SUNY Stony Brook University Men's Baseball

Senk has delivered 20 winning seasons, four regular season championships, five conference tournament titles, five NCAA Tournament appearances, numerous professional athletes and one unforgettable run to the College World Series in 2012. His career record is 717-459-4(.609). The 2012 Seawolves squad captured the attention of the nation and will be forever remembered as the team that "Shocked the World." After taking the America East Championship for the fourth time, the #Seawolves defeated Miami (FL) and then won three consecutive elimination games to take the Coral Gables Regional. Then in front of a national television audience, Stony Brook knocked off six-time national champion LSU in the Baton Rouge Super Regional to advance to its first-ever College World Series. SBU was just the second No. 4 seed to ever advance to the College World Series and became the first Northeast school since 1986 to advance to the CWS. At season's end, Senk's squad had recorded a program record and NCAA-leading 52 wins. Senk was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) National Coach of the Year and received a contract extension that will keep him at the helm through the 2017 season. Over the stretch of the 2011-12 seasons, Senk guided the Seawolves to a 94-27 record and their .777 winning percentage over that stretch was the best in the country over that two-year span. In 2012, he also became just the third coach in America East history to eclipse 600 wins. Stony Brook has proven to be the class of the America East over the last eight years, winning four America East tournament championships and four of the last five America East regular season titles. In 2015, he led the Seawolves to first place with an 18-4-1 record in America East, continuing an incredible stretch of dominance over the conference. Senk also guided Stony Brook back to the NCAA Tournament in 2015 by claiming the America East Tournament title and advancing to the Fort Worth Regional. Over his 25 years, Senk has shown he can get players to the next level. The Seawolves had seven student-athletes, including five in the first 12 rounds, taken in the 2012 MLB Draft headlined by junior All-American Travis Jankowski, who became the first player in program history to be taken in the first round when he was selected 44th overall by the San Diego Padres. Jankowski was part of a 2009 Stony Brook recruiting class that was re-ranked byas the fifth-best recruiting class in the entire nation. The seven players drafted in 2012 were the third most of the 16 teams that advanced to that year's Super Regionals. Senk has had 23 of his student-athletes taken in the MLB Draft in his tenure. Four of Senk's former players are currently active in the Major Leagues, headlined by six-time MLB All-Star Joe Nathan '97, who is the league's all-time leader in save percentage and just completed his first season with the Detroit Tigers. Tom Koehler '08 made his MLB debut during the 2012 season, made an impact on the Miami Marlins in 2013 and was ar egular in the starting rotation in 2014 and 2015. Nick Tropeano made his big league debut in September 2014 and was part of the Los Angeles Angels rotation in 2015. Jankowski made his MLB debut in 2015 and recorded a hit in his first at bat with the Padres. In August 2008, Nathan made a $500,000 lead gift to the Stony Brook Department of Athletics in support of the construction of a new baseball field at Stony Brook University which was opened as Joe Nathan Field in May 2011. A two-time Academic All-American at SBU, Nathan was also inducted into the Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame in December 2006, when he also became the first former Stony Brook student-athlete to have his jersey number retired. Senk has had 44 players sign professional contracts in his tenure including 33 in the program's 12 years at the Division I level. Stony Brook student-athletes have also had tremendous success in the classroom in Senk's tenure as over 90 percent of Senk's players have graduated. In 2012, senior Tyler Johnson was named a second team Academic All-American. Senk has built Stony Brook baseball from the ground up since taking over the program in 1991. At that point, the program, which had enjoyed only six winning seasons since 1966, was in Division III. Over Senk's 23 years, he has overseen the program's transition to Division I (in 2000), had 18 winning seasons and won 30 or more games nine times. Prior to accepting the coaching position at Stony Brook, Senk spent three years as head coach at Kellenberg Memorial High School where his teams were successful in capturing league and division championships. Before coaching at Kellenberg, Senk was the head coach at St. Agnes Cathedral High School, guiding his team to a division championship and being awarded Nassau-Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic Association Coach of the Year. Senk is a graduate of Cortland State where he earned his Bachelor's degree in psychology in 1980. While at Cortland, Senk was the Red Dragon's starting catcher for three seasons, a two-time All-SUNYAC selection and the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior. He later earned his master's degree in physical education from Adelphi University and is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association.

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, 2025.  "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.

Joe Grigas joined the Stony Brook baseball staff as a pitching consultant ahead of the 2025-26 season. In his first year with the Seawolves, Grigas will work closely with the program’s pitchers under the direction of pitching coach Mike Petrowski and will oversee all aspects of catching development. Grigas arrives on Long Island following a two-year coaching stint at his alma mater, Saint Peter’s Boys High School in Staten Island, N.Y. He served as the JV head coach and assistant coach at the varsity level, while also overseeing strength and conditioning for the entire baseball program. In his first year as head coach, he led his team to a 14–6 record, boasting a .303 team batting average, .465 on-base percentage, and .877 OPS, while his pitching staff recorded a 2.90 ERA with 147 strikeouts over 115 innings. In 2023, the varsity team went on to capture the program’s first-ever CHSAA city championship. A 2023 graduate of DeSales University, Grigas appeared in over 100 games for the Bulldogs and compiled a career .824 OPS with 54 RBIs. He earned his bachelor's degree in marketing and management. Outside of coaching, Grigas has worked as a scout and writer for the college baseball platform Dog Pile Szn, where he provided in-depth scouting reports and authored blog content highlighting top Division I prospects. He is well-versed in modern baseball technology and data platforms including Trackman, HitTrax, K-Vest, and Blast Motion. His areas of expertise include pitch design, biomechanical analysis, video editing, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and graphic design. Grigas is a native of Staten Island, New York.