Matt Mazurek, a 2018 inductee into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame, is in his seventh season as the head coach of the Golden Griffin baseball team and 18th season overall with the program.
During Coach Mazurek's sixth season at the helm, the Griffs achieved a 16-8 record in the MAAC, extending Canisius' streak of 16 consecutive seasons with above .500 conference play, the longest in Division I baseball. Notably, under Mazurek's guidance, Matt Duffy made history by being chosen as the 115th pick in the fourth round of the MLB draft, marking the highest selection ever in Canisius baseball history.
Mazurek helped guide the Griffs to their fourth MAAC Championship in program history in 2022 after compiling a 15-9 record in conference play - the 15th straight season with double-digit victories against MAAC opponents.
Canisius swept through the tournament to earn its fourth conference title since 2013. Serving as the No. 3 seed for the event, the Griffs opened the championship with a pair of mercy-rule victories over No. 6 seed Niagara (11-0) and No. 2 seed Marist (12-1) before defeating No. 5 seed Rider in the semifinals and finals by scores of 11-9 and 9-5, respectively, to hoist the MAAC trophy.
Mazurek’s squad was filled with postseason honorees as Max Grant earned MAAC Player of the Year and Peyton Consigli garnered Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year honors. Grant, Mike DeStefano, Mike Steffan and Matt Duffy were all named All-MAAC First Team selections while Consigli, Aaron Duffy, Justin Guiliano and Josh Niles picked up All-MAAC Rookie Team honors.
A trio of Griffs also received national honors as Grant was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-American teams. Consigli earned Freshman All-American honors from the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball. Steffan was tabbed a CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team pick.
Under Mazurek, Canisius has also excelled in the classroom. Since taking over as head coach in 2018, the Griffs have had 82 honorees on the MAAC All-Academic Team.
After the 2020 season was halted following 15 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mazurek helped lead the Griffs to a spot in the final four of the MAAC Baseball Championships as the No. 4 seed in 2021. Mazurek's squad had two First Team All-MAAC selections (Vinny Chiarenza and Jake Burlingame), a Second Team selection (Max Grant) and three players named to the All-Rookie Team (Carlin Dick, Matt Duffy and Grant). Grant was also the Griffs' lone representative on the MAAC All-Championship Team.
Mazurek's second season as head coach saw the Griffs finish as the 2019 MAAC regular-season co-champions, the program's first regular-season title since 2014. Mazurek received his first MAAC Coach of the Year award for his efforts in leading his alma mater to the top of the conference standings. Four players from the 2019 squad were selected to the All-MAAC Second Team (Andrew Sipowicz, Conner Morro, Stephen Bennett and Mark McKenna) while freshman Andrew Fron was chosen for the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Mazurek's players also earned multiple preseason and midseason accolades, highlighted by Will Frank being named to the 2019 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List and Billy Krull earning a spot on the 2019 Buster Posey Award Watch List.
In his first season at the helm, Mazurek led Canisius to the 2018 MAAC Championship, seeing the Blue and Gold advance to the NCAA Regional hosted by Minnesota. It was his third conference title as part of the Canisius coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach for the 2013 and 2015 MAAC Championship teams.
Mazurek’s debut campaign as head coach also saw the Golden Griffins rack up numerous awards. Mazurek’s players won two major conference honors, with J.P. Stevenson taking home 2018 MAAC Pitcher of the Year and Tyler Smith earning the 2018 MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year. In addition, four players named to All-MAAC selections, including position players Liam Wilson (First Team), Ryan Stekl (First Team), and Gage Lanning (Second Team). Stevenson and Wilson were also selected as All-Americans, while Smith was taken in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels, the highest picked Griff since Joe Mamott in 1994.
Statistically, Canisius hitters led the MAAC in five individual categories during the 2018 season while Canisius pitchers ranked first in three individual categories. Nationally, Mazurek coached Wilson to the third-most doubles in Division I (27), while Stevenson finished 10th nationally with 10 wins on the mound.
Before being promoted to the role of head coach on Sept. 6, 2017, Mazurek spent 10 years as an assistant on the Canisius baseball coaching staff under former head coach Mike McRae. Mazurek, a former student-athlete at Canisius, became just the fourth head coach for the baseball program in the last 40 years.
Mazurek served as the program’s hitting instructor for eight seasons, where a total of 11 different Griffs ranked among the MAAC’s top-five in batting average. Additionally, Canisius led the conference in home runs four times in those eight seasons, highlighted by a school-record 90 homers in 2009, a seaon that saw the Griffs rank 19th in the nation as a team.
The Silver Creek, N.Y., native has been a member of the coaching staff that has helped produce 13 Major League Baseball draft picks since 2009, highlighted by seven position player being selected (Jake Lumley, Connor Panas, Brett Siddall, Sean Jamieson, Steve McQuail, Kevin Mailloux and Kevin Mahoney). Lumley was named the 2017 MAAC Player of the Year and finished his career on Main Street as the program’s all-time hits leader.
The 2006 Canisius College Male Athlete of the Year, Mazurek played two seasons for the Griffs under McRae. A career .355 hitter as a Griff, he led the squad with a team-best .358 batting average in his senior campaign to go along with 68 hits, 44 RBI and 18 stolen bases. As a junior in 2005, Mazurek paced Canisius with a .351 batting average with 54 hits, seven home runs and 41 runs batted in. He was a two-time All-MAAC First Team selection as well, being officially enshrined in the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2018 induction class on Jan. 24, 2019.
Before joining Canisius, Mazurek played two seasons at Jamestown Community College, earning first team all-region accolades on the way to the 2004 NJCAA Division III World Series. Mazurek also lettered three years for Silver Creek High School's baseball team.
After closing out his collegiate career, Mazurek played professional baseball for three seasons. In 2007, he was a member of the Joilet Jackhammers of the Northern League, and then spent two years (2008 and 2009) with the Rockford Riverhawks of the Frontier League.
Mazurek graduated from Canisius with his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 2006 and he earned his master’s degree in sport administration from the College in 2012.
He lives in Tonawanda, N.Y., with his wife Sara, and their daughter, Makenna, and son, Maverick.
