Wesleyan University Men's Baseball

Woodworth, a 1994 graduate of Wesleyan University, enters his 15th season as Wesleyans head baseball coach and member of the faculty. He is part of a unique tradition as he is only the third coach at the school in the last 75 years. An adjunct professor of physical education, he has led Wesleyan baseball to the NESCAC title the last two seasons.   In 2015, he was named the NESCAC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season for Wesleyan winning back-to-back NESCAC championships, reaching the NCAA regional tournament, and winning their third-straight Little Three title. The Cardinals recorded 30 wins for the second-straight year, had the best ERA and fielding percentages in school history, and led the nation in WHIP. Wesleyan has appeared in the NESCAC Final Four tournament seven times, including five of the last seven seasons. During that time, Woodworth has sent seven players on to professional baseball, including three from the 2015 team. Woodworth brings a wealth of experience accrued over 28 years of baseball coaching, including 22 at the college level. Before his stint as head coach at Wesleyan, he served as an assistant coach at Amherst College, as well as the head baseball coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology. From 1996-97, he was an assistant coach at Wesleyan, while earning his Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree. In 1995, he coached four future major leaguers as an assistant for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League, and was also a player in the league for the Wareham Gatemen in 1993. He has helped run the annual tryout for the Cape League for the last 20 years, and has placed eight Wesleyan players in the Cape. At Wesleyan, Woodworth also teaches and serves as the director of intramurals, as well as assists the soccer and football teams in various capacities. He is also the New England coordinator for the Div. III national coaches poll. As a player at Wesleyan, Woodworth was a four-year starter at shortstop, graduating as the all-time Wesleyan leader in games played, and sixth in career hits. He was captain of the 1994 Wesleyan team which broke school records en route to winning the NCAA New England title, before playing in the NCAA Division III World Series. The Cardinals finished their run with a berth in the national championship game, finishing runner-up, while posting a previously best-ever 30-8 record. In November 2009, the 1994 team was inducted into the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame. Woodworth is a native of Norwell, Mass. and a 1990 graduate of Norwell High School. He was a three-sport captain, earning All-South Shore League honors in baseball, soccer and basketball, and was named the South Shore League Small Athlete-of-the-Year in 1990 by WATD-FM. He also participated in numerous summer baseball leagues including American Legion, the Cranberry League, and the Boston Park League. Woodworths purpose as a coach is to teach the lifetime skills of focus and being in the moment through the medium of baseball. This is why baseball is of great value. An emphasis is placed on enjoying the game, learning to improve technique, creating and implementing a plan, and working hard with inspiring teammates. The result for players who love the game is playing relaxed, confident and aggressive baseball while competing under pressure.  As a supplement to his baseball teachings, Woodworth has written a book, The Rhythm of Baseball, about the technique and mental approach of baseball, as well as The Code of the Game, about learning baseball by feel. He is married to the former Robin McLellan, a 1997 graduate of Wesleyan University. They have a nine-year-old daughter, Lily Grace Woodworth, and a seven-year-old son, Dylan Samuel Stiles Woodworth.

Matt Reynolds was introduced as the fourth head coach in the history of Wesleyan baseball on August 21, 2025 and will be entering his first season with the Cardinals' baseball program in 2026. Reynolds, who has 21 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 11 as a head coach at both the Division I and Division III levels, brings a proven record of program building, alumni engagement, and student-athlete development. "Matt Reynolds is an exceptional leader who has rebuilt programs, elevated academic and athletic standards, and engaged alumni in ways that sustain long-term success," said Whalen. "His track record at UMass, Washington College, and the Naval Academy shows he can build a winning culture while prioritizing academics and character. We're excited to see him lead Wesleyan Baseball into its next era." Reynolds most recently served as head coach at the University of Massachusetts, where he guided the Minutemen to their most successful seasons in over a decade, including a 24-win campaign and Atlantic 10 playoff berth in 2024. Prior to UMass, he resurrected the program at Washington College, turning the Shoremen into a conference contender. Earlier in his career, he spent seven seasons at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he served as both assistant coach and active-duty Naval officer. "I am honored to join Wesleyan as only the fourth head baseball coach in the last 84 years," said Reynolds. "Wesleyan's combination of academic excellence, athletic tradition, and alumni passion makes this an incredible opportunity. My vision is to build a program defined by our three pillars—Classroom, Competition, and Community—while competing for NESCAC Championships. I can't wait to get started." The appointment drew strong endorsement from one of the most respected names in college baseball: "I am thrilled that Matt Reynolds will be taking over the baseball program at Wesleyan. He was an assistant coach on my staff at the Naval Academy and played an integral role in our team's success. An outstanding recruiter, with strong leadership skills, Matt will set a high standard at Wesleyan. I'm excited for the future of the baseball program and I look forward to supporting Matt and the program going forward." – Paul Kostacopoulos, Former Head Baseball Coach, U.S. Naval Academy A native of South Boston, Massachusetts, Reynolds holds bachelor's (communication, 2005) and master's (education technology, 2010) degrees from UMass. He and his wife Alexandra have two kids - Jack and Cara.

Former Cardinal player and coach Garrett Lamborn '09 is back with the Wesleyan baseball program, entering his second season as assistant coach in 2026. Lamborn spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Hamilton and the 2020 campaign as an assistant with Hartford. During his time with the Continentals, he coached 10 All-NESCAC team selections and four all-region team honorees. In addition, Hamilton set or tied seven single-season program records during Lamborn's time on the coaching staff, including wins, batting average, on-base percentage and RBI.    A four-year letterwinner and a two-year starter as an outfielder at Wesleyan from 2006-09, Lamborn led the team with a .380 batting average and a .472 on-base percentage as a junior while as a senior, he finished on top of the team statistics with a .594 slugging percentage. After graduating with a degree in mathematics and economics, he coached five seasons at Wesleyan. As an assistant coach, Lamborn helped lead the Cardinals to a pair of top finishes NESCAC West Division and three NESCAC postseason appearances, including the program's first-ever NESCAC Championship in 2014.   Lamborn also played semi-professional baseball in Belgium and then Australia before playing in the Independent Peach State League, located in Macon, Georgia.

Leif Bigelow joins the Wesleyan baseball program as Pitching Coach ahead of the 2025–26 season. He comes to Wesleyan after serving as Director of Player Development at the University of Connecticut during the 2024–25 season, where he helped guide UConn to a Big East Regular Season Championship. In the summer of 2025, Bigelow served as an Assistant Coach for the Norwich Sea Unicorns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, contributing to the team’s third consecutive Futures League Championship. As a collegiate pitcher from 2019–2024, Bigelow competed at UConn, UMaine, East Tennessee State, and UMass. In 2024 at UMass, he made 18 appearances, logging 44.1 innings with 42 strikeouts, a 4.26 ERA, two saves, and a 4–3 record—highlighted by a career-best eight strikeouts over seven innings against Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Championships. His 2023 season at ETSU included eight relief appearances and a 1–0 record. In 2022 at Maine, he went 2–0 with a 4.22 ERA and 31 strikeouts across 32 innings, holding opponents to a .195 batting average. During the shortened 2020 season at UConn, he made two appearances, including a 3.2-inning outing against No. 1 Michigan, recording two strikeouts. Bigelow holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Maine and a Master of Science in Sport Science and Coach Education from East Tennessee State University. A native of Brattleboro, Vermont, he currently resides in South Glastonbury, Connecticut.