WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Steve Malinowski, who was recently elevated to head coach of the Hartford baseball team after spending the past 10 seasons as an assistant coach, has added former standout TJ Ward and John Slusarz to the Hawks' coaching staff.
STEVE MALINOWSKI – HEAD COACH
University of Hartford Acting Vice President of Athletics & Recreation
Dr. Sharon Beverly promoted
Steve Malinowski to head coach of the Hawks' baseball team during the summer.
"We were very fortunate to have someone of Coach Malinowski's experience within our program capable of leading our team," said Beverly. "I am excited about this opportunity for him, and for Hartford."
Malinowski, who joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2012 campaign, has been an associate head coach since the 2016 season. He has nearly 15 seasons of collegiate coaching experience under his belt, as he spent four years on the coaching staff at UConn before arriving at Hartford.
Malinowski has helped put Hartford baseball on the map during his 10 seasons with the Hawks. Recording six 20-plus win seasons, he has guided the Hawks to 217 victories, including a program-record 37 in 2016. In addition, each of the program's six America East Tournament appearances have come with Malinowski as part of the coaching staff.
Malinowski was instrumental in helping the Hawks make program history in 2018. That season, he helped lead Hartford to its first-ever America East Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hawks also made history that year when they swept each of the America East's four major awards, including Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Malinowski has been a key component in player development at Hartford, as well. He has helped produce 66 America East All-Conference honorees — including six major award winners and 16 First Team picks — to go along with two ABCA All-Americans and four ABCA All-Northeast Region selections.
In addition, eight players have been drafted by Major League Baseball (MLB) during Malinowski's time at Hartford, including current left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb. Selected as the 15th overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2016, Newcomb represents the highest draft pick in school history.
Working under Jim Penders at UConn, Malinowski was charged with coaching first base and developing the outfielders. He helped the Huskies to their most successful seasons under 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 coach at Bryant. He also enjoyed assistant coaching stints with the Pittsfield Dukes in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) in 2008, and the Manchester Silkworms in 2009.
Malinowski played two seasons of baseball at UConn, appearing in 33 games as a senior and finishing with a .260 batting average. He played in 25 games as a junior after transferring from Wake Forest in 2004.
A native of Kensington, Conn., Malinowski graduated from UConn with a degree in coaching and administration in 2007. He resides in Berlin, Conn., with his wife, Liz, and their two children, Everett and Sawyer.
JOHN SLUSARZ — ASSISTANT COACH
Slusarz rejoins the Hartford baseball team's coaching staff in 2021 after previously spending three seasons as the Hawks' pitching coach from 2012-14.
"John brings a wealth of knowledge to this program having played and coached professionally," said Malinowski. "He understands the day-to-day development process for a pitching staff. I am excited to bring Coach Slusarz back to the program and know that our student-athletes will benefit from his guidance and teaching."
During his first stint at Hartford, Slusarz worked with Sean Newcomb, who went on to become the Hawks' highest draft pick in 2016 when he was selected by the Los Angeles Angels as the 15th overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft. With Slusarz' guidance, Newcomb became the program's first ABCA All-American and America East Pitcher of the Year honoree in 2014 after he shattered Hartford's single-season records in ERA (1.25), strikeouts (106) and inning pitched (93.1) that year.
Selected by the Texas Rangers in the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft and played four seasons within the minor league system, Slusarz returned to the MLB in 2014 to serve as the pitching coach within the Los Angeles Angels' minor league system. He spent three years with the organization before returning to Connecticut to become the head varsity baseball coach at Hamden Hall Day School in Hamden, Conn.
A two-year member of the Huskies in 2005 and 2006, Slusarz graduated from UConn in 2011 with a degree in communication sciences.
TJ WARD — ASSISTANT COACH
Ward returns to his alma mater as an assistant coach after an impressive career as an infielder at Hartford. A four-year member of the Hawks from 2015-18 and two-time America East All-Conference honoree served as team captain in his final two seasons.
"As a former student-athlete and team captain, I am thrilled to welcome TJ back to the Hartford dugout," Malinowski said. "He was a self-made player because of his work ethic, perseverance, and passion for the game. Coach Ward will assist with offensive player development plans and serve as primary infield coach/recruiting coordinator."
Ward, who took home First Team All-Conference laurels in both 2016 and 2018, was a part of a 2018 squad that made program history. Leading Hartford to the program's first-ever America East Regular-Season Championship and America East Tournament Championship, he helped bring the Hawks to their first NCAA Tournament appearance that season.
In the classroom, Ward was a four-time America East Academic Honor Roll member who earned Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction three times in 2015, 2016 and 2018. A math/secondary education major, he was named to the America East All-Academic Team in both 2016 and 2018.
Ward followed his time with the Hawks with a two-year professional career with the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers of the United Shores Professional Baseball League, where he played second base and third base. Helping the Beavers capture the USPBL Championship in 2018, he posted a .296 batting average and .980 fielding percentage in 72 career games, adding 43 RBI and eight home runs in 22 extra base hits.
Since graduating in 2018, Ward has also enjoyed stints as a baseball coach at Power 5 Baseball, Camilleri Baseball and the New Jersey Jackals. He most recently worked at Ramapo College of New Jersey from 2019-21, where he served as an assistant coach and specialized in hitting and working with the team's infielders.
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