OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Stevenson University Director of Athletics Brett Adams has announced the hiring of Matt Righter as the new head baseball coach for the Mustang program. Righter joins Stevenson after serving as head coach at Vassar College.
"We are very excited to welcome Matt to the Stevenson University community," said Stevenson University Director of Athletics Brett Adams. "Matt's vast experience at the Division III level, both as a coach and as a student-athlete, will help ensure the continued success of our program. Our student-athletes will continue their growth both on and off the field."
Righter has been the head coach at Vassar since 2016. In that time, he has built the program into a contender. This past season, the Brewers finished with a program record 20 wins and ranked among the Division III leaders in batting average (.337), OPS (.895) and stolen bases (85).
In his tutelage, the Brewers made the Liberty League playoffs three times including an appearance in the Crossover Series in 2023. A total of 114 student-athletes were named All-Liberty League All-Academic, along with 22 all-conference selections and three All-Region picks.
I would like to thank Brett Adams, MC McFadden and the entire search committee for selecting me to be the next Head Baseball Coach at Stevenson University," said Righter. "Throughout the interview process, I was excited to witness the close knit community of the athletics department that cares deeply about the overall student-athlete experience."
"I am confident that the baseball team is uniquely positioned to compete for championships and am thrilled to reconnect with old friends and family in Maryland," he continued. "The growth of the department and school over the past 25 years has truly been remarkable making now a truly exciting time to join the team."
Prior to his time in Poughkeepsie, Righter was the head coach at SUNY-New Paltz from 2013-2016. He led the Hawks to 20 wins in 2016, after finishing with just seven wins the year before. New Paltz also won its first conference series against nationally-ranked Cortland, who was the number one team in the country.
"I'm also incredibly thankful for the last decade I've spent in New York, especially for the friendships I've gained at Vassar College and SUNY New Paltz. I'm proud of the players I've coached and am appreciative of the assistant coaches, support staff and most importantly, Vassar's Athletic Director, Michelle Walsh," Righter said.
Righter is no stranger to the area, as he was an assistant coach for both baseball and men's basketball at Johns Hopkins. A 2004 graduate of Hopkins with a degree in international relations, he served as the pitching coach with the Blue Jays. He helped lead the team to the 2010 College World Series along with four Centennial Conference championships. Three of his pitchers went onto pursue professional careers.
During his time as a student-athlete at Hopkins, he was part of four Centennial Conference baseball championships and was named as the "Male Athlete of the Year" in 2004. He was captain of the baseball and men's basketball team during the 2003-04 season.
Righter played professional in the Detroit Tigers organization, as he was drafted in the 21st round by the Tigers in 2004. He pitched for five years in the Tigers farm system, reaching AAA Toledo.
"I look forward to leading the Stevenson baseball program into the future while building upon the existing culture and past successes. It's a great day to be a Mustang," said Righter.