Staff Directory
- Title:
- Head Coach Fantasy Baseball
- Email:
- Phone:
- 860-768-5760
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
·        School record wins :: 31 in 2014
·        Four players drafted :: Sean Newcomb (2014 Los Angeles – 15th overall pick), Brian Hunter (2014 Cincinnatti Reds), James Alfonso (2014 Seattle Mariners), and Trey Stover (2015 Kansas City Royals)
·        One America East Pitcher of the Year :: Sean Newcomb (2014)
·    Twelve Players named to All-Conference Team (1 first team, 8 second team, 4 all-rookie team, 4 all-academic team)
·        One Baseball America All-American :: Sean Newcomb (2014 Third Team)
·        One ABCA All-American :: Sean Newcomb (2014 Second Team)
·        Once Perfect Game All-American :: Sean Newcomb (2014 Second Team)
·        One ABCA All-Northeast Region :: Sean Newcomb (2014)
·        Seven New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-Stars :: Sean Newcomb (2014), Alex Gouin (2014), James Alfonso (2014), Brian Hunter (2014), Ryan Lukach (2014), David MacKinnon (2014), Simon Kudernatsch (2012)
·        One CoSIDA Academic All-American :: Simon Kudernatsch (2012)                                           Â
CAREER BIOGRAPHY
In just three seasons, head baseball Coach Justin Blood led the University of Hartford baseball team to a school record 31 wins and the program's first appearance in the America East Championship in 18 years during the 2014 season. Blood, who will begin his fifth season in 2016, came to Hartford by way of UConn where he served six seasons as the Huskies’ pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
After the 2015 season, shortstop Trey Stover was selected in the 35th round overall by the Kansas City Royals. Stover is the 17th player to be drafted in the 58-year history of Hartford's baseball program, and is the fourth to be selected in the last two seasons. He is the school record holder for assists with 564.
In addition to the Hawks school record 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. The 15th overall pick for Newcomb represents the highest draft pick in school history and the highest since Jeff Bagwell was taken in the fourth round in 1989. In addition to Newcomb, pitcher Brian Hunter and Catcher James Alfonso were drafted by the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, respectively.
In four seasons, Blood has amassed 87 career victories, the second most since the Hawks moved to Division I in 1985. Overall, Blood holds a 87-130 record (.401) including 46 victories in America East play. The 31 wins and .574 winning percentage in 2014 were the highest since 1988 when the Hawks finished 29-12 (.707). Bloods career .401 winning percentage is the highest for a coach since Moe Marhardt left the program in 1994 with a .438 (42-54) average over two seasons.
Under his tutelage, nine Hawks have earned America East honors highlighted by Newcomb who was named the 2014 America East Pitcher of the Year, the first ever major athletic award for the Hartford baseball team. In addition to Pitcher of the Year accolades, Newcomb was named All-Conference for the third-straight season, including First Team honors in his last season. Blood has had a player named to the All-Rookie team in each of his four seasons at Hartford while ten other players have received All-Conference accolades.Â
Blood also emphasizes the importance of academics within his program, evidenced by eight players who have earned America East All-Academic praise, including David Mackinnon, Sam McKay, and Kyle Gauthier in 2015. Brady Sheetz, James Alfonso and Brian Hunter earned the distinction in 2014, and Simon Kudernatsch (’12) and Pat Knauth (’13) have also been recognized for their academic success, both being named to College Sports Information Directors of America All- District teams. Kudernatsch was also named to the CoSIDA All-America team following his senior season.
Blood’s stint at Hartford comes after helping 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 two children, a son, Jackson Everett, five-years-old, and daughter Harper McKenna, four-years-old.
