The Official Website of Franklin Pierce University Athletics

Bio

Seventeen Seasons (606-282-3 through 2015)
Six-time ABCA/Rawlings Region Coach of the Year - 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013
Seven-time NEIBA Division II Coach of the Year - 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008,  2009, 2010, 2013

"Jayson King is one of the most respected coaches in the Northeast, and scouts rave about his ability to recruit and develop talent."
-- Baseball America, June 2007

Jayson King enters his 18th season as Head Coach of the Franklin Pierce University baseball program in 2016. He also serves as the Assistant Athletic Director for Auxiliary Services for the University. Through 17 seasons in Rindge, King has amassed a 606-282-3 record (.679 winning percentage) over 895 games to run his record to 627-329-3 (.655) over 959 games in 19 seasons as a collegiate head coach. The Ravens have topped the 30-win mark in every season since 2002.

Inheriting a team that went 8-21 in 1998 and 40-103-2 under three different coaches in the last five years before his arrival, King has built the program into a regional dynasty. The construction of the program into a competitor at the national level has culminated with five NCAA Regional titles in the last 10 years. In all, in the last 13 seasons (beginning with the 2003 campaign), King has led the Ravens to three appearances in the NCAA national semifinals, six NCAA Regional titles and five Northeast-10 Conference championships. In addition, the club has collected a Northeast-10 regular season title on eight occasions and captured the ECAC Division II Championship in both 2002 and 2004.

During his 17 seasons in Rindge, King's Ravens squads have posted 16 consecutive winning seasons, set new program records for wins on seven occasions, topped 30 wins each of the last 14 seasons, and hit the 40-win mark six times in the last 10 years. He was the first coach to eclipse 20 wins in program history, let alone reach the 30- and 40-win plateaus. Since ushering the program into the Northeast-10 Conference in 2001, King's teams have posted a 335-125-2 record (.727) over 462 games in conference play and captured eight regular season titles, three during periods the Conference did not have divisional play (2009, 2007, 2006), plus Northeast Division titles in 2015 (outright), 2014 (shared with Southern New Hampshire), 2013 (outright) and 2012 (shared with Saint Anselm), and a Markey Division crown (shared with Saint Rose) in 2003. Since the Ravens joined the league, the Northeast-10 previously featured divisional play in 2002 and 2003, and returned to the divisional model beginning in 2012.

The success has placed King squarely among the most-respected coaches in the area, as well as the country. He is a six-time Region Coach of the Year selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association, and has been named the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association's Division II Coach of the Year on seven occasions. King's .640 career winning percentage placed him 18th among active Division II coaches (and 45th all-time), heading into 2015. In addition, he tied for 28th among active Division II coaches with 579 career victories (record books have not been updated through 2015 yet).

In total, King's program has produced 27 All-America selections, 82 All-Region honorees and 120 All-Conference players, including 117 since joining the Northeast-10 in 2001. Nine different players have earned Conference Pitcher of the Year, beginning with left-hander Justin Blood in the old New England Collegiate Conference in 2000. Right-handers Chris Shank (2002), Matt Weagle (2003), Mike Adams (2008), Kyle Vazquez (2009), Jose Macias (2010), Ryan Thompson (2011), Trevor Graham (2013) and Brendan O'Rourke (2015) have captured the award from the Northeast-10. Six Ravens have been named the Northeast-10 Player of the Year: catcher Eric Cavers (2004), Bryan Duplissie (2005), third baseman Garrett Olson (2006), Keith Renaud (2007), first baseman Zach Mathieu (2012) and third baseman Jay Jabs (2015). In addition, infielder Scott Savastano (2006), catcher Mike Dowd (2009) and catcher Matt Walsh (2012) have each brought home Northeast-10 Freshman/Rookie of the Year awards. Adams brought home the biggest individual honor in program history with his 2008 selection as National Pitcher of the Year by the NCBWA.

Most recently, the 2015 Ravens made it four straight Northeast-10 Northeast Division titles anc captured their fifth Northeast-10 Championship, matching the Conference record. In all, the crimson and grey finished with a 48-4 record, which included 24-1 in Northeast-10 play and 20-1 within the Division. It all added up to the 11th straight NCAA Championship appearance for the program, which is matched by just two Division II programs (Grand Valley State and Tampa), and allowed the Ravens to play host to NCAA Regional play for the seventh time. A 16-game winning streak en route to a 30-2 start allowed the program to notch its first-even No. 1 national ranking in mid-April. The team put even that impressive winning streak to shame later in the campaign, piling up a program-best 27 straight victories from March 29 through May 9.

The season's success led to an unprecedented haul of awards for Franklin Pierce, including a program-record 12 All-Northeast-10 selections, which included eight players on the First Team. Brendan O'Rourke was named Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year, while Jay Jabs took home Player of the Year honors, the first time the Ravens had claimed both awards in the same season. O'Rourke was ultimately a consensus All-America First Team selection, earning the honor from each of the three organizations which grant All-Region and All-America awards. O'Rourke and Jabs were the consensus East Region Pitcher and Player of the Year, respectively, while both earned consensus All-East Region First Team selections as well. Though the 2015 Ravens came up empty in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, catcher Matt Walsh ultimately signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees organization.

Beginning with the ninth-round selection of Justin Blood by the Seattle Mariners in 2001, Franklin Pierce has seen 26 players picked by MLB clubs in the First-Year Player Draft under King's watch. The University of Connecticut (43 draft picks) and Boston College (43) are the only other schools in New England, regardless of division, to produce more Draft selections over the last 14 years. Garrett Olson is the highest draft pick in program history, thanks to his fourth-round (126 overall) selection by the Minnesota Twins in 2006, while the Mariners are the most frequent team to pull from the talent pool in Rindge, as the franchise has selected four Ravens in the Draft over the years.

Thanks in part to the continuing success in the draft, King has been recognized both regionally and nationally for his commitment to developing talent and readying players for the next level. In its June 2007 Draft Preview Edition, Baseball America wrote "Jayson King is one of the most respected coaches in the Northeast. Scouts rave about his ability to recruit and develop talent." In addition, in January 2007, the New York Professional Hot Stove League presented King with the Ralph DiLullo Award for "going above and beyond the call of duty" in assisting professional scouts with regards to the Franklin Pierce baseball program and gaining exposure for his players. In recent years, the program's annual Scout Day workout in October showcasing the team's draft-eligible talent for the upcoming season has become a can't-miss date on the calendars of the region's professional scouts.

Among the reasons Rindge has become an epicenter for collegiate baseball in the region is the program's state-of-the-art home, Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field, which opened in 2005 after a fundraising campaign which King himself played a significant role in. The EdelGrass artifical surface of the field was the first of its kind in the United States to be used exclusively for baseball and allows the facility to be plowed for use during times when other programs in the area must wait for the winter's snow to melt away.

Night baseball came to Franklin Pierce with the 2007 addition of lights to Pappas Field, while 2009 renovations added heat and lights to both dugouts, as well as lights to the bullpens and the batting cage. Add in the state-of-the-art press facility, and Pappas Field has quickly become synonymous with postseason baseball in the Northeast, as it has been selected to host seven NCAA Championship Regionals (2015, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005) and three Northeast-10 Championships (2010, 2009, 2008).

The continuing success in Rindge has given King many opportunities to serve as the voice of the region's brand of baseball, including his current seat on the NEIBA Board of Directors. He is a member of the ABCA, and serves as the regional representative for the Association's Coaches Poll, published weekly throughout the season by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. A member of the Northeast-10 Conference's Committee on Sports Administration, King has previously served terms on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee, the Northeast-10 Conference's Committee on Sports Administration and the ECAC Division II Selection Committee, as well as serving as the Northeast Region Chair for the ABCA.

In 2014, the Ravens claimed their third straight Northeast-10 Northeast Division crown, posting a 35-18 record along the way, including a 20-7 mark in Northeast-10 play and 15-6 inside the Division. The records were good enough to earn Franklin Pierce its 10th straight trip to the NCAA Championship; only two other Division II programs boast longer active streaks (Grand Valley State and Tampa). It was the ninth straight season of at least 35 wins, and marked at least 20 Conference wins in nine of the last 11 years. Unfortunately, the team's offense dried up in the NCAA Championship East Regional, as the team lost its first two games and was eliminated.

Still, three Ravens earned All-East Region honors for their work in 2014, led by junior ctcher Matt Walsh, who earned consensus All-East Region accolades, including First Team honors from the ABCA and the NCBWA. In addition, the team sported six All-Northeast-10 selections, including a trio of players on the First Team. In the end, the Ravens graduated just two regulars from their lineup and will return the other seven, as well as two All-Conference starting pitchers, as they attempt to reclaim the East Region title in 2015. In June, center fielder Calvin Graves was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round (799 overall) of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

After falling in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship East Regional in each of the previous two seasons, the Ravens reclaimed the regional crown in 2013, claiming the title after qualifying for the tournament as the East Region's sixth and final seed. In all, the squad posted a 37-19 record, the eighth straight campaign of at least 35 victories, with a 22-6 Northeast-10 mark, winning at least 20 Conference games for the eighth time in 10 years. Their 15-6 Northeast Division record was good for the outright title in the division, though the Ravens were bounced from the first round of the Northeast-10 Championship before backing into the East Regional. During regional play at Southern New Hampshire's Penmen Field, the Ravens dropped a game to New Haven on Friday before winning three straight games while facing elimination over Saturday and Sunday to take home the crown. Trevor Graham made a relief appearance two days after throwing a complete game, and Kevin McGowan threw the first two innings of the title game on just 26 hours' rest, putting together a pair of individual pitching performances which will not soon be forgotten.

For Graham, who fired eight shutout innings in his start at the National Finals, the postseason capped yet another hardware-filled pitching season in program annals, as he earned consensus East Region Pitcher of the Year honors, on his way to a consensus All-America selection, which included a First Team nod from Daktronics. Graham also became the eighth Raven pitcher to earn conference Pitcher of the Year honors, and the seventh in the Northeast-10. Four players earned All-East Region honors from one organization or another, with Graham, Dan Kemp and Zach Mathieu picking up consensus All-East Region selections, and Nick LaCroix collecting his third career All-East Region nod. LaCroix completed his collegiate career as a four-time All-Northeast-10 Conference selection with Second Team accolades in 2013.

After being shut out in 2012, Franklin Pierce returned as a mainstay at the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in 2013, with the most successful draft in program history. Trevor Graham was the first player to come off the board, as he was taken by the Chicago Cubs in the 13th round (378 overall) to become the 13th player in program history taken inside the top 15 rounds of the MLB Draft. Just eight selections later, and still in the 13th round (386 overall), the New York Mets took right-hander Kevin McGowan. This was the first time since 2007 the Ravens saw multiple players taken in the first 15 rounds, but the next pick made it a program high-water mark, as left-hander Steve Hathaway was taken in the 14th round (420 overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Two rounds later, Franklin Pierce capped its day, as the Mets came calling again in the 16th round (476 overall) to take first baseman Zach Mathieu.

With the Northeast-10 returning to a divisional model in 2012, the Ravens posted a 14-6-1 intradivision record to earn a share of the Northeast Division title, which they split with Saint Anselm. In the postseason, Franklin Pierce would play on the final day of both the conference and regional championships, though the squad was ultimately sent home empty-handed from both. When the dust settled, the Ravens finished at 38-19-1, with a 20-7-1 mark in Northeast-10 play. Franklin Pierce featured one of the best offensive squads in school history during the 2012 campaign, hitting .324/.390/.460 (AVG/OBP/SLG) over the season's 58 games.

The offensive outbursts led to yet another spring that saw a boatload of hardware bestowed on Rindge. Zach Mathieu was selected as the consensus East Region Player of the Year, and was also named Northeast-10 Player of the Year, on his way to All-America Second Team honors from the ABCA. James Roche hit more home runs (17) in a season than any other player in school history and capped his career with consensus All-America honors, including a First-Team selection from the ABCA, as well as consensus All-East Region First Team accolades. In addition, both freshman catcher Matt Walsh and junior right fielder Nick LaCroix earned All-East Region First Team honors from one organization or another, while Walsh walked away with the Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year award.

In 2011, the Ravens were held without a regular season or postseason championship of any kind for the first time since 2001, as the team finished third in the Northeast-10, was the runner-up in the Northeast-10 Championship and was eliminated on the penultimate day of the NCAA Championship East Regional. Despite the lack of a title, the team reached 40 wins for the second year in a row, as it went 40-14, as well as 19-7 in the Northeast-10. The team was still considred among the best in the region, and played host to the East Regional.

The annual awards haul was led in 2011 by right-hander Ryan Thompson, who put together one of the finest single-season pitching performances in school history, and was the second consecutive Raven to take home both consensus All-America First Team and East Region Pitcher of the Year accolades, as well as the third straight Raven to earn Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.

In early June, four Ravens were selected in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft: Mike Dowd by the Seattle Mariners in the 12th round (363 overall), Thompson by the New York Yankees in the 36th round (1,109 overall), Brian Maloney by the San Francisco Giants in the 45th round (1,377 overall) and Gregg Downing by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 47th round (1,424 overall). It was the second-largest draft class in program history, behind only the five selections of 2006.

In 2010, the Ravens returned to the top of the East Region with a 43-17-1 campaign that was capped with an NCAA East Regional title and a national semifinal appearance. Along the way, King chalked up his 400th career victory with a 5-2 win over Bentley on March 31. The team rallied to defeat rival Southern Connecticut State twice on Championship Sunday at the East Regional to take home the title.

Along with the return to the NCAA National Finals, Franklin Pierce players collected a bevy of hardware in 2010, led by Jose Macias, who took home consensus All-America First Team honors and a consensus East Region Pitcher of the Year selection in addition to his selection as Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year.

Macias was later selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 18th round (545 overall) of the First-Year Player Draft.

In 2009, Franklin Pierce captured its third consecutive Northeast-10 Championship after winning the conference's regular season title for the third time in four years. The Ravens hosted the NCAA East Regional and finished the campaign with a 37-18 record (24-6 Northeast-10).

Despite being unseated from the region's throne for a season, Franklin Pierce piled up the postseason accolades in 2009, as Tom Cote, Mike Dowd, Rob Nicholas and Kyle Vazquez all collected All-America honors from at least one of the three organizations which doles them out, with Vazquez earning consensus All-America accolades. In addition, Vazquez was named Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year, while Dowd collected Co-Freshman of the Year honors.

Vazquez was later selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 15th round (447 overall) of the First-Year Player Draft. Later in the summer, Kevin Rivers signed a free-agent contract with the Seattle Mariners' organization.

The 2008 squad capped off its season with the third straight NCAA Northeast Region title for the school with a 43-15 campaign that ranks as the third-best in program history and was the final of three straight 40-win seasons. In its first time serving as host of the tournament, Franklin Pierce captured its third striaght Northeast-10 Championship. A junior at the time, Mike Adams carried the Ravens through 2008, on his way to national Division II Pitcher of the Year accolades from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He was the first Ravens baseball player to earn a national Player/Pitcher of the Year award and the ninth athlete across all sports in Franklin Pierce history to earn a national award of such magnitude. In addition, he was a consensus All-America selection, the East Region Pitcher of the Year for two organizations and Northeast-10 Co-Pitcher of the Year.

During the summer, Scott Savastano was drafted for the second time in his Ravens career (and the third time overall), this time by the Seattle Mariners in the 28th round (852 overall). So far, Savastano has progressed the farthest of any Raven who has tried his hand at professional baseball. After playing one game for Triple-A Tacoma in his first year as a pro, Savastano worked his way up the ladder in 2009-11 and opened the 2012 season back in Triple-A with Tacoma.

The 2007 squad holds a place in the discussion of greatest teams in Franklin Pierce history and is the one that began talk of a dynasty in Rindge. That edition of the Ravens lost only four games in 30 regular season Northeast-10 games (26-4), lost just once in five games at the Northeast-10 Championship and then swept through four games at the NCAA Northeast Regional on its way to a program-best 49-11 record. To date, it is the only team in program history to pull off the trifecta of capturing the Northeast-10 regular season title, the Northeast-10 postseason title and the NCAA Regional title. At the conclusion of the season, pitcher/designated hitter Keith Renaud was selected as the Northeast-10 Player of the Year. The summer after the 2007 campaign was the third time multiple players from Franklin Pierce were taken in the draft.

The 2006 season was the beginning of the three-year run of Northeast Region titles, as well as the beginnings of a run of regional dominance which continues to the present. The 46-13 record marked the first time the program eclipsed the 40-win mark and the team advanced to the national semifinals for the second time in program history before being ousted by eventual national champion Tampa. The signature victory of the season was a 21-1 pasting of Southern Connecticut State in the NCAA Northeast Regional final, just three days after falling to the Owls earlier in the tournament. The Ravens finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll, the highest national ranking in program history.

Third baseman Garrett Olson was a consensus Northeast Region Player of the Year choice in addition to his selection as Northeast-10 Player of the Year. After arguably the most successful season in program history to that point, the Ravens capped the campaign with what remained the program's most successful draft until 2013, as five players were selected.

The 2005 season was the third straight of 32 wins for the Ravens (32-14). After posting a 21-9 record in conference play, the team swept through three games in Lowell, Mass. at the Northeast-10 Championship to lay claim to the first conference title in program history. Following the triumph in the conference tournament, Franklin Pierce was selected to host the NCAA Northeast Regional for the first time in program history, at Pappas Field in its inaugural season. Bryan Duplissie was picked as Northeast Region Player of the Year by the NCBWA, as well as Northeast-10 Player of the Year.

The 2004 campaign marked the first time since taking over in 1999 that one of King's squads did not set a new program record for wins, though at 32-23, they did match the 32-win mark set a season earlier. The 2004 season was the last time the team failed to qualify for the NCAA Championship, though the team did host and win the best-of-three ECAC Division II Championship over Wilmington (Del.). The season saw catcher Eric Cavers become the first player in program history to earn Northeast Region Player of the Year honors, as he received the accolade from ABCA/Rawlings. Cavers was also named Northeast-10 Player of the Year.

The 2003 season was Franklin Pierce's official arrival on the scene as a contender, both regionally and nationally, an accomplishment that was eventually rewarded with the team's induction in the Franklin Pierce Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. After posting an 18-9 Northeast-10 record to capture the Markey Division title, the team swept through three games at the NCAA Northeast Regional to lay claim to the program's first ever regional championship and punch the team's first ticket to the NCAA Championship National Finals, held that year at Paterson Field in Montgomery, Ala. The Ravens won a pair of games down south to advance to the national semifinal for the first time in program history before being eliminated. The Ravens were the first baseball team from New Hampshire to reach the final stage of NCAA play in any division. Right-hander Matt Weagle, the Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year, became the first All-America selection in program history in 2003 with his First Team selection by ABCA/Rawlings.

The 2003 campaign capped off an intense period of building for the program in its first five years under King. The team won 17 games in 2000, 21 in 2000, 25 in 2001 and 31 in 2002 to set a new program high-water mark each season. The 2002 squad captured the program's first postseason championship of any kind by sweeping Westminster (Pa.) in the best-of-three ECAC Division II Championship. The 2001 team ushered in a new era of Ravens baseball by posting an 18-14 record in its inaugural Northeast-10 season. The program has never finished below .500 in Northeast-10 play, and the 1999 team (King's first season) was the only team to finish below .500 in King's 14 seasons in Rindge thus far.

No stranger to rebuilding programs, King inherited a down-and-out program at Massachusetts Boston in the fall of 1996 and promptly set a school record for wins in his second season there (1998) before leaving for Franklin Pierce. Prior to his time with the Division III Beacons, King spent time as a graduate assistant at Springfield College.

King has seen success as a summer ball coach at the collegiate level as well. He spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons as an assistant coach with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League, the premier collegiate summer league in the country, sanctioned by both the NCAA and MLB. King took over as Bourne's head coach in 1998, guiding the team to a playoff appearance. While on the Cape, King coordinated recruiting efforts, bringing several players to the Braves who would go on to be selected in the MLB draft. Among his most accomplished players from his time in Bourne, Rutgers outfielder David DeJesus went on to play nearly 900 Major League games over eight seasons with the Kansas City Royals.

King has also spent time in the world of affiliated Minor League Baseball. He spent the summer of 2009 as a volunteer assistant coach with the Lowell Spinners, the Single-A, short-season, New York-Penn League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

King has begun to amass a coaching tree of his own disciples over the years with Franklin Pierce, led by former NECC Pitcher of the Year, Justin Blood, who was named Head Coach at the University of Hartford prior to the 2012 season after six seasons as an assistant at the University of Connecticut. While at Connecticut, Blood spent time as Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, assembling a cast that would earn the program's first NCAA Championship berths in 16 years in 2010 and 2011 and make a Super Regional appearance in 2011. A school-record 10 players were taken in the MLB Draft in 2011, coinciding with Blood's departure from Storrs.

After six seasons as the head coach at fellow Northeast-10 member Southern New Hampshire, including the program's first NCAA Regional title in 2012, former Ravens player and assistant coach Scott Loiseau moved west to take a position as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Big XII member Oklahoma.

Upon Loiseau's departure from SNHU, former Raven Chris Shank, was promoted from assistant coach to co-interim head coach. At the Division III level, former All-Northeast-10 selection Mike Callahan enters his 10th season as Head Coach at Worcester Polytechnic.

Elsewhere, four other former Ravens are currently working as assistant coaches at the collegiate level: Vinny Pennell and Matt Weagle -- each of whom spent time in Rindge as an assistant coach as well -- are both on Callahan's staff at WPI; Clay Jenkins at Plymouth State; and Mike Chambers is a member of King's staff at Franklin Pierce. Prior to the 2014 season, Cody Kauffman accepted a position with USA Baseball, where he currently serves as director of the 12U National Team, among other duties.

A 1993 graduate of Framingham State with a bachelor's degree in sociology, King was a four-year letterwinner for the Rams. In 1996, he earned his master's degree in physical education from Springfield.

Originally from Canton, Mass., King currently resides in Westminster, Mass., with his wife, Missy, daughter, Catherine, and son, Justin.

Career Record (627-329-3 (.655))

Franklin Pierce (17 seasons: 606-282-3 (.679) overall, 335-125-2 (.727) in conference)
2015: 48-4, 24-1 Northeast-10, 20-1 Northeast Division!^
2014: 35-18, 20-7 Northeast-10, 15-6 Northeast Division!
2013: 37-19, 22-6 Northeast-10, 15-6 Northeast Division!%
2012: 38-19-1, 20-7-1 Northeast-10, 14-6-1 Northeast Division!
2011: 40-14, 19-7 Northeast-10
2010: 43-17-1, 19-6-1 Northeast-10%~
2009: 37-18, 24-6 Northeast-10*^
2008: 43-15, 20-10 Northeast-10^%
2007: 49-11, 26-4 Northeast-10*^%&
2006: 46-13, 25-5 Northeast-10*%~&
2005: 32-14, 21-9 Northeast-10^
2004: 32-23, 23-8 Northeast-10#
2003: 32-17, 18-9 Northeast-10@%~&
2002: 31-17, 22-10 Northeast-10#&
2001: 25-22, 18-14 Northeast-10&
2000: 21-19-1, 9-3 New England Collegiate&
1999: 17-22, 5-13 New England Collegiate&
* Northeast-10 Regular Season Champion
^ Northeast-10 Champion
% NCAA Championship Regional Champion
~ NCAA Semifinalist
# ECAC Champion
@ Northeast-10 Markey Division Co-Champion
! Northeast-10 Northeast Division Champion (Co-Champion: 2012, 2014)
& Set program record for wins

Massachusetts Boston (two seasons: 21-47 (.309) overall, 7-27 (.250) in Little East)
1998: 13-21, 5-9 Little East&
1997: 8-26, 2-12 Little East
& Set program record for wins