Pennsylvania State University, Erie, the Behrend Men's Baseball

Benims 24th season at Penn State Behrend and his 21st at the helm of the baseball program. Over the past eight seasons, the Lions have posted 241 wins while earning an AMCC-best 113 victories. Benim has established the Behrend Lions as one of the best programs in the Mid-Atlantic Region, earning regional and national attention. In the thirteen years prior to taking over, the program had won only 24% of its contests. During Benim's tenure, the program has earned victories in 63 percent of its games, with nearly every school record being broken. The program has made the conference tournament 15 times, won three regular season and five conference tournament titles, and finished runner-up five times. Benim, the all-time leader in baseball coaching victories at Behrend, is 529-295-4 during 23 seasons and posts a career head coach mark of 611-332-4. Last year, the Lions won their second consecutive ECAC South Region Title for the second time in program history.  The 2014 season was monumental for Benim. The veteran coach earned his 500th career victory en route to the Lions winning their fourth ECAC South Region Title under his direction. Behrend finished with a 30-14 overall record and a 13-3 mark in the AMCC. Five players were named All-AMCC and one earned a spot on the ECAC All-Star Team. In 2013, Benim guided Behrend to its fifth AMCC Championship and fourth overall trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Lions finished with a 30-12 record, including an impressive 15-1 mark in conference play. Coach Benim earned his fifth AMCC Coach of the Year honor, while mentoring six All-AMCC players, two All-Region and one ECAC All-Star.   In 2010, the Lions won their third straight conference championship, a feat no other conference team has accomplished. Behrend not only advanced to the NCAA Championships, but won its first-ever game, an upset over No. 4 Wooster. The Lions finished the year 31-17 and were ranked No. 25 in the nation by D3baseball.com, finishing second in walks and ninth in steals.  Seven players were tabbed to the All-Conference team and one Behrend player was named the AMCC Player of the Year. The 2009 Behrend Lions were expected to excel and they did just that. The squad won the AMCC regular season and conference tournament titles while advancing on to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Behrend registered a 31-13 mark and had three players earn ABCA-Rawlings All-Region honors, three make the ECAC South All-Star squad and two were selected as the Pitcher and Player of the Year. The program also boasted its fifth AMCC Player of the Year and for the second straight season; Behrend snagged the AMCC Pitcher of the Year honor as well. Prior to becoming head baseball coach, Benim served Penn State Behrend as the head softball coach for three seasons. He guided the team to 82 wins and three straight postseason appearances and a national ranking. In 1993, Benim led the team to an impressive 29-6 record while capturing the ECAC Championship. In the fall of 1998, this team was recognized as one of the ten best ever at the college. In addition to running the highly successful Behrend baseball clinics series and summer camps, Benim has worked at camps at Bucknell, Clemson, Lehigh, Slippery Rock, Youngstown State, and for Ripken Baseball. He also served on the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Committee and the ECAC Southern Region Baseball Committee. Benim currently serves on the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee. He has been inducted into the Wesleyville, Iroquois, Lawrence Park Hall of Fame (2011) and the Penn State State Behrend Athletics Hall of Fame (2013).  Benim earned his bachelor's degree from Penn State Behrend in business and behavioral sciences and his master's degree in counseling from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. 

Bio Jason Bartlett will begin his 10th season as an assistant baseball coach at Penn State Behrend in the fall of 2022.  Bartlett spent three seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater Iroquois High School, which he graduated from in 2004. Bartlett, was a four-year player for the Behrend Lions during the 2005-2008 seasons, serving as a catcher and designated hitter. As a junior, he was the team's top pinch hitter, racking up a .579 batting average.  His senior year, he hit .269 with 10 RBIs, leading the blue and white to the AMCC Title and its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Bartlett was named the program's Hustle Award winner as a sophomore and the Leadership and Scholarship Award winner at the conclusion of his senior season in 2008. His senior class completed their careers as the winningest class in program history. Bartlett graduated with a degree in management information systems from Behrend in May of 2008. Bartlett served as a sports information graduate assistant while earning his MBA. He works at Erie Insurance as a senior software engineer. 

Bio Ryan Smith is entering his second stint as an assistant coach for the Penn State Behrend baseball team.He has a record setting history as both a player and assistant coach with the program. Smith started his collegiate career with two season at Ohio Valley University, before finishing his career with the Behrend Lions in 1998-99 where he was a terrific two-way player as a pitcher and hitter/fielder. As a player, he helped the Lions set a school record for wins in his junior and again in his senior year where they advanced to the ECAC tournament for the first time in school history in 1999. As an assistant coach, Smith helped the win back to back ECAC titles, were they posted 35-8 & 33-10 records. He also helped guide the team to their first AMCC Championship in 2003. Smith graduated from Behrend with a bachelor’s of science in management in 2000. He then returned in 2002-2003 as a graduate assistant where he received a MBA in 2003. In addition to coaching at Behrend, Smith spent four years as the head baseball coach at Mercyhurst North East. Smith now works as a wealth advisor for Mosaic Wealth Consulting and Lincoln Financial Advisors and is the founder of the non-profit organization Grady’s Decision.