Kean Baseball Locked in for Success 

By: David Macaulay-Smith I Published: February 26, 2025

The Kean University Baseball team is off to a hot 5-0 start this season, with the Cougars looking to build on last year’s success under the guidance of longtime Head Coach Neil Ioviero, who enters his 28th season at the helm. Ioviero, the winningest coach of any sport in Kean Athletics history, has led the Cougars to a string of historic accomplishments, including the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championship and six appearances in the Division III World Series.  

For Ioviero and his team, the expectations remain high as Kean pursues its next chapter of success.  

“It’s going to sound redundant and cliché, but every year the standards are the standards,” said Ioviero. 

“We’re always looking to come in first place in our regular season, we’re looking to win the conference tournament, we’re looking to go to an NCAA tournament. We’re looking to go to a super regional, and we’re looking to get back to the World Series that we were at six times. We are trying to get back to this, so every year it’s the same; it never changes,” added Ioviero.  

The Cougars had a strong outing in 2024, finishing 27-15 overall and 12-6 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). They reached the NJAC Tournament for the 17th consecutive year while notching impressive victories over six nationally ranked opponents.

 Among the highlights was Ioviero’s 800th career win, a milestone that underscores his legacy as one of the top coaches in collegiate baseball.  

“If you really know me, I don’t want attention on me for things like this,” clarified Ioviero.

 “I didn’t throw a pitch or get a hit. The players do the work. It’s nice to be recognized for longevity, but when we got the 800th win, I was already focused on 801. It’s always about the next game. I’m grateful to Kelly, the staff, and the players for everything they’ve done to get here. It’s nice to be recognized, but it’s all about the players and their hard work,” Ioviero added.  

Looking ahead, the Cougars will lean heavily on a roster that includes First-Team All-NJAC selections Kyle Adorno and Tyler Stone. Adorno, a senior, was an offensive force last season, hitting .395 in conference games while tallying 32 hits, 18 runs scored, nine RBIs, five doubles, and five stolen bases. 

Entering his final season, Adorno is motivated to push the team to its limits.  

“I have the same mentality every single year that I have stepped out on the field, and it’s just to be the guy, help the team, help my teammates and just be there for them,” said Adorno.

 “My goal for my final season is to go out there and win it all. I would say we have a really strong team, and I think we’re going to do it this year,” added Adorno.  

Stone, who burst onto the scene last season as a sophomore, hit .357 in NJAC play with 25 hits, 14 RBIs, and five doubles. 

Now a junior, Stone is ready to take on a larger role as a leader both on and off the field.  

“I see myself evolving by taking on a bigger leadership role on the team because last year I was one of the younger guys,” said Stone.

 “Returning, playing a lot last year, definitely means I have to be more of a leader. And for myself, I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing, and everything should go as planned,” noted Stone.  

While offensive firepower will undoubtedly play a role in the Cougars’ success, Ioviero has built the team’s identity around pitching, defense, and execution—a formula that has proven successful throughout his career.  

“Well, we can get a lot of production from a lot of different areas. I mean, we have a really good and deep pitching staff, so when you have a good pitching staff and a defense that plays the way we do, you’re looking to keep the score down all the time,” said Ioviero.

 “If the score is low, then you don’t have to score as many runs to win. When you’re giving up a lot of runs and making errors and walking people, that’s when you’ve got to figure out how to get a lot of runs. So we’re trying to operate a lot of times on a run prevention system versus a run production. The more runs we can prevent, the less runs we have to score,” explained Ioviero.  

With a deep pitching staff, improved defense, and a mix of veterans and rising younger players, Kean’s roster is designed to frustrate opposing teams and force them into mistakes.  

“Our veteran players that are older, have a lot of experience and they’re good mentors, but at the same time, the sophomore class played a lot last year, so they’re not regular sophomore players,” remarked Ioviero.

 “They have the experience of veteran players, so there’s a really good mix of the team. Through our defense and our team speed, we have good arms. We really package a tough game where you have to really beat us to win because the defense is going to make it hard to not give you those extra runners on the bases, by making errors or the pitcher’s not gonna walk [batters]. You know, we’re trying to limit those beginnings, so we think we’re in pretty good shape as far as that goes,” Ioviero added.

Adorno and Stone echoed Ioviero’s focus on preparation and execution as key factors for the Cougars to sustain their momentum.  

“We’re just going to be dogs, and we’re just going to go out there and fight every single game like we always do,” said Adorno.  

Stone emphasized keeping up the energy.

“I think it’s all about the energy and focus at practice—staying locked in on the plays and executing them properly. That’s all we need to do,”

 “I think we have a very talented team, and we’re going to get it done,” Stones added.  

As the Cougars gear up for NJAC play, their goals remain unwavering: to dominate the conference, secure a spot in the NCAA postseason, and make another run at the Division III World Series. With Ioviero’s unmatched leadership, a deep and talented roster, and an unwavering commitment to preparation and discipline, Kean Baseball is poised for yet another memorable season.