Connecticut Blue Jays
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Patrick Hall
Coach Hall is a graduate of the University of Bridgeport where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services. Pat captained the 1998 Purple Knight squad. Pat was also the captain and All New England selection on the 1995 Housatonic Comm. College team that went to the JUCO World Series. Pat is currently in his 4th year at Central Connecticut State University as the Blue Devils recruiting coordinator. Coach Hall's time at CCSU is highlighted by a 2010 NEC Conference Championship and a trip to NCAA regional tournament to face national powers Florida State, Oregon & UCONN. Prior to Central,Pat spent 4 years at Fairfield University. Before Fairfield, Pat spent four years as the pitching coach at the University of Bridgeport. The 2001 season saw his pitching staff lead their conference in lowest team E.R.A.
In 2001 Pat served as the head coach of the 14-U Connecticut Blue Jays team that qualified and participated in the AAU National Tournament in Sarasota, FL. Pat then took over as the 18-U manager and watched his 2001 club finish #1 in New England in AABC play.
Hall was the pitching coach for the TCB 18-U American team that compiled a record of 32-14 and finished 5th nationally at the BEST Baseball World Championships in Fort Myers, FL. They also won their seventh consecutive Super East Baseball League Championship and captured the Inaugural Connecticut Cup 2004. Pat's 2006 15-U club was the #1 seed in the AAU National Tournament coming out of pool play and came in 16th aftertwo 1 run losses.In 2007 Pat coached the 17-U American team to a 30-11 overall record and a 3rd place finish in the Blue Chip Prospects Tournament as well as a berth to the Perfect Game 18-U BCS National Tournament. Pat joined forces with Kevin Huber in summer 2008 and helped guide the 15-U South team to a national title. In 2009 pat and Brian Huber won a National Title with the 16u Red South team. In 2010 Pat Was named head coach of the Bristol Collegiate Baseball Club in the NECBL. In 2011 Pat returned to the Jays leading the 15u Team to a 6th place finish in the AAU Under Class National Championship.
Pat resides in Bristol, CT with his wife Beth Ellen and their two daughters, Kaylee and Ryleigh.
Kevin Huber
Kevin is a graduate of the University of Bridgeport where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services. As a former University of Bridgeport standout Kevin currently ranks among UB's all-time leaders in all offensive categories. Kevin is the founder of the Connecticut Blue Jays Baseball Club. Kevin has guided many AAU baseball teams to Top 10 finishes in AAU National Tournaments (2nd in 1999, 7th in 2000, 10th in 2001, 9th in 2003, 3rd in 2005, 6th in 2006, 1st in 2008, 3rd 2009 & 2nd in 2011).
Kevin spent 2004 as an assistant coach at the University of New Haven, where he worked with the catchers/infielders and hitters. Kevin was named the head baseball coach at Greens Farms Academy in Greens Farms, CT in 2005, where he lead the Dragons to a winning season. From 2005-2008 Kevin coached at Fairfield University where he was responsible for infielders catchers and hitters while serving as the Stags camp coordinator . Coach Huber will spend his 5th season at Yale University in 2014 coaching Catchers and Hitters for the Bulldogs. In 2010 at Yale Coach Huber helped the Bulldogs to school records in Home Runs, Doubles, Hits,& Slugging pecentage. In 2011 Kevin help Yale garner National recognition as the National team of the week April 16th and to also get a National top 30 vote. Through his Club and College coaching career Kevin has coached 25 players that have signed professional contracts.
Kevin finished his playing career in Europe playing professionally both as an infielder and a catcher. He spent the 2001 season with the Zurich Lions of the Swiss Professional Baseball League.
Kevin resides in Bridgeport, CT with his wife Celina, their son Timothy, and daughter Sara Kate.
Adam Taraska
2014 marks Adams 7th season as a collegiate baseball coach and first as the Head man of the Panthers of SUNY Purchase (Skyline Conference). He will assist in all aspects of the Division III NCAA baseball program, including recruiting. Taraska spent the previous two seasons at Division I Fairfield University (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) after spending the 2009 season at MAAC foe Iona College, and brings with him coaching experience at both the scholastic and collegiate levels. He served as an assistant coach at Caldwell College in 2008 where the Cougars won the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference regular season crown and conference tournament,advancing to the Division II Northeast Regional Tournament. At the high school level, Taraska spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons as head coach at Greens Farms Academy. In addition, he has been a coach for the Connecticut Blue Jays for ten years, in which time he has led many teams to top-10 regional and national finishes. Most recently, he coached the CT Blue Jays 15u team. Taraska was a four year starter at second and third base at the University of Bridgeport, where he captained the Purple Knights in 2003 and earned a B.S. in Human Services.
Coach Brian Huber brings a fire and intensity not matched by many young coaches. Brian spent time as a player at both Briarcliffe College and Cortland State.Each school played for a national championship with Brian in their outfield. Brian has coached in the TCB program since the birth of the Blue Jays in 2001. Brian served as an assistant coach at Cortland State from 2004-2007.Two of those seasons, Cortland played for a national championship at the Division III World Series.Brian is in his 5th year as a P.E. teacher in the Bridgeport School System. Brian has three collegiate degrees - an Associates from Briarcliffe as well as a Bachelors and Masters in P.E. from Cortland State.Brian guided the 18-U National team through two very successful summers. Summer 2007 saw the Nationals place 7th at the Sandlott World Series. His 2008 squad made the playoffs at the Perfect Game WWBA tournament in East Cobb Georgia. In 2009 Brians 16u Team won the AAU National Title.
Brian resides in Bridgeport with his wife, Stacy and Son Derek.
Mike McGuire
Coach McGuire is the current head varsity baseball coach at FarmingtonHigh School. In his first year at the helm, the team finished runner-up in the Class L State Championship. In addition to his duties atFarmingtonHigh School, Coach McGuire is the head coach for the Connecticut Blue Jay’s 18 year old elite travel program. A veteran coach for over 25 years, Coach McGuire has won 3 National Championships and has coached, mentored and instructed hundreds of professional and college baseball players, including the Houston Astro’s first round pick in the 2011 draft and the Boston Red Sox’s first round pick in the 2011 draft.
Coach Mark has been instructing baseball for over ten years and is entering his 8th year coaching for the Blue Jays. After pitching on a University of Bridgeport team that broke the school record for wins in a season, he began serving as an assistant for the Blue Jays at the 13, 14, 15, and 18 year old levels. Mark also spent spent two seasons as the varsity head assistant coach at Greens Farms Academy in Westport, where that team also broke the school record for wins in a season and made it to its first ever New England Tournament.
Since becoming a head coach for the Jays in 2008, Mark has compiled over 100 wins in three seasons. He guided the 2008 13-U South team to a 7th place finish in the National tournament and a silver medal in the Nutmeg State Games. In 2009, he led the 14-U South program to a Connecticut State Championship, a silver medal in the War at the Shore, a Gold medal in the Nutmeg State Games, and placed 4th overall in the Triple Crown National Tournament in Florida. In 2010, Mark's 14-U club won the gold medal at the War at the Shore, a silver medal at the Triple Crown Summer Sizzle, and won the 2010 CABA National Championship in Michigan. The team went 7-0 in the tournament to become National champs. This season, Mark posted another 30 win campaign in 2011 and 2012. Mark Will be on staff at SUNY Purchase for the 2014 season
Steve Anagnostou
Steve has been with the program for 9 seasons. Coach Aggie brings a true enthusiasm for the game and is a diligent young coach. Steve spent the summer of 2006 with the16-U Hartford team. in 2007 he assisted Coach Pla` with the 13u squad. 2008 Coach worked with the 13u team and took over the reigns as the head coach of the 13u team in 2009 and 2010. In 2011 Coach Aggies again joined forces with Coach Jurczak with the 14u Team. As a player Steve patrolled the outfield and the hot corner for the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights where he was the captain of the 2006 squad. While at UB Steve earned a BS and his MBA He resides in Bridgeport, CT.
Rob Giguere
CoachRob@tcbsouth.com
A graduate of Albertus Magnus College, Rob was a key member to the 1999 league champion Falcons in and led the team in both hold and close situations. Before an injury sidelined him for the season he had compiled a 2-0 record with 7 saves appearing in 12 of the Falcons first 24 games. In 1998 Rob earned All-GNAC honors as a pitcher for the Falcons. Rob was also teammates of fellow TCB member Pat Hall on the 1995 Housatonic Community College Hawks team that participated in the JUCO World Series that same year. In 1996, Rob earned All NJCAA honors for his pitching performance in that season with the Hawks.
Rob ended histhree year tenure with Joel Barlow High school as their Assistant Varsity/Pitching Coach. While there, he helped the Falcons to a state bid as well as their first trip to league playoffs in school history.Three players on that team earned spots on the All-State roster, one of whom was a member of his pitching staff as well as several All-League placements over the three years. Rob will assume the same position with Hyde Leadership Academy in New Haven, CT in the spring of '08.
Robssummer coaching service began in2001 with the Dawgs as an assistant for a state title 12-U team and continued through the fall of that year becoming the head coach. In the summer of 2002, Rob founded the CT Thunder. The program continued through the fall of 2004. Besides serving as the program's director he also remained as head coach of one of the program's teams for each of those years. During those three years, the Thunder collected 2 state titles, 6 Triple Crown Series tournament championships,one ECTB Regional Tournament trophy and two top 10 national rankings. The program also boastedthree players listed in the top 200 players in the nation. Two of them were a part of the Thunder's pitching staff. In summer of 2005, Rob was brought over to the Blue Jay family and has been a part of an AAU State Title team, a top 10 national finish and two top 25 national finishes.
Rob continues his work off the field with children and young adults as well serving both as a Therapeutic Mentor for Behavioral Management. Rob also held a position at Yale New Haven Hospital on their premier inpatient psychiatric unit as a Milieu Counselor. He currently works for Sikorsky Aircraft and resides in West Haven, CT.
Steve DeCrostaSteve enters his 8th season with The Jays in 2014 coaching both summer and fall seasons.
A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Steve was a key member of 2001 NCAA Regional Tournament Team, hitting a dramatic homerun in the NE-10 Conference Tournament to propel the Owls in the tournament and into the regional. It was Southern's first regional appearance in its baseball history.
Steve is currently entering his 6th year as head coach of Hyde Leadership School, in New Haven. Steve was an assistant there for 3 years and took the head coaching job in 2006. He oversee's all the aspects of the program and continues to strive to return the program to competitiveness. A two-time captain for Wilbur Cross High in New Haven and a graduate of Hill Regional Career High School, Steve has been playing and coaching in the city of New Haven for 10 years.
Steve's AAU service began in the summer of 2001 as an assistant with the CT Dawgs program. He was a member of the state title 12u team coaching staff that year, along with Rob Giguere. He continued with that team,assisting Rob that same year for the fall season. In the summber of 2002 Steve co-founded the CT Thunder program with Rob Giguere. The program continued through the fall of 2004. Steve was the head coach of the 12u program in 2003. During the 2003 summer season, his 12u team captured the program's first state title in. Many of his players from that team have gone on to have distinguished highschool careers.
Steve is a physical education teacher in the city of New Haven for New Haven Academy and Metropolitan Business Academy, which are both magnet high schools. He currently resides in New Haven
Eric August
Coach Eric August joined the Blue Jays organization in 2008 and brought with him a vast amount of coaching experience primarily at the high school varsity level. Coach August is entering his 3rd year as the pitching coach for Trumbull High School. During his tenure, Coach August had Previously been at Joel Barlow High where he helped coach the program to its first State Playoff appearance in ten years as well as helped guide the team to their first SWC Tournament win and a successful run at the conference championship. Under Coach Augusts tutelage, several Barlow players have been recognized for their individual achievements on the field. Coach August played baseball at the University of New Haven under legendary coach Frank Porky Vieira and was a member of the 1995 team that reached the Division II College World Series. Coach August is a current member of the Connecticut Storm in the Bridgeport Senior City Baseball League and has helped lead the team to back-to-back AABC State Championships in 2005 and 2006. August has a lifetime record of 26-5 on the mound in Senior City with an ERA of 1.19. August earned Pitcher of the Year honors in 2005 after posting an 8-1 record with a 0.79 ERA.Coach August received his B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of New Haven in1997 and his Juris Doctorate from the New England School of Law in Boston in 2002. Currently, Coach August teaches SocialStudies at Trumbull High Eric and his wife Michelle live inMonroe with their daughter Abagail and son Tyler
Bob Cote`
Bob returns to the Blue Jays after spending the past 3 summers coaching for the Fairfield American Legion program winning a CT State Championship with his Jr's in 2013. Prior to his time with the legion program Bob spent 8 seasons with the Blue Jays coaching every age level from 13u-18u. Bob has been on the coaching staff of many top 10 national finishes and has worked with many of the quality players the program has turned out since 2002. Bob is currently the head varsity baseball coach at Greens Farms Academy and will be with the 17u team in 2014
Brian Pendergast
Coach Pendergast is the current pitching coach at Farmington High School and is also the assistant for coach McGuire's 18u Blue Jay team. Coach Pendergast played baseball for and graduated from Fordham University. Some of his notable wins in his collegiate career were against #11 University of Miami and #25 University of North Carolina- Charlotte and he has been honored with awards including Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, NECBL All-Star, A-10 Pitcher of the Week, and MAAC Pitcher of the Week. While in high school, he played for Team Connecticut Baseball for two summers at the 18 National and 18 American Level and won the Golden Arm Award for best pitcher in program
Matt Paz
Matt enters his 3rd season as a coach with the Blue Jays. Matt is another former player that returns as a coach. Matt is currently the Ace of the Purchase college staff where he was Named to 2nd Team All-Skyline Conference in 2011.Matt was also named a Skyline Player of the Week during the season. Coach Paz is majoring in History and Education at Purchase. Matt is a member of the Purchase Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC). In 2009 Matt Served as the Closer for the TCB South 18u team that captured the National Classic Championship
Coach Pla` has coached for TCB for 7 years. Anthony is a former second baseman at the University of Bridgeport , where he batted over .300 for his career. 2007 saw Anthony as the head coach of the 13-U south area team alongside fellow UB alum Stephen Anagnostou. In his first year, 2002, he coached the 12-U team to a second place finish in the State Championships and a 37-7 record. In 2003, he was the head coach of the 15-U team that finished second in the Triple Crown State Championship series and tied for 7th in the ECTB National Tournament, which was held in Massachusetts. In 2004, he was an assistant coach for the 16-U team alongside Dan Hodgson, former assistant coach of Georgia College and George Washington University, and head coach Kevin Huber, founder of the Connecticut Blue Jays where they were the Connecticut State Champions as well as the Triple Crown State Champions. In 2005, he assisted head coach Brian Huber with 16-U South team and went on to place second in the RYO 4th of July tournament in Long Island, NY, placed 2nd in the Orange Country Summer Classic in Orange County, NY, and placed 7th in the CERBO World Series that took place at Penn State University. In 2006, Coach Pla` was an assistant coach for the 15-U South team alongside Rob Giguere and head coach Pat Hall, co-founder of the Connecticut Blue Jays. This team went on to place 2nd in the AAU State Championships, finished in the top 8 at the War at the Shore in East Lyme, CT, and went 3-0 in the opening round of the AAU Nationals in Orlando, FL, finishing as the #1 seed. For the last few fall seasons, Coach Pl has teamed up with Perfect Game and Team Connecticut USA as an assistant coach alongside assistant coach Jim DeFelice and head coach Brad Muldoon in the Underclass Tournament in Fort Myers, FL. Two years in a row, the team has made it to the second round and this past fall, the team went 2-0 in the consolation bracket giving players the opportunity to play some more competitive baseball in the fall months. Coach Pla is in his 3rd season as head coach at Lincoln College. He resides in Lincoln,PA
Kevin Huber Sr
Tyler Kavanaugh
Tyler Kavanaugh enters his 1st Season as an assistant at Marist after 2 years at Sacred Heart University. Before DeSales Coach TK spent two years at Purchase college. He is a graduate of Kenyon College, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in History. He earned his Master's Degree in Health and Physical Education from Va Tech. He was a standout for the Lords, as he still ranks in several offensive categories in the school's record book. Kavanaugh was a three-time All-Conference selection and the teams captain his junior and senior year.
He also spent time as a professional player in Europe. He spent the 2006 summer with the Blansko Black Hill Club of the Czech Republic Baseball League.
Matt spent his playing days at Cortland State where he was a catcher and DH. Matt has been a Blue Jays coach since 2003, most recently with the 18-U Nationals in 2008. Matt is one of the catching coordinators for the entire program. Matt has spent his time as a coach with the upper age levels. Matt has aB.S. in Sports Managment from Cortland.
Brian has been with the program in some capacity since 2001. Brian was an assistant on the 18-U team that summer. In 2002, Brian coached the 16-U team with Coach Brian Huber and Coach Dan Hodgson. From 2003-2005, Brian served as an advisor and pitching instructor at clinics and workouts. In 2006, Brian was the pitching coach for the 16-U South team that finished 6th nationally.Brian played baseball at Iona College, where he was a pitcher. Brian earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2008. While at Vanderbilt, he served as the editor in chief of the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law. Brian also received an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center in 2009, an MBA, with honors, from Iona College in 2004, and a BBA, cum laude, from Iona College in 2002. He currently lives outside Washington, DC, where he works for a non-profit focusing on policy and regulatory issues in the financial services industry.
Connecticut Blue Jays
ph: 203 243 9014
alt: 203 543 9019
info