Head Coach Dave Lorber
Dave Lorber was named the 12th head coach in the history of the baseball program in December 2019.
Lorber came to Montclair State after spending the 2019 campaign at Stockton University, where he was named the school's first full-time head coach. He doubled the Ospreys' win total from the previous season, which included a 10-game winning streak to open the season. Stockton also recorded its first NJAC doubleheader sweep in three seasons.
Lorber has been instrumental in bringing the baseball program back to prominence on the national level, leading the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 for the first time since 2009. The Red Hawks tallied 31 victories during the year, crossing the 30-win plateau for the first time since 2006. Peter Cosentino was named an All-American in 2021 and became the first in program history to gain Academic All-American honors in 2022.
During the shortened 2020 season, Lorber guided the Red Hawks to an 8-4 mark, and saw Joe Norton and Michael Schweyher gain weekly NJAC honors. The season was highlighted by a sweep of then nationally-ranked Cortland in a doubleheader.
Before joining the Ospreys, Lorber spent six years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at George Washington University. His responsibilities included working with the infielders, team defense, and hitting in addition to coordinating the recruiting efforts for the NCAA Division I program. In 2015, he helped the Colonials set a school record with a .978 fielding percentage that ranked 20th in the nation.
George Washington qualified for the Atlantic-10 Tournament five times and surpassed the 30-win mark three times in Lorber's six years on the staff. The string of playoff appearances began with a 2013 berth that ended a six-year drought for the program. Lorber recruited and coached nine players who became Major League Baseball draft picks as well as two All-Americans and 13 all-conference performers.
Lorber also possesses college coaching experience at Division I Stony Brook helping the Seawolves to the College World Series in 2012. He also spent time at Division II Felician College and Division III Eastern University plus one season at Brookdale Community College.
Lorber played one season at Central Connecticut State after two years at Brookdale Community College, where he helped the latter to the NJCCA Division 2 World Series in 2005. He earned his bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut in 2008.
Casey Gaynor
Casey Gaynor is in his fifth season with the Red Hawks and serves as the pitching coach as well as recruiting coordinator, bringing a wealth of experience to the Montclair State staff after spending four seasons in both roles at Rutgers University.
In 2016, Gaynor mentored senior ace Howie Brey to All-Big Ten honors after the left-hander worked 100.1 innings with four complete games. Brey worked to a 3.50 ERA with 84 strikeouts, a total that ranks third-most in a season in school history. Following the year, Brey was picked in the 31st round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros.
Gaynor was part of the staff in 2015 that helped the Scarlet Knights transition to the Big Ten Conference. After the season, junior Mark McCoy was selected in the 29th round of the MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals.
In 2014, Gaynor was tasked with reworking a staff that graduated 100 percent of the weekend starting innings. He was able to successfully mold the unit to pitch to a 3.41 ERA in conference play, with a freshman pitcher starting 41 games overall.
Several hurlers earned accolades following the season, including Brey picking up all-conference and Gaby Rosa recording American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year. Rosa also went on to register Freshman All-America status. A Rutgers pitcher collected a weekly honor from the conference office in eight of the 14 weeks of the season.
In his first season on staff, Gaynor had three seniors sign professional contracts, while the pitching unit allowed a combined two runs to College World Series participant Louisville and USF in games at the Big East Tournament to reach the semifinals of the event.
The Toms River, N.J., native, who graduated in 2010, spent two years playing baseball professionally. After proving highly successful on the mound for Rutgers, the Cleveland Indians signed the right-hander.
Gaynor spent one season with the Indians' Class A affiliate Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New York Penn League. With the Scrappers, he compiled a 4.04 ERA with a 5-2 record, appearing in 16 games and starting in five. Following his year with the Indians organization, Gaynor spent the summer of 2011 pitching for the Newark Bears in an independent baseball league. There, he started 13 games and compiled a 5-4 record.
Following his stay in professional baseball, Gaynor stayed involved by teaching the game by offering his knowledge and guidance to pitchers at camps and clinics. From June 2018 until August 2019, Gaynor was the Director of Pitching at GAINS Sports Performance. At GAINS, he created personalized pitching plans for clients and worked with innovative pitching and hitting technology used to improve technique.
The Toms River East High School graduate ('06) was one of the best and most reliable pitchers to take the rubber for the Scarlet Knights. Gaynor covers the baseball record books, ranking first all-time at Rutgers in starts (52) and innings (317.0). He also ranks second in career strikeouts, punching out 227 hitters in four seasons.
As a senior in 2010, Gaynor tallied eight wins to tie him for sixth all-time on the Rutgers single-season list. That year, he helped lead the Scarlet Knights to a 30-26 record, which placed sixth in the Big East. Rutgers reached the semifinals of the conference tournament that year. Gaynor was a member of the squad that gave Hill his 1,000th career victory that season.
His baseball success dates back to Little League. As an 11-year-old, Gaynor played with former Rutgers teammate Todd Frazier on the Toms River East America All-Star team that captured the World Championship at the Little League World Series in 1998.
Baseball runs in his family as well, as his brother Colin played for the Scarlet Knights baseball team from 2003-05.
Gaynor, who still resides in Toms River, N.J., graduated from Rutgers with a major in history and a minor in psychology.
John Wells
John Wells is entering his fifth season on the Montclair State baseball staff and will serve as the bench coach.
Wells arrives at Montclair with nearly 30 years of baseball coaching experience. He founded the Baseball U development and placement organization in 2006. Since that time, 119 Baseball U alumni have been drafted, and over 650 players have gone on to further their education in college.
Wells has acted as an associate scout for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, and Seattle Mariners for over 17 years. He led the New Jersey Colts to two straight Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League in 2001-02 and then joined the coaching staff at Brookdale Community College.
At Brookdale, Wells worked with the pitchers and coordinated the offense as the third base coach. He helped the squad to five NJCAA World Series appearances in his eight years on the staff.
Joe Norton
Bio Coming Soon!