Matt Englander, the 2014 D3Baseball.com Mideast Region Coach of the Year and CWRU's all-time winningest baseball coach, is entering his 20th season at Case Western Reserve in 2025-26. Under Englander’s tutelage, CWRU has averaged 27.6 wins over the past 14 full seasons (not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 and 2021 campaigns) and has consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the NCAA Mideast Region.
Englander, who has notched a 449-298-3 record during his time at the Spartans' helm, while winning six UAA Championships and qualfying for the NCAA postseason on eight occasions. He has helped to mentor nine different players to a total of 14 All-America honors, while also seeing nine of his players secure 16 Academic All-America awards.
Since 2011, Englander’s Spartans have made eight NCAA Tournament appearances with back-to-back regional runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014 and have tallied a winning record each of the 16 years during the stretch. CWRU has reached the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years (2023 - 25) and won a combined 90 games, including 30-win seasons in both 2024 and 2025. The Spartans reached the Super Regional round of the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history in 2025, while winning the UAA Championship for the second-straight year and the sixth time ever. Englander and his staff were named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year for the second-straight year in 2025 and the third time in program history, while catcher Jack Anderson, outfielder Nick Harms, and first baseman Dane Camphausen have all been named All-Americans over the last three seasons.
The team also won the UAA title in 2022, when the squad went 12-4 in UAA play and 23-17 overall for the season. Sophomore relief pitcher Tyler Horvath earned D3baseball.com All-America Second Team honors, while Horvath and graduate student Evan Faxon were each all-region selections and claimed UAA Co-Pitcher of the Year honors during the campaign.
CWRU went 24-15 overall, including a pair of wins in the postseason, in 2019. In 2018, CWRU went 29-10 and won the UAA Championship outright for the first time in CWRU history and for the third time overall, after sharing league titles in 2013 and 2014. Englander helped mentor junior second baseman Rocco Maue to D3baseball.com All-America First Team and UAA Most Valuable Player honors during the season. Following the campaign, Englander and his assistant coaches claimed the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year award for the first time in CWRU history. The Spartans' have recorded a 30-16 UAA record in three years of conference site play, tied for the most wins among teams in the league.
The 2017 Spartans finished the campaign with a 24-16 overall record, while Englander broke the program record for wins by a head coach with a doubleheader sweep over Brandeis on April 2. The Spartans ended the 2016 season with a 26-15 overall record and qualified for the NCAA Division III Regionals in Spokane, Washington. Junior pitcher Jake Shields and sophomore first baseman Daniel Watson each earned all-region honors, and senior pitcher Connor Tagg was named an Academic All-American. The Spartans finished the 2015 season with a 24-15 overall record, as senior Kerrigan Cain was named an Academic All-American, and was a recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
The 2014 Spartans (34-12) broke the school record for wins and finished runner-up at the NCAA Mideast Regional in Marietta. Nationally ranked for most of the year, the Spartans reached as high as No. 13 in the polls and claimed a share of a second consecutive University Athletic Association Championship. Englander was tabbed Mideast Region Coach of the Year by D3Baseball.com, and his program produced two All-Americans, two Capital One Academic All-Americans®, and the unanimous selection for Mideast Region Player of the Year in junior third baseman Andrew Gronski.
In 2013, the Spartans (29-14) placed runner-up at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Wisconsin and earned the No. 21 ranking in the final D3Baseball.com Top 25 of the year – the first national ranking in team history. The 2013 campaign also included the school’s first UAA Baseball Championship and three victories versus teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation. The 29 victories were the third most in school history.
In 2012, the Spartans posted a 27-16-1 overall record, while Englander was recognized off the field with CWRU’s J. Bruce Jackson Award for excellence in undergraduate mentoring. All of the on-field and mentoring success came in the same year when Englander underwent surgery (fall 2011) to remove a cancerous brain tumor and then returned immediately to his coaching and instructing duties.
“Adversity is one of the greatest opportunities we can be presented with in life,” said Englander. “Adversity is an opportunity to see what you’re made of, to improve yourself, and to lift the spirits of others."
| Englander Year-by-Year |
| Year |
Overall |
UAA |
| 2007 |
12-20 |
2-4 |
| 2008 |
13-29-1 |
1-5 |
| 2009 |
12-33 |
3-3 |
| 2010 |
24-18 |
4-2 |
| 2011 |
33-15^ |
4-2 |
| 2012 |
27-16-1 |
4-4 |
| 2013 |
29-14^ |
5-3* |
| 2014 |
34-12^# |
6-2* |
| 2015 |
24-15 |
4-4 |
| 2016 |
26-15^ |
5-3 |
| 2017 |
24-16 |
11-5 |
| 2018 |
29-10 |
12-4 * |
| 2019 |
24-15^ |
7-7 |
| 2020 |
5-5 |
-- |
| 2021 |
20-10 |
-- |
| 2022 |
23-17 |
12-4 * |
| 2023 |
28-15 ^ |
11-5 |
| 2024 |
32-9 ^ |
13-3 * |
| 2025 |
30-14-1 ^ |
14-5-1 * |
| Overall |
449-298-3 (.601) |
113-62-1 (.645) |
* - UAA Champions
^ - NCAA Regionals
# - school record for wins |
A year earlier, the Spartans shattered the school record for wins and finished at 33-15 overall. CWRU earned the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history and placed third during the Mideast Regional in Marietta. Senior third baseman Chad Mullins was named the D3Baseball.com National Player of the Year and an ABCA/Rawlings All-American – each a program first.
Before being named head coach at Case Western Reserve on July 6, 2006, Englander served as an assistant coach for four seasons at The College of Wooster under the legendary Tim Pettorini. At Wooster, Englander was responsible for coaching pitchers and catchers, recruiting student-athletes, and running the team’s strength & conditioning program.
During his time as an assistant coach, the Fighting Scots won three straight North Coast Athletic Conference Championships (2004-06) with three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Englander began his collegiate coaching career immediately following an outstanding playing career with the Fighting Scots. The right-handed pitcher (1999-2002) was a two-time All-American that won 32 games on the mound. As a senior in 2002, he was 10-1 with a 2.31 earned run average and six complete games. For his career, he ranked third all-time in Scot history in wins (32) and 10th in ERA (2.79).
Englander earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wooster in 2002. He resides in Rocky River with his wife, Erin, and has two sons, Quinton and Miles.
Englander Highlights
- All-time winningest coach in CWRU baseball history
- 2018, 2024, & 2025 UAA Coaching Staff of the Year
- Highest ranking in program history in 2024 (seventh in D3baseball.com Top 25)
- Six UAA Championships (2013, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2024, & 2025)
- 2014 D3Baseball.com Mideast Coach of the Year
- 2025 NCAA Cleveland Regional Champions
- 2014, 2019 & 2024 NCAA Regional Runner-Up
- School-record 34 wins in 2014
- 2012 J. Bruce Jackson Award for excellence in undergraduate mentoring
- First national ranking in program history (2013)
- First NCAA Regional berth in school history (2011)
- 400th career win on March 24, 2024 vs. Chicago
Updated August 2025
