University Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron named Jim Martin the new head coach of the Stony Brook baseball program, as announced on June 12.

“We are thrilled to elevate Jim to the role of head coach and believe that he is the ideal choice to carry forward the extraordinary legacy left by coach Senk,” said Heilbron. “During his time here, Jim has demonstrated outstanding leadership, a deep knowledge of the game and a true commitment to our student-athletes on and off of the field. His understanding of the program’s culture and his vision for the future will undoubtedly position us to compete for CAA championships while maintaining the standard of excellence for Stony Brook baseball.”

Martin has served as the Seawolves’ associate head coach since 2017, playing a vital role in the program’s success. During his tenure, Stony Brook captured an America East Tournament title, earned a berth to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, and claimed three consecutive America East Regular Season championships. Martin becomes the second head coach in Stony Brook baseball’s Division I history, following the retirement of legendary skipper Matt Senk after 35 seasons.

“It’s an incredibly proud moment for me to see Jimmy Martin become the next head coach of Stony Brook baseball. Jimmy has been by my side for years – not just as a coach, but as a trusted friend and someone who truly loves this program as much as I do. He’s poured his heart into our student-athletes and understands the values and traditions that make Stony Brook baseball so special,” former head coach Matt Senk said. “Knowing that the program is in his hands gives me great comfort and pride. I can’t wait to watch him lead this next chapter with the same passion, integrity, and commitment that has always defined our team.”

Martin has been at the heart of one of the program’s most decorated eras. Under his guidance, the Seawolves won three America East Regular Season titles (2019, 2021, 2022), reached the 2019 NCAA Tournament, and posted multiple 30-win seasons. Since Stony Brook joined the CAA in 2023, Martin has led the Stony Brook offense to new heights. In 2025, the Seawolves recorded their highest batting average and on-base percentage since joining the CAA. Home run totals soared from 26 in 2024 to 69 in 2025, and the team also notched program highs in stolen bases and extra-base hits as a CAA member. The team also led the conference in double plays turned and ranked third in fielding percentage.

I am incredibly honored, humbled, and thankful to be named the next head baseball coach at Stony Brook University,” said coach Martin. “This program means so much to me, and I’m truly grateful to Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron and our entire department for believing in me and giving me the chance to lead a team and university that I care so deeply about. I also want to thank Coach Senk – his leadership, mentorship, and friendship have had a profound impact on me, both personally and professionally. It’s a privilege to follow in his footsteps and continue the incredible legacy he’s built over the past 35 years. Lastly, I want to thank my family for their constant love, support, and sacrifice. I’m excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to get to work with our players, alumni, and supporters as we strive to uphold the standards of excellence that make Stony Brook Baseball so special.”

A developer of talent on and off the field, Martin has helped numerous Seawolves reach the professional ranks and national acclaim. He mentored MLB Draft picks Bobby Honeyman (2018, Mariners), Aaron Pinto (2018, Indians), Michael Wilson (2019, Brewers), and Nick Grande (2019, Diamondbacks). Under his tutelage, Evan Fox became the program’s all-time stolen base leader and Erik Paulsen became a semifinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award and also became the first player in program history to earn All-America honors from four publications.

Martin’s player development resume includes Nick Grande (Brooks Wallace Award finalist and America East Player of the Year), Chris Hamilton (America East Championship Tournament MVP), Toby Handley and Evan Giordano (America East Players of the Year), Brendan Pattermann (2023–24 CAA Leadership and Sports Excellence Award recipient), Erik Paulsen (CAA Rookie of the Year) and Nico Azpilcueta, the 2025 CAA leader in home runs and RBI.

Before joining the Seawolves, Martin spent three seasons at the University of Rhode Island – two as an assistant coach (2015-16) and one as associate head coach (2016-17). Off the field, he helped the Rams achieve their highest team GPA in five years. On the field, URI reached the A-10 Championship final after being picked last in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. In 2016, they captured the regular season and tournament titles, earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament win with a victory over South Carolina in the Columbia Regional. URI followed that up in 2017 with a second-place finish in the A-10 and wins over nationally ranked NC State and Arkansas.

While at URI, Martin coached New England Player of the Year Chris Hess and slugger Mike Corin, who hit a program-record 19 home runs in 2017. He also developed three MLB Draft picks: Chase Livingston (2016, Royals), Chris Hess (2017), and Martin Figueroa (2017).

Martin previously served as head coach at Division II Merrimack College (2011-14), where he turned a 14-win team into a 30-win contender. The 2013 squad finished 30-19, one of the best records in program history. That year, he coached All-American Casey Cotter and Academic All-American Joe Mantoni, who was selected in the 2013 MLB Draft. In 2014, six Warriors earned Northeast-10 All-Conference honors, including Frank Crinella, the NE-10 Player of the Year and Merrimack’s first-ever NCBWA East Region Player of the Year.

Martin began his coaching career at Saint Anselm (2006) and later spent five seasons as an assistant at Southern Connecticut State (2007-11), where he recruited back-to-back NE-10 Rookies of the Year and helped the team to a 21-5 regular-season record in 2010. That team reached the NCAA East Region final and was ranked as high as No. 13 nationally.

As a player, Martin starred at St. John’s University, batting .303 with 32 doubles and 91 RBI over four seasons. A two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star, he helped the Red Storm to a 136-91 record, two NCAA Tournament appearances (2004-05), and a BIG EAST regular-season title in 2005. He was named Third Team All-BIG EAST as a senior and earned his degree in education.

Photo from Stony Brook University Athletics

Stony Brook men’s track and field wrapped up the regular season on May 2 and 3, competing at the Larry Ellis Invitational hosted by Princeton. As a team, the Seawolves recorded five top-eight placements.

HIGHLIGHTS

As the regular season now comes to a close, the Seawolves will shift their focus to championship season, starting with the two-day CAA Outdoor Championships on May 14-15 in Greensboro, N.C., at the Marcus T. Johnson Track.

Mila Charles during last Saturday's match. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook tennis team ended the regular season in style, defeating Queens College 5-2 on Senior Day, April 19, to extend its win streak to six straight matches.

Two out of three set wins secured the doubles point for the Seawolves, as Lorin Tilipman and Elena Lobo-Corral took set one, followed by a hard-fought set three win by Cornelia Bruu-Syversen and Sara Medved.

In singles play, Stony Brook took four of the six matches with wins from Lobo-Corral, Palladino, Mila Charles, and Medved.

DOUBLES RESULTS

— Tilipman/Lobo-Corral (SBU) def. Berggren/Makal (QC), 6-0

— Rivoal/Lamy (QC) def. Palladino/Boro (SBU), 6-1

— Bruu-Syversen/Medved (SBU) def. Bergmann/Saito (QC), 6-4

SINGLES RESULTS

— Lobo-Corral (SBU) def. Makal (QC), 6-2, 6-0

— Palladino (SBU) def. Fawzy (QC), 6-0, 6-3

—Lamy (QC) def. Tilipman (SBU), 6-1, 5-7, [10-7]

— Berggren (QC) def. Bruu-Syversen (SBU), 6-4, 4-6, [10-8]

— Charles (SBU) def. Bergmann (QC), 6-3, 6-3

— Medved (SBU) def. Saito (QC), 6-1, 6-1

Up next, the team now turns their attention to the CAA tournament, which beginson May 2. Stony Brook’s opponent will be announced in the coming days as the bracket finalizes.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics
Erik Paulsen jumpstarted the Seawolves with a two-run homer in the first inning, but Campbell responded with six unanswered runs and ultimately defeated Stony Brook 16-6 on April 13 at Joe Nathan Field in the series finale.

Stony Brook right-hander John Rizzo worked around a runner in the top of the first, keeping the Camels off the board. In the bottom half, Nick Zampieron reached base and Erik Paulsen followed with a two-run blast to right, giving the Seawolves an early 2-0 lead.Campbell quickly answered in the second inning, hitting a pair of home runs and scoring four runs to take a 4-2 lead. Brett Davino singled with one out in the home half of the inning, but Stony Brook was held scoreless.

The Camels kept their momentum in the third, tacking on two more runs via another home run to extend their lead to 6-2. The Seawolves were retired in order to end the frame.

With two runners on in the top of the fourth, Matthew Canizares entered the game for Stony Brook and struck out the first two batters he faced. However, the next hitter launched a three-run homer to stretch Campbell’s lead to 9-2.

Stony Brook punched back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Johnny Pilla led off with a single to center and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt Miceli. Zampieron brought home Luke Szepekwith a two-out single through the left side to cut the deficit to 9-4.

Campbell responded in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits, including two more home runs, to push the lead to 13-4.

The Seawolves kept battling in the bottom half of the inning. Nico Azpilcueta extended his on-base streak by leading off the frame with a solo home run — his 12th of the season. Chris Carson added an RBI single, trimming the margin to 13-6.

Campbell tacked on another run in the sixth and added two more in the seventh to close out the scoring and take the series finale, 16-6.

Up next, the team hit the road this weekend for a three-game CAA series at Hofstra. Game one is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, April 18 and will stream live on FloCollege.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Trailing 13-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Stony Brook baseball team mounted a stunning seven-run rally, capped by Luke Szepek’s game-tying three-run homer and a walk-off single from Chanz Doughty, to secure a 14-13 victory over Sacred Heart on April 8 at Joe Nathan Field.

Scott Gell got the Seawolves on the board in the second with a one-out solo homer to left-center. In the third, Evan Goforth walked and came around to score on Erik Paulsen’s double into the right-field gap. Nico Azpilcueta capped the frame with a sacrifice fly, giving Stony Brook a 3-0 lead.

Vincent Mariella tossed a clean fourth inning out of the bullpen, and Aidan Colagrande followed with a scoreless fifth, allowing just a walk.

Sacred Heart struck back in the sixth, scoring four runs to take a 4-3 lead. Stony Brook immediately answered as Paulsen doubled again and Azpilcueta launched a two-run shot off the scoreboard—his 10th homer of the season—to reclaim a 5-4 advantage.

The Pioneers responded with a five-run seventh inning, including a two-run homer and a three-run blast to take a 9-5 lead. Stony Brook got two runners on in the bottom half but couldn’t capitalize.

Paulsen took the mound in the eighth and surrendered four runs, including a two-run homer, as Sacred Heart extended its lead to 12-5.

The Seawolves showed fight in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the deficit to 12-7. Chris Carsonreached on a fielder’s choice, and after a walk by Nick Zampieron, Matt Miceli drove in Carson with an RBI single. A defensive error allowed Zampieron to score.

After Sacred Heart added one more in the top of the ninth to make it 13-7, the Seawolves came roaring back. Paulsen singled, Doughty doubled, and Johnny Pilla walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Paulsen, and Gell delivered a two-RBI single to left, narrowing the gap to 13-10. Matthew Jackson singled off the bench, setting the table for Szepek, who crushed a pinch-hit three-run bomb to tie the game.

With the momentum fully in their favor, Stony Brook loaded the bases again on three straight walks. Doughty then stepped up and ripped the walk-off single to center, scoring Brett Davino and completing the unforgettable comeback.Right-hander Jacob Pedersen made his third start of the season and looked sharp early, retiring five of the first six batters he faced and finishing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

The team returns to Joe Nathan Field this weekend for a three-game set against Campbell. First pitch on Friday, April 18 is scheduled for 2 p.m., with all the action streaming live on FloCollege.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook softball lost to St. John’s, 8-0, in five innings on April 9 at Red Storm Field in Queens.

Alyssa Costello reached safely on a bunt with one out in the first, but was later thrown out attempting to swipe second base to end the inning.

The Johnnies struck for three runs against Stony Brook starter Maddie Male in the first. Jarrard blasted a two-run shot to start the scoring and St. John’s added an unearned run on a double.

Madelyn Stepski led off the second by working a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice, but was stranded in scoring position.

The Johnnies strung together three straight hits to start the second inning to load the bases. The Red Storm scored twice, once on an error defensively, padding their lead to five runs after two full innings.

A one-out homer in the third was the end of Male’s day in the circle. Crimson Rice entered in relief, trailing 6-0. Rice worked around a walk to record the final two outs of the frame and send things to the fourth inning.

Stony Brook loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth after three consecutive hits from Costello, Nicole Allen and Stepski. St. John’s escaped without any runs coming across after a strikeout and a 6-6-3 double play.

The Red Storm enacted the eight-run rule in the bottom of the fifth. After Rice retired the first two hitters, the next five batters reached safely to push across a pair of runs and end the game.

The team returns home to host Monmouth to begin a three-game series on Friday, April 11. First pitch on Friday afternoon is scheduled for 3 pm from University Field, streaming live on FloCollege.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook baseball team secured the series-clinching victory on April 6 after John Rizzo allowed just one run over 7.0 innings and the Seawolves erupted for six runs in the sixth inning on their way to a 12-6 win over North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.

After the Seawolves went down in order to start the game, Rizzo stranded a two-out hit with a lineout to end the opening inning.

Chanz Doughty led off the second inning with a home run, giving Stony Brook a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Luke Szepek launched a two-strike solo homer to extend the advantage to 2-0.

Rizzo followed with a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second, striking out two in the frame.

Both teams went down in order in the third, with Rizzo recording another strikeout.

Johnny Pilla drew a one-out walk in the fourth, and Szepek followed with a base hit, but the Aggies escaped the jam to keep the deficit at two.

Rizzo stranded two runners with a strikeout to end the fourth, and worked around two more baserunners in the fifth to preserve the 2-0 lead.

In the sixth, the Seawolves broke the game open with six runs on three hits and one A&T error to take an 8-0 lead. Nico Azpilcueta, who has reached base in every game this season, opened the inning with a walk and came around to score on an error. Chris Carson added an RBI sac fly, Nick Zampieron dropped an RBI bunt single, and Matt Miceli and Evan Goforth capped the rally with RBI hits.

A&T got on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, trimming the lead to 8-1. Rizzo wrapped up his outing with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

Carson singled to start the eighth and stole second, but the Aggies held the Seawolves scoreless.

Matthew Canizares took over on the mound for Stony Brook in the eighth and worked around two baserunners to keep A&T off the board.

The Seawolves added four more runs in the top of the ninth on five hits to take a commanding 12-1 lead. Szepek delivered a two-RBI double, Carson drove in another with a single, and Nick Solorzano came off the bench with an RBI single of his own.

The Aggies responded with five runs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Seawolves closed the door with a flyout to right field to secure the 12-6 victory.

 

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook softball completed a three-game sweep of North Carolina A&T on April 6 at University Field. The Seawolves have won seven of their last eight games and eight consecutive conference contests.

Crimson Rice started the Sunday contest, stranding two runners in scoring position to pitch a clean first inning.

The Seawolves struck early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Kyra McFarland and Alyssa Costello started things with hits, coming around to score on a Nicole Allen single and a Madelyn Stepski groundout. Allen later scored on a double steal. After a long first inning, Rice made quick work of the Aggies in the second.

A&T got on the board in the fourth inning, scoring twice to make it a one-run game. Rice again stranded a pair in scoring position, maintaining the lead.

Emma Scheitinger led off the fourth with a triple, scoring on an Emily Reinstein sacrifice fly.

The Seawolves added another run in the fifth. Costello led off with a walk and scored on a double by Allen, pushing Stony Brook’s lead back to three runs. Gabrielle Maday entered in the fifth inning, retiring nine of the 10 batters she faced to earn her second straight save.

“It wasn’t our best game of the series in a couple of ways, but we found a way to be gritty and grind out the win and get an important CAA sweep,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said. “That’s the sign of a good team… not firing on all cylinders and you find a way to win. I thought we could’ve been a little more productive offensively and we had an uncharacteristically messy inning defensively, but I thought Gabby was great in relief to give us a lift and get the W.”

The team visited St. John’s for a mid-week, non-conference clash on April 8. Results were not available as of press time.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook softball swept North Carolina A&T in a conference doubleheader on April 4 on Long Island. Nicole Allen, Naiah Ackerman, Emily Reinstein and others powered the Seawolves to 14 runs across the two games, while Crimson Rice, Gabrielle Maday and Maddie Male all combined to limit the Aggies to three runs on Friday.

GAME ONE: STONY BROOK 7, N.C. A&T 1

Rice started game one for Stony Brook, tossing a scoreless first inning to begin her afternoon.

A pair of hits from Alyssa Costlello and Madelyn Stepski did not amount to runs in the home half of the first frame.

Marissa Thalassinos led off the second inning by drawing a walk, later scoring the game’s first run on a wild pitch. Malorie Hill, who also worked a walk, came around to score on an Ackerman sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

The Aggies got a run back on a solo homer in the third inning, cutting Stony Brook’s lead in half.

The Seawolves answered back in the home half of the third inning on a Stepski run-scoring triple and a Mia Vannelli RBI groundout. The runs put the Seawolves ahead 4-1.

Stony Brook tacked on additional runs in the fourth frame courtesy of an Ackerman double, a passed ball and sacrifice fly by Costello.

Staked to a six-run lead, Rice made quick work of N.C. A&T in the fifth inning. She ran into trouble in the sixth, but worked through it without any damage and finished what she started with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

GAME TWO: STONY BROOK 7, N.C. A&T 2

Male took to the circle to start game two, retiring the side in order. Her offense provided her an early lead after an Allen groundout plated Kyra McFarland, who extended her hitting streak to 15 straight games with a leadoff single.

The Seawolves added four runs on five hits in the second inning, opening up a 5-0 lead. Stony Brook loaded the bases with one out and McFarland and Costello plated a run each before Allen singled home a pair. Vannelli’s single through the left side pushed the Seawolves’ advantage to five runs.

Male held the Aggies scoreless until the fifth inning when a two-run blast made it a 5-2 game. Maday entered in relief of Male, working around a one-out double to keep N.C. A&T from doing further damage.

Stony Brook responded, getting both runs right back on a Reinstein two-run homer.

Maday closed the deal, retiring the side in order in the sixth and getting a little help from Reinstein defensively, who threw out a would-be base stealer to end the game and strand runners on the corners.

UP NEXT
Stony Brook and N.C. A&T wrap up the three-game series on Sunday, April 6. First pitch is set for noon at University Field, streaming live on FloCollege.

Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook Seawolves erupted for five runs in the fourth inning and held Manhattan to just three hits en route to a commanding 10-4 victory on April 1 at Joe Nathan Field.

Right-hander Ty Panariello started strong, walking the first batter but quickly recovering with a foul out, a caught stealing by Scott Gell, and a pop-up to end the inning. The Seawolves went down in order in the bottom of the first, keeping the game scoreless through one.Panariello returned in the second, delivering a clean 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. However, Stony Brook’s offense remained quiet, going down in order again as the teams remained tied. The right-hander continued his dominance in the third, retiring all three batters and capping the frame with a strikeout. The Seawolves were held hitless again, leaving both teams off the scoreboard.

Reliever Matt Sgambati entered in the fourth and fired a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. Stony Brook’s offense then came alive in the bottom half. Nick Zampieron led off with a walk, becoming the Seawolves’ first baserunner of the game. Erik Paulsen advanced him with a groundout, and after Zampieron stole third, Nico Azpilcueta broke the deadlock with an infield single. Chanz Doughty and Evan Goforth were hit by back-to-back pitches, setting the stage for Brett Davino’s sacrifice fly, which made it 2-0. An error on a ground ball from Gell allowed another run to score, and Chris Carsoncapped the explosive inning with a two-run single, giving Stony Brook a 5-0 advantage.

Manhattan responded with three runs in the fifth, cutting the deficit to 5-3, but Azpilcueta quickly answered in the bottom half with a towering solo home run—his sixth in the last seven games—pushing the lead to 6-3.

In the sixth, after the Seawolves held the Jaspers scoreless, Carson blasted a solo homer over the right-field fence to extend the lead to 7-3.

Aidan Colagrande recorded the first out of the seventh before handing the ball to Jacob Pedersen, who struck out one and induced a pop-up to end the frame. Stony Brook’s offense continued to roll in the bottom of the seventh. Zampieron led off with a single, Paulsen reached on catcher’s interference, and Azpilcueta delivered an RBI double. Doughty followed with an RBI single, and James Schaffer added a pinch-hit RBI single to push the lead to 10-3.

Pedersen breezed through the eighth with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final batter. In the ninth, left-hander Nicholas Rizzo entered to close it out. Manhattan managed to plate one run, but the Seawolves secured the 10-4 victory.