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The Hawks battled injuries in 2017, playing to a 20-30 record, but saw three players selected in the MLB Draft: Catcher Erik Ostberg (13th round; Tampa Bay Rays), shortstop Ben Bengtson (23rd, Pittsburgh Pirates) and David MacKinnon (32nd, Los Angeles Angels).

Hartford was dominant in 2016, posting a program record 37 wins. It marked the second time in three seasons that the Hawks earned the No. 2 seed in the America East Conference playoffs, where the Hartford ultimately finished third. The 2016 Hawks helped rewrite the program's record book in the process, setting nine single-season team records and five individual single-season marks. Overall, Hartford ranked among the top five in program history in 25 statistical categories during the 2016 season. 

In addition to the Hawks' then-record 31 wins in 2014, Hartford had three players drafted in the Major League Baseball First-Year player draft including left handed pitcher Sean Newcomb who was picked 15th overall by the Los Angeles Angels. Newcomb represents the highest draft pick in school history, a title that was previously held by Jeff Bagwell who went to the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round in 1989.

Under Blood's tutelage, the Hawks have had nine America East All-Conference First Team selections, 12 Second Team picks and six players named to the league’s All-Rookie squad. Blood also emphasizes the importance of academics within his program, evidenced by 19 America East All-Academic honors the Hawks have earned since 2012. Exemplifying Blood's commitment to athletics and academics, first baseman David MacKinnon was named America East Player of the Year, America East Male Athlete of the Year and America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2016. MacKinnon, who graduated in 2017, finished as the program’s all-time leader in hits (269) and runs scored (155).

Blood came to Hartford after spending six seasons at UConn as the Huskies' pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.  He helped lead UConn to its most successful season in program history, which included a BIG EAST regular season championship and the first trip to the NCAA Super Regional’s. UConn ended the 2011 season with a 45-20-1 overall record and a 22-5 mark in BIG EAST play.

In Blood’s final season at UConn, the Huskies pitching staff finished the season with an ERA of 3.14, 23rd best in the nation in Division I. The Huskies were also eighth in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (7.58). Blood coached right-handed hurler Matt Barnes to BIG EAST Player of the Year accolades and First Team All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Barnes was the third player in UConn history to be selected in the first round of the MLB Amateur Draft as he was taken 19th overall by the Boston Red Sox.

In 2010, Blood helped the Huskies to one of their most successful seasons to that point as the UConn ball club broke into the national rankings for the first time since the 1979 season. The Huskies finished that season with a program-record 48 wins. His pitching staff finished the year with the 17th best ERA in the nation at 3.91. The Huskies also struck out 397 batters, the second-best tally in program history, falling short of Blood’s 2009 staff, which struck out a school record 455 batters.

In his six overall seasons with UConn, Blood had 14 different pitchers drafted in the Major League Baseball draft, including five from the 2011 squad.

A pitcher himself, Blood was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and excelled in the minor leagues before retiring to pursue coaching on the collegiate level. Upon his retirement, Blood had accumulated a 3.97 ERA in 82 games as a minor league player with a 7-4 record. He helped to lead the Inland Empire 66ers to the California League Class A title in 2003, posting a 5-2 record with two saves and a 3.07 ERA with 77 strikeouts and just 27 walks in 58.2 innings out of the bullpen.

The New Hampshire native joined the coaching staff at Quinnipiac University in 2003, serving as a volunteer coach, then in 2004 he returned to his alma mater, Franklin Pierce University, to complete his degree and work as the baseball team’s student assistant.

Blood played three years for Franklin Pierce before being drafted. He ranks among career leaders at the college with 235 strikeouts (second), 12 wins (fourth) and a 4.62 ERA (seventh) in 204.2 innings (fourth) over 38 appearances (third) with 12 complete games (fourth). In 2001, he struck out a program-record 20 New Hampshire College batters, which still ranks fifth in NCAA Division II single-game history.

Blood and his wife, Hannah, currently reside in Vernon, Conn., with their son, Jackson Everett, and their daughter, Harper McKenna.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

School record wins :: 37 in 2016
Seven players drafted :: Sean Newcomb (2014 Los Angeles – 15th overall pick), Brian Hunter (2014 Cincinnati Reds), James Alfonso (2014 Seattle Mariners), Trey Stover (2015 Kansas City Royals), Erik Ostberg (2017 Tampa Bay Rays), Ben Bengtson (2017 Pittsburgh Pirates), David MacKinnon (2017 Los Angeles Angels)
One America East Player of the Year :: David MacKinnon (2016)
One America East Pitcher of the Year :: Sean Newcomb (2014)
One America East Male Athlete of the Year :: David MacKinnon (2016)
Two America East Scholar Athletes of the Year :: David MacKinnon (2015, 2016)
27 America East Weekly Award Winners :: Six America East Players of the Week; 13 America East Pitchers of the Week; 8 Rookies of the Week
43 America East All-Conference Selections :: 9 First Team; 12 Second Team; 6 All-Rookie Team; 16 All-Academic Team
One Baseball America All-American :: Sean Newcomb (Third Team 2014)
One ABCA All-American :: Sean Newcomb(Second Team, 2014)
One Perfect Game All-American :: Sean Newcomb (Second Team, 2014)
Two ABCA All-Northeast Region :: Sean Newcomb (2014), Ashton Bardzell (2017)
13 New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-New England selections :: Ashton Bardzell (2017), David MacKinnon (2014, 2016, 2017), Erik Ostberg (2016, 2017), Aaron Wilson (2016), Ben Bengtson (2016, 2017), Chris DelDebbio (2016), Chris Sullivan (2016), Sean Newcomb (2014), Alex Gouin (2014), James Alfonso (2014), Brian Hunter (2014), Ryan Lukach (2014), Simon Kudernatsch (2012)
Three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans :: David MacKinnon (First Team, 2016 and 2017); Simon Kudernatsch (Third Team, 2012)
Five CoSIDA Academic All-District selections :: David MacKinnon (First Team, 2015, 2016 and 2017); Pat Knauth (First Team, 2013); Simon Kundernatsch (First Team, 2012)

Under Malinowski's watch, Hartford has rewritten its offensive record books. The Hawks’ top five single-season hits records have been set since 2012 and the team proved dominant in 2016. That year the Hawks batted .302 as a club, the second-highest percentage in program history behind only the 1997 squad (.311). Hartford also set a handful of program records in 2016, including hits (559), runs (379), RBIs (332), doubles (103), triples (22) walks (235) and total bases (805).

Hartford's hitters have thrived with Malinowski's guidance. Former first baseman David MacKinnon set the single-season hits record (85) in 2016 and broke the career hits record in 2017, finishing with 269 during his time at Hartford. Former catcher Erik Ostberg also flourished under Malinowski, getting selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 13th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, after one season as the Hawks’ full-time starter.

Prior to Hartford, Malinowski spent four seasons on the coaching staff at UConn alongside current Hawks Head Coach Justin Blood. At UConn, Malinowski was charged with coaching first base and developing the outfielders. In addition, he coordinated the Connecticut Baseball School and several hitting clinics. In that role, he helped the Huskies to their most successful seasons under head coach Jim Penders, including a program-best 48 victories in 2010 and back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 2010 and 2011. The 2011 Huskies advanced to the NCAA Super Regional’s for the first time in program history.

Prior to his tenure at UConn, Malinowski spent one season as an assistant at Bryant University. Malinowski also served as an assistant coach with the Pittsfield Dukes in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) in 2008, while in 2009, he was an assistant with the Manchester Silkworms.

Malinowski played two seasons at UConn, appearing in 33 games as a senior and finishing with a .260 batting average. He had three doubles and two home runs, both of which came in the BIG EAST Tournament, and drove in 19 runs that season. He played in 25 games as a junior after transferring from Wake Forest in 2004. At Wake Forest, Malinowski finished his first collegiate game 4-of-5 at the plate with four runs scored, becoming the first freshman in Wake Forest history to tally four hits in his debut.

A native of Kensington, Conn., Malinowski graduated from UConn with a degree in coaching and administration in 2007.

Elliot Glynn begins his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Hawks in 2017-18. Glynn, who also assists with recruiting, oversees Hartford's pitching staff and has helped the Hawks break a handful of records during his time with the team.

In 2017, Glynn’s pitchers combined to rack up the third-most strikeouts in a single season in Hartford history, with 324. While setting the program record for wins (37) in 2016, the 2016 Hawks also ranked second-all time in team ERA (4.33), one spot ahead of the 2015 staff (4.36). Under Glynn's supervision, Hartford's pitchers have also cracked the program's all-time top five in innings pitched, runs allowed, strikeouts, shutouts, saves and batting average against.With Glynn on staff, former Hartford pitcher Kyle Gauthier was a two-time All-America East Second Team selection (2015, 2016) and a six-time America East Pitcher of the Week.

Glynn, who signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011, played collegiately at the University of Connecticut, where he was a two-time captain for the Huskies. In 2011 he helped lead the squad to the NCAA Super Regionals and, one year prior to that, Glynn helped the Huskies to a school-record 48 wins.

He still ranks sixth in Huskies history in all-time innings pitched, third in games started and among the top 20 in wins and strikeouts.

As a freshman designated hitter, Glynn was named All-New England and in 2010 received Second Team All-Big East and All-New England distinction as a pitcher. He also played two seasons in the Cape Cod Collegiate Baseball League where he was selected to play in the 2009 All-Star game at Fenway Park.

A Long Beach, Calif., native, Glynn was drafted three times before signing with the Brewers. He spent two seasons in the Brewers' farm system before playing one year in Germany. 

Glynn came to Hartford from Siena College where he was an assistant coach with the Saints. He helped guide Siena to the 2014 MAAC Championship and a win against Dallas Baptist in the Fort Worth Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

“We're really excited to welcome Ethan to our staff and program.” Blood Said “His strengths really fit our needs at this position and I'm confident he will help our student-athletes develop on all levels.”    
 
During his time at Allegany, Newton oversaw all aspects of player development, including hitting defense and base running. Additionally, he worked with student-athletes off the field, assisting academic advisors to assure success in the classroom. During this time, he also coordinated multiple youth camps and assisted in several prospect camps at various universities.   
 
During the summer of 2016, he served as an assistant coach for the North Adams SteepleCats in the New England Baseball League. In this role, he worked with all aspects of the team. In 2015, he was in a similar role with the Madisonville Miners of the Ohio Valley Summer Collegiate League.
 
Prior to Allegany, he was the Varsity Assistant Coach at Norview High School from 2013-2015, while serving as the Head Coach/Hitting & Defensive Instructor at the Norfolk Baseball Academy.
 
As a player, Newton played two years for Allegany before transferring to Ohio University for his junior and senior years. At Allegany, he was a part of the NJCAA DII World Series team that finished sixth in the nation. He finished first in program history in career hits and second in stolen bases.
 
At Ohio, Newton earned second team All-MAC honors his junior year while leading the Bobcats in five offensive categories. He was named Defensive MVP during his senior campaign at both centerfield and shortstop. In only two seasons with the Bobcats, he was able to break Ohio’s career stolen base record. In the summer of 2011, he was named to the Great Lakes Summer League All-Star Team while playing for the South Ohio Copperheads.
 
He earned his associate’s degree in general studies from Allegany in 2010 and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in English from Ohio in 2012. He is currently working toward his master’s degree in communication from Morehead State University.