Fordham University Athletics

- 2019 Atlantic 10 Champions

Guiding the Rams' baseball program is head coach Kevin Leighton, who has served in that position since 2012 after six seasons as the head coach at Manhattan College.

The culmination of Leighton's tenure at Fordham came to fruition in 2019, as the Rams captured the Atlantic 10 Championship for the second time in program history and made its first NCAA appearance since 1998.  Fordham led the nation in stolen bases for the second consecutive season with a school record total of 178, while also setting the modern day program record for wins in a season (38) and strikeouts (605).

Over his first 16 seasons, Leighton has won over 350 games at Rose Hill, ranking third all-time in coaching victories behind only Hall of Fame coaches, Jack Coffey and Dan Gallagher, while qualifying for the Atlantic 10 Championship six times.  Nine players have been selected in the MLB Draft since 2012 to go along with multiple free agents signings, while a total of 14 players have earned All-Atlantic 10 accolades with three earning major Atlantic 10 awards.  Matt Mikulski (2021) and John Stankiewicz (2019) were both named Atlantic 10 Pitchers of the Year and earned All-American honors, while Jake MacKenzie was Rookie of the Year in 2018.  Fordham has also kept the pipeline fresh with new talent, as the Rams have had 20 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selections since 2012.

Leighton, who won more than 30 games in each season at Manhattan and became their third winningest coach, became the head coach at Fordham after one of his most successful seasons, leading Manhattan to its second MAAC Championship and second appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2011. The Jaspers finished the season with a 34-19 record with six players earning All-MAAC honors, including the MAAC Pitcher of the Year. Manhattan also had four players named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Northeast Region Team. Leighton was also honored, being named the Anaconda Sports MAAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Jaspers to the regular season crown with a 20-2 conference record.

In Leighton's second year at the helm of the Jaspers, he led the team to its first MAAC championship and an appearance in an NCAA Regional as the Jaspers advanced to the regional final in 2006. Manhattan won 34 games that year, including three wins over nationally ranked opponents, most notably, #6 Nebraska in the NCAA Regional. Leighton was recognized that year as the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year. Overall, he mentored 51 All-MAAC recipients, including 32 First Team selections, and saw four Jaspers named MAAC Pitcher of the Year, two that earned MAAC Rookie of the Year honors, one MAAC Player of the Year, and one MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year. 

Prior to taking over as head coach, Leighton served as an assistant coach at Manhattan from 2002-04. Leighton arrived in Riverdale after a standout four-year career at Seton Hall University. He helped the Pirates to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances in 2000 and 2001. In 2001, he helped guide the Pirates to the Big East Championship, the program's first title since 1987.

Leighton earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Seton Hall in 2001. He completed his master's degree in administration and leadership in education at Manhattan in 2005.  The Brewster, N.Y., native was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997. He and his wife, Katie, have two daughters, Taylor and Madelyn, and a son, Owen.
 

LEIGHTON'S YEAR BY YEAR COACHING RECORD AT FORDHAM

	Wins	Losses	Ties	Postseason
2012	22	34	0
2013	22	33	0
2014	24	30	0	A10s
2015	22	32	0	A10s
2016	29	29	0	A10s
2017	27	24	0
2018	35	19	1	A10s
2019	38	24	0	A10 Champion/NCAA
2020	10	6	0
2021	24	19	0
2022	16	36	0
2023	19	36	0
2024	19	33	0
2025	25	33	0	A10s
2026	25	30	0
Totals	357	418	1
Overall	557	537	2

 

LEIGHTON'S AWARD WINNERS AT FORDHAM

All-American Selections	2
Atlantic 10 Major Award Winners	3
All-Atlantic 10 Selections	14
Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selections	20
Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference	18
All-Region Selections	6
CSC Academic All-District Selections	23