College at Brockport Men's Baseball

Beach was named head baseball coach in June of 2008 after one season as the interim head coach. Brockport has emerged as one of the top teams in the New York Region and Beach has continued the programs recent success in 2014, making the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament for the 12th time in 13 years. Beach has led Golden Eagle teams to the NCAA Regional Tournament twice with trips in 2010 and 2011.  In 2014, Beach was named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year. He led the Golden Eagles to the SUNYAC Championship game and an overall record of 26-16. The team earned three All-Tournament Team selections, as well as three All-SUNYAC honors. Senior Dan Hurlimann was named All-SUNYAC First-Team and led the conference in home runs, putouts and double plays. Wesley Burghardt was also named to the first-team, recording a conference-high 55 total hits. Burghardt was also named All-Region by D3baseball.com and ABCA. Pitcher Bradley Westling, the Brockport top reliever this season, was named to the conference second-team after a strong year and the most saves in the conference. Beach's overall record stands at 176-122-1 (.590 winning percentage) after six full seasons at the helm. Beach has earned the ECAC Upstate NY Coach of the Year award, two SUNYAC Coach of the Year awards, has coached 20 all-conference players, 15 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region selections and pitcher Justin McCarthy was named an All-American in 2012. Beach also mentored the 2011 SUNYAC Rookie-of-the-Year in Kyle Tracy and one SUNYAC, ECAC and Rochester Area College Athlete of the year in Rob Maxwell. The 2013 squad saw historic wins over some of the best teams in the country. The Golden Eagles won two out of three games from SUNYAC rival Cortland, ranked No. 1 in the country at the time. Brockport opened up the season with a 7-5 win over then No. 7 Kean, who later reached a No. 1 ranking. Brockport finished the year with a 22-15 record and put three players on the All-SUNYAC squad, including first teamers Nick Bunce and Wesley Burghardt. Bunce was also named a first team All-New York Region by D3baseball.com The 2012 team recorded 26 victories as Beach has led the Golden Eagles to at least 23 wins each season and more than 25 wins in four of his six seasons. In 2011, the team won 30 games - including Beach's 100th career victory - and advanced to the the NCAA Tournament's New York Regional for the second consecutive season. He was voted the SUNYAC and ECAC Coach of the Year. In 2010, the team finished with a 23-18 overall record including six wins against nationally-ranked teams. Brockport won SUNYAC's for its first league title since 2004.  Beach won the most games as a first-year head coach when he led the Golden Eagles to a 26-19-1 record in 2008. Only Dick Bonalewicz who won 18 games in his first season in 1975 and Bob Mollenhauer who was victorious in 16 contests in 1980 won more than 15 games in their rookie seasons as head coach. The 26 victories tied for the third best in school history as the team was led by NABC/Rawlings First-Team All-Region and SUNYAC Player of the Year Rob Maxwell. The senior pitcher and first baseman was also a SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence honoree and voted to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team.  In addition, Maxwell was named the 2008 Dr. Sam Molnar Award recipient; a conference wide award given to the male athlete with the greatest athletic and academic ability. As a player, Beach starred at Hudson Valley Community College where he led the Vikings to a Regional Championship and a fifth-place finish in the 2001 NJCAA World Series before transferring to Brockport as a junior. Beachs senior year was his best as a Golden Eagle, as that years team captured an ECAC championship. He captained the 2003 Golden Eagles to a then school-record 31 wins. Hitting primarily from the leadoff spot, he hit .307 with eight doubles, four homers, and 24 runs batted in. He also went 8-for-11 in stolen bases and performed brilliantly on defense in center and right field. After graduating in 2003, Beach accepted a position as a graduate assistant in the Department of Physical Education and Sport and eventually earned his masters degree in Athletic Administration. Additionally, he served as interim assistant athletic director for the 2006-07 academic year while former baseball coach and assistant athletic director Mark Rowland took a leave of absence from the administrative position. He was an assistant coach with the team (2004-07) helping the team to a 108-64 record, four appearances in the SUNYAC Tournament and a trip to the College World Series in 2004. Justin Beach Head Baseball Coach Justin Beach was named head baseball coach in June of 2008 after one season as the interim head coach. Brockport has emerged as one of the top teams in the New York Region and Beach has continued the programs recent success in 2014, making the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament for the 12th time in 13 years. Beach has led Golden Eagle teams to the NCAA Regional Tournament twice with trips in 2010 and 2011.  In 2014, Beach was named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year. He led the Golden Eagles to the SUNYAC Championship game and an overall record of 26-16. The team earned three All-Tournament Team selections, as well as three All-SUNYAC honors. Senior Dan Hurlimann was named All-SUNYAC First-Team and led the conference in home runs, putouts and double plays. Wesley Burghardt was also named to the first-team, recording a conference-high 55 total hits. Burghardt was also named All-Region by D3baseball.com and ABCA. Pitcher Bradley Westling, the Brockport top reliever this season, was named to the conference second-team after a strong year and the most saves in the conference. Beach's overall record stands at 176-122-1 (.590 winning percentage) after six full seasons at the helm. Beach has earned the ECAC Upstate NY Coach of the Year award, two SUNYAC Coach of the Year awards, has coached 20 all-conference players, 15 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region selections and pitcher Justin McCarthy was named an All-American in 2012. Beach also mentored the 2011 SUNYAC Rookie-of-the-Year in Kyle Tracy and one SUNYAC, ECAC and Rochester Area College Athlete of the year in Rob Maxwell. The 2013 squad saw historic wins over some of the best teams in the country. The Golden Eagles won two out of three games from SUNYAC rival Cortland, ranked No. 1 in the country at the time. Brockport opened up the season with a 7-5 win over then No. 7 Kean, who later reached a No. 1 ranking. Brockport finished the year with a 22-15 record and put three players on the All-SUNYAC squad, including first teamers Nick Bunce and Wesley Burghardt. Bunce was also named a first team All-New York Region by D3baseball.com The 2012 team recorded 26 victories as Beach has led the Golden Eagles to at least 23 wins each season and more than 25 wins in four of his six seasons. In 2011, the team won 30 games - including Beach's 100th career victory - and advanced to the the NCAA Tournament's New York Regional for the second consecutive season. He was voted the SUNYAC and ECAC Coach of the Year. In 2010, the team finished with a 23-18 overall record including six wins against nationally-ranked teams. Brockport won SUNYAC's for its first league title since 2004.  Beach won the most games as a first-year head coach when he led the Golden Eagles to a 26-19-1 record in 2008. Only Dick Bonalewicz who won 18 games in his first season in 1975 and Bob Mollenhauer who was victorious in 16 contests in 1980 won more than 15 games in their rookie seasons as head coach. The 26 victories tied for the third best in school history as the team was led by NABC/Rawlings First-Team All-Region and SUNYAC Player of the Year Rob Maxwell. The senior pitcher and first baseman was also a SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence honoree and voted to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team.  In addition, Maxwell was named the 2008 Dr. Sam Molnar Award recipient; a conference wide award given to the male athlete with the greatest athletic and academic ability. As a player, Beach starred at Hudson Valley Community College where he led the Vikings to a Regional Championship and a fifth-place finish in the 2001 NJCAA World Series before transferring to Brockport as a junior. Beachs senior year was his best as a Golden Eagle, as that years team captured an ECAC championship. He captained the 2003 Golden Eagles to a then school-record 31 wins. Hitting primarily from the leadoff spot, he hit .307 with eight doubles, four homers, and 24 runs batted in. He also went 8-for-11 in stolen bases and performed brilliantly on defense in center and right field. After graduating in 2003, Beach accepted a position as a graduate assistant in the Department of Physical Education and Sport and eventually earned his masters degree in Athletic Administration. Additionally, he served as interim assistant athletic director for the 2006-07 academic year while former baseball coach and assistant athletic director Mark Rowland took a leave of absence from the administrative position. He was an assistant coach with the team (2004-07) helping the team to a 108-64 record, four appearances in the SUNYAC Tournament and a trip to the College World Series in 2004.

SUNY Brockport Director of Athletics Dr. Erick Hart announced the hiring of Nick Pontari as the 13th head coach in the storied history of the Golden Eagle baseball program on Wednesday June 18, 2025. Pontari, a proud Brockport alumnus, former assistant coach, and team captain, returns to his alma mater to lead the program he helped build—this time as its head coach. He succeeds his longtime mentor and the all-time winningest coach in program history, Justin Beach, who transitions into a new role as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance within the Department of Athletics.   Pontari most recently served as the head coach at Russell Sage College, where he launched the program in 2020. In just four seasons, he led the Gators to two Empire 8 Conference Tournament finals and one regular season conference crown. Known for his relentless recruiting, he brought in student-athletes from nine states and three countries, growing the program to over 40 players. His teams also excelled in the classroom, posting a cumulative GPA increase from 3.09 to 3.41 under his leadership. He also led the program in fundraising, generating over $98,000 to support team travel, equipment, and operations.   In addition to his baseball leadership, Pontari held several prominent campus roles at Russell Sage. As Assistant Athletic Director, he oversaw home game management, supervised athletic event staff, served as liaison with admissions, and sat on the Institutional Success Team, working to improve retention and academic outcomes for student-athletes across all programs. He also served as the college’s SAAC Advisor, leading dozens of community engagement initiatives.   Pontari’s versatility was on full display when he took over as Interim Head Field Hockey Coach from 2022–2024. He rebuilt the program’s roster and structure, recruited 12+ new student-athletes, and guided the team to a cumulative 3.69 GPA in his first semester at the helm.   His coaching résumé includes stops at Cornell University (Division I), the Glens Falls Dragons of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, and an impactful run as an assistant and associate head coach at SUNY Brockport (2015–2019). During that time, Pontari recruited and developed numerous All-Conference and All-Region players, managed the pitching and catching staff, and played a key role in fundraising and academic support.   A two-year varsity player and captain at Brockport, Pontari earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education (2016) and master’s degree in athletic administration (2018) from SUNY Brockport. He was honored with the program’s Leadership Award and was a Male Physical Education Major of the Year nominee.  

Schwind joined the coaching staff of the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles in the Spring of 2016 as an assistant coach, bringing with him extensive professional playing experience and a strong background in player development. Since joining the Brockport staff, Schwind has played a key role in the program’s sustained success, helping guide the Golden Eagles to three NCAA Regional appearances over the past four seasons while working primarily with hitters and position players. A veteran of professional baseball, Schwind began his career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2011 after being selected following his junior season at Marist College. He advanced through every level of the minor leagues—Rookie, Short-Season A, Low A, High A, Double A, and Triple A—while gaining experience at nearly every defensive position on the field, with the exception of shortstop. Over the course of his minor league career, Schwind appeared in more than 300 games and recorded over 850 at-bats. He made an immediate impact during his first professional season in 2011, batting .347 in the Gulf Coast League. A Rochester native, Schwind was also recognized for his commitment to community service, earning the Pirates’ Community Commitment Award on three separate occasions. Schwind completed his bachelor’s degree from Marist College in 2016 while continuing his professional baseball career within the Pirates organization.

Dan Hurlimann returned to the SUNY Brockport baseball coaching staff in 2025, and currently serves as an assistant hitting coach.  Hurlimann brings a strong background in performance training and player development. He is the owner and operator of HD Performance, a performance coaching facility he founded in 2018. With more than eight years of experience in strength and conditioning, Hurlimann has worked with numerous athletic programs across New York State to enhance athlete performance and readiness. A former standout for the Golden Eagles, Hurlimann played two seasons for Brockport after transferring from Division I Youngstown State University, where he competed as both an infielder and outfielder. In his senior campaign (2014), he earned First-Team All-SUNYAC, All-ECAC, and SUNYAC All-Academic Team honors. That season, he led Brockport with seven home runs and tied for the team lead with 32 RBIs while starting 40 of 42 games. Hurlimann originally joined the Brockport coaching staff as an assistant in 2015 and continues to bring energy, technical knowledge, and player-focused development to the program. 

Alum Andrew Huffman was hired in the Fall of 2025 as the pitching coach for the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles, replacing alum Kyle Canavally, who accepted a coaching position at Division I Cornell University. During his collegiate athletic career at Brockport, Huffman compiled an impressive list of honors and program records. He was named SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year in 2022, earned First Team All-SUNYAC honors in 2022, Second Team recognition in 2021, and was a First Team All-Region selection. He finished his career as the program leader in strikeouts (185) and strikeouts in a single season (96), ranked fifth in career wins (16), second in wins in a season (8), ninth in career innings pitched (148.2), and 12th in career ERA. In addition to his success on the field, Huffman was recognized for his academic excellence as a 2022 Academic All-American. Huffman continued his baseball career professionally, pitching in the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) during the 2023 season before signing with the Minnesota Twins organization. He spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons pitching in the Twins’ minor league system. Huffman is a graduate of Rondout Valley High School in Kerhonkson, N.Y., where he helped lead his team to a New York State Class B sectional championship and he was named All-State First Team for his efforts. He continued his collegiate career at SUNY Ulster, contributing to a NJCAA Region 15 Championship season. A Brockport alum, Huffman earned his undergraduate degree in Adolescent Education in 2021 before completing his graduate studies in 2023.