The 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, Bryant University head coach Jamie Pinzino enters his fifth season at the helm of the Bulldog baseball program. After 3 seasons at the DII level, Bryant Baseball made the leap to DI in 2009, and proved they belonged in their first season. The Bulldogs finished 2009 with an impressive 32-22 record, for a .593 winnings percentage, second behind Florida Gulf Coast for tops among reclassifying teams. This upcoming spring, the Bulldogs with look to continue to establish themselves at the DI level, as they will be playing a full conference schedule in the Northeast Conference, and continuing to battle some of the region's top teams out of conference.
The Bulldogs made some noise early in the 2009 season, finishing
with a 9-2 record on their spring trip, including a win over
Virginia Tech, and series wins over Richmond and James
Madision. The northern schedule opened with the Bulldogs
playing their first DI home game at the Bulldog Baseball Complex on
March 15, taking home a 7-5 victory over Boston College. They
continued their solid play up north, earning 14-7 record against
New England opponents, a 6-2 mark against future Northeast
Conference foes, and earning wins over some of the region's top DI
teams, such as Maine, URI, and Northeastern. The Bulldogs
found themselves ranked in various polls throughout the year,
ending with a #4 ranking in the Ping!Baseball Northeast Poll, and a
#5 ranking the NEIBA coaches poll. The post season awards
were numerous for the Bulldogs, with 6 players being names to the
All-Independent team (Eric Polvani, Jeff Vigurs, Mark Andrews on
the first team), and Polvani earning Pitcher of the Year honors
among Independents. Four players were selected to the All-New
England NEIBA squad, with Polvani on the first team, and Vigurs,
Kevin Cobb, and Nick Campbell to the 2nd team. Pat
McKenna also capped off a terrific career by being drafted by the
Detroit Tigers in the 27th round of the MLB draft.
The 32 wins in 2009 gave the Bulldogs 110 wins over the last three
season, which breaks the mark of 99 wins set between 2002-04.
In 2008, their final in DII, Pinzino and his club set the school record for wins, finishing with a 43-21 record, winning the NE-10 regular season title, and making their second straight appearance in the NCAA Northeast Regional Finals. In the final national polls, Bryant was ranked #25 in the Ping poll and #27 in the Collegiate Baseball Poll. Bryant opened some eyes across the country early in the 2008 season with a couple key victories on their spring break trip, including wins over #1 ranked and eventual National Champion Mt Olive College(NC), who owned a 23-game win streak, and #6 West Chester (PA), who had won their first 16 games of the season. The Bulldogs went on to a 25-5 conference record in the NE-10, winning 16 of their last 17 conference games, and clinching the conference title the last weekend of the season with a 3-0, 1-0 doubleheader sweep at Pace. The key to Bryant's success in conference play was their depth and consistency in all areas of the game. The Bulldogs ended league play second in hitting (.303 batting average), first in earned run average (1.55 era), and first in defense (.973 fielding percentage). Bryant was selected to their second consecutive appearance (6th overall) in the Northeast Regional, as the #2 seed. After a loss to Dowling, the Bulldogs rattled off wins over CW Post, Dowling, and Caldwell, to setup a rematch of the 2007 Regional Final with Franklin Pierce. After a 12-10 victory in game 1, Pierce defeated Bryant in the nightcap, ending the Bulldogs season, one game shy of the World Series. At the end of the year, Bryant also found themselves ranked in the country in several statistical categories. The Bulldogs led the country in fewest walks allowed (2.55/game) and sacrifice bunts (78). They also finished 8th in fielding percentage (.970) and 6th in double plays (61). Several Bulldogs were honored with post-season awards, including Eric Loh, Nick Campbell, and Jason Alexander, who were all selected 1st team NE-10.
In 2007, the Bulldogs and Pinzino righted the ship in his second year at Bryant, posting a 35-24 record (21-9 in conference). Picked to finish sixth overall in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll in 2007, Bryant upped their stock, finishing the season third on the conference ladder. But the postseason was even more fruitful for the 2007 Bulldogs. After upsetting top-seeded Franklin Pierce and second-seeded UMass-Lowell en route to a second-place finish in the conference tournament, Pinzino and his team continued on to the NCAA Northeast Regional, where they won three games, grabbing another second-place finish, and falling just two wins shy of a trip to the College World Series. After the season, the Bulldogs took home their share of conference honors, with Junior Eric Loh (3rd team All-American) named NE-10 Pitcher of the Year, Jeff Vigurs named Freshman of the Year, and Pinzino taking home NE-10 Coach of the Year honors. The Bulldogs finished 5th in the country in ERA (2.79) and 3rd in double plays (65).
In their first season together, 2006, Pinzino and the Bulldogs suffered through a rough start to the year, finishing with a disappointing 18-33 record. But despite the early struggles, they fought their way to a fifth-place finish in the Northeast-10 Conference with a 16-14 league record. Bryant dropped its first-round conference tournament game, 1-0, to eventual tournament champion UMass-Lowell.
After four season, Pinzino's record at Bryant now stands at 128-100 (.561), for an average of 32 wins per season. During the three years at the DII level, this included a 62-28 (.689) NE-10 Conference record, qualifying for the post-season all three years, and gathered 10 playoff victories (including 7 in the NCAA Regionals). In those three seasons, the Bulldogs placed 19 players on All-conference teams, including four 1st team players, a Pitcher of the Year (Eric Loh), and a Freshman of the Year (Jeff Vigurs).
Prior to arriving in Smithfield, Pinzino spent one season at Assumption College in 2005, guiding the Greyhounds to an 11-28 record and 10-18 mark in the Northeast-10. Pinzino was an assistant coach at Tufts, his alma mater, for the 2003 and 2004 seasons, under head coach John Casey. Pinzino also held assistant coaching positions at Holy Cross (2002), Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Claremont, CA. (1998), Westboro American Legion (1997-98), St. John's High School (1999-2001) and was the head coach of the Northboro American Legion Program (1999-2004).
A four-year varsity member of the Tufts baseball team, Pinzino helped lead the Jumbos to a berth, as the #2 seed, in the 1995 NCAA Division III Regional and was a member of three ECAC Championship teams, in 1994, 1996 and 1997.
A 1993 graduate of St. John's High School (Shrewsbury, MA.), Pinzino earned the Pioneer Award during his senior season, helping lead the Pioneers to the Massachusetts State Finals.
Pinzino graduated from Tufts University in Medford, MA. in 1998
with a degree in history. While back at his alma mater during his
coaching days, he also earned a Masters Degree in Educational
Studies.









