The Montclair State University baseball team is coming off another solid season, where they had their sixth straight winning campaign under head coach Dave Lorber.
Last season, they finished 24-16-1 overall, while going 10-7-1 and finishing fourth in a very tough New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), where six of 10 teams finished with a record above .500. Five teams from the conference made it to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regionals.
In the preseason NJAC coaches poll, Montclair State ranked fourth, behind Ramapo, Rowan and Kean. Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
The Red Hawks had one of the better lineups in the conference last season, finishing fourth in the conference in runs, third in homers and third in on-base percentage.
Much of the offense from last season is returning for the Red Hawks, and will continue to play a key part in the success. But something to keep an eye on is the young pitching staff that will be thrust into heavy responsibility.
“We need the young arms to step up, and we need some of the returning arms to step up,” said Lorber. “That will kind of dictate where we fall in terms of the season.”
Montclair State opened up its season at home at Yogi Berra Stadium with a three-game set against the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, marking the start of an eight-game homestand for the Red Hawks.
Pitcher Colin Dowlen delivers to the plate during a 2025 game against Rutgers-Newark. Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
New contributors have become a yearly occurrence for the Red Hawks. Senior right-handed pitcher Colin Dowlen and senior backstop Zach Stearns spoke about players they could see stepping up for Montclair State this season.
Senior catcher Zach Stearns has played in over 30 games every season of his college career. Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
“I think our freshmen will be a very important point of this team,” said Stearns. “I think they are ready to step up. I think we have a good freshman pitching staff who are pretty game-ready.”
Stearns also spoke highly of one freshman in particular. “I think Danny O’Brien will really prosper in this. I think he is a great player and has a great heart, and he works really hard.”
Dowlen echoed that sentiment.
“From a defensive and offensive perspective, I think Danny O’Brien has shown a lot over the fall,” says Dowlen. “He could be a huge piece to this team, and Christian Petino in center field, transferring from Caldwell, I think he could be a good piece, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
As the season begins, one common word continues to float around Montclair State’s clubhouse.
“This year, obviously the goal is to have a championship, but I think our real goal is to be a selfless team, and I think that’s how winning teams are built, being selfless and being for the team,” said Dowlen. “As a team, just everyone working together and being selfless and bringing the energy this year.”
Montclair State struck out the least among NJAC teams in 2025. Lorber and the Red Hawks take pride in limiting their swings and misses in an era when strikeouts have become a regular part of the game.
Head coach Dave Lorber will enter his seventh season at the helm of Montclair State baseball this spring. Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
“There are more strikeouts because stuff is better in pitchers,” Lorber said. “We have gotten away from core beliefs that ball in play matters, and for us, ball in play definitely matters. Something we talk about is strike zone recognition; we talk about being a tough out, we talk about having a two-strike approach, all of those things play into it. We take pride in the fact that we limit our strikeouts on the offensive side.”
Going into the season, Lorber talked about what his biggest message he emphasizes to the guys is.
“My biggest message to them is if we communicate and we know where we are supposed to be, it will just become second nature once we are out there,” Lorber said. “Just be loose, have fun, and do what you are trained to do. It doesn’t change whether we are hitting in a cage or hitting on a football field or hitting on a baseball field, the only thing that changes is the composition level and your heart rate.”
Montclair State came in at number four in the preseason NJAC coaches poll. With a high standard set for a championship program, the Red Hawks once again are looking toward the sky to begin the year.
“There are always high expectations around this program, so we will kind of see how this group builds into their own,” said Lorber.
