Inside Athletics

Brian Leighton enters his 19th season as the head baseball coach at Albertus Magnus College. Just the second head coach in Albertus baseball history, Leighton received the reigns of the Falcons’ program in the summer of 2004.

Leighton guided the Falcons to an overall record of 10-24 in the 2022 season. The Falcons turned their season around after a slow start to the campaign, posting a 10-12 record during the second half of the season. Behind a league mark of 8-10, the Falcons advanced to the GNAC tournament as the sixth seed, where they fell to the second-seeded Wildcats of Johnson & Wales University in the playoff opener. Coach Leighton had three players - Matt Lewczyk (Windsor, Conn.), Jason Sullivan (Meriden, Conn.), and Sean Jefferson (West Haven, Conn.) - receive GNAC All-Conference honors. At the same time, Michael Pepe (Cheshire, Conn.) was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.  

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the baseball team played 19 games in 2021 and finished with an overall mark of 5-14. Behind a league mark of 3-11, the Falcons advanced to the GNAC Tournament as the fourth seed, defeating Norwich University in round one, 5-2, but fell short 6-2 against Anna Maria College in a single-elimination game. Coach Leighton had three players - Matt Warren (Wolcott, Conn.), Brandon Clark (Cheshire, Conn.), and Justen Rodriguez (Waterbury, Conn.) - earn GNAC All-Conference honors. 

Due to the cancelation of the 2020 spring season by the GNAC as part of the NCAA's approach to limiting exposure to COVID-19, the Falcons competed in just 10 games that year. Albertus was off to a fantastic start to the season, going 6-4 over the first 10 contests. The Falcons led the GNAC in home runs (17) and slugging percentage (.560) while being second in runs scored (83) and RBI (76). 

Leighton guided the Falcons to a 20-14 overall record in 2019, including a fifth-place finish in the GNAC with a 9-7 mark. Albertus opened the spring campaign with a record of 6-2, highlighted by a four-game winning streak. In the month of April, the Falcons went 12-5 overall as well as road an impressive six-game winning streak. Leighton had four players earn GNAC All-Conference honors - Matt Warren (Wolcott, Conn.), Mike Browne (New Fairfield, Conn.), Tyriq Harris (Waterbury, Conn.), and Elijah Spataj (Cheshire, Conn.). 

In 2018, Albertus Magnus finished with an overall record of 8-21, including a doubleheader sweep against Rivier, and posted a league mark of 4-10. Leighton landed five players on the GNAC All-Conference teams. Third basemen Matt Warren (Wolcott, Conn.) was named to the first team after a standout year at the plate. At the same time, senior Tom Crocco (Kings Park, N.Y.) and junior Tyriq Harris (Waterbury, Conn.) both received second-team distinction. Sophomore Christian Bradley (Stratford, Conn.) and Brandon Clark (Cheshire, Conn.) rounded out the league-end honors for Albertus by being named to the third team.

In 2017, the Falcons earned a 10-21-1 overall record and competed in the GNAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed following a 5-9 conference mark. Senior transfer Andrew Scully (Stratford, Conn.) earned GNAC All-Conference First Team honors to lead the Falcons. On April 13, 2017, the Falcons used a 5-4 victory over Mt. St. Vincent to give Leighton his 150th career victory at the helm of the Albertus baseball program. 

In his 12th season at the program's helm, Head Coach Brian Leighton guided the Falcons to their most conference victories since 2014. AMC swept a GNAC doubleheader versus Rivier and split four conference twin bills this year. Albertus Magnus also earned four extra-inning triumphs and four walk-off wins. Albertus Magnus ended the year with a 13-21 overall record and earned the No. 5 seed in the GNAC Tournament thanks to a 6-8 mark in league action. 

In 2016, two Falcons earned All-GNAC honors as both Justin Poirier and Mike Saia were named to the Third Team.

Three players earned GNAC honors in 2015, as Anthony Pellegrino, Justin Poirier, and Tyler Robertson were each named to the Third Team.  During the 2015 campaign, the Falcons finished the year 11-21.

In 2014, the Falcons finished 16-14, the most wins for the program in a single season under Leighton.  The 16 wins were also the most for the program since the Falcons' finished the 2004 season 16-16 overall. Leighton coached four players to GNAC All-Conference honors in the spring of 2014 as Anthony Pellegrino led the way as he was named to the All-Conference First Team. Jack Pritchard was named to the All-Conference Second Team, while both Patrick Dornfried and Zak Sokolis earned All-Conference Third Team honors.

In 2013, the Falcons earned a 13-18 overall record and competed in the GNAC Tournament as the No. 5 seed.  Pellegrino and Dornfried earned GNAC All-Conference Third Team honors to lead the Falcons. On April 21, 2013, the Falcons used an 8-1 victory over Emerson College in Malden, Mass. to give Leighton his 100th career victory at the helm of the Albertus baseball program.  He is the seventh coach in the Albertus Magnus Department of Athletics history to reach the 100-win milestone. 

In 2012, three student-athletes earned GNAC All-Conference honors as freshman Anthony Pellegrino (Branford, Conn.) led the way with Second Team recognition. Seniors Malcolm Mendez (New York, N.Y.) and Kyle Calechman (North Haven, Conn.) were also tagged with Third Team honors.

In 2011, two student-athletes earned individual GNAC recognition. Robert Bengivengo was named to the league’s All-Conference First Team, while Robert Gambardella (North Haven, Conn.) was tagged as a Second Team member. The Falcons finished the regular season fifth in the conference with an 8-6 league record.

Before arriving at Albertus, Leighton served as the head coach of the Coventry (Conn.) High School baseball team and was a student-assistant coach at his alma mater Eastern Connecticut State University from 2000-04. With ECSU, Leighton helped guide the Warriors to the Division III College World Series three times, finishing first, second and third place, respectively. Leighton also coached in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) in the summer of 2003.

In addition to coaching, Leighton has been a facilitator for the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Leadership Conference for two years. He has also served on the ECAC Championship Baseball Selection Committee.

Leighton served as General Manager of the Torrington Titans of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) in 2010 and helped his club capture the Kaiser Division Championship title. Most recently, in the summer of 2011, he was named the Assistant General Manager of the Mystic Schooners of the NECBL.

Leighton holds a degree in Psychology from ECSU and an M.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Bridgeport. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Organizational Leadership at Grand Canyon University.  

Coach Leighton's All-Time Coaching Record

^ - limited schedule due to COVID-19 pandemic