TJ Ward returns to his alma mater as an assistant coach for his fourth season in 2024-25 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.
In 2025, the Hawks finished 20-22 with a Conference of New England (CNE) record of 9-7 to earn the three seed in the conference tournament. Hartford would win a pair of games in the postseason before bowing out in pod play. Under the guidance of Ward, the Hawks posted a .326 average at the plate, including 40 home runs, 312 runs and 288 RBIs, helping fuel several key wins throughout the season. Hartford’s offense showed growth by doubling the amount of home runs from last season while also having an improved .484 SLG% and .889 OPS. The Hawks had five student-athletes named to the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-Region Teams, while eight were named to the CNE All-Conference Teams.
During Ward’s time on staff, Hartford’s offense has set some program records. In 2024, the offense finished with a .400 OBP, finishing 1st in program history. In 2022, the Hawks finished with 61 home runs, a new program single-season record.
Ward has also coached 3 all-conference hitters and 2 all-conference infielders (America East). He worked with 2022 shortstop Tremayne Cobb, who went on to be a 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Finalist at Troy University.
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 four-year professional career. His first two seasons were 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. Following his time with the Beavers, he played two seasons with the New Jersey Jackals of the Frontier League in 2020 and 2021.
Since graduating in 2018, Ward has also enjoyed stints as a baseball coach at Power 5 Baseball and Camilleri Baseball. 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.
