Mike Stone is in his 22nd season as the head baseball coach at the University of Massachusetts, after returning to his alma mater in 1988 from the University of Vermont. In his first 20 seasons, the Minutemen compiled a 534-443-2 (.546) record.

Since his hiring as head coach in 1988, Stone has led the Minutemen to eight Atlantic 10 regular season titles, two Atlantic 10 Tournament crowns and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He has also guided the Minutemen to the championship of the Beanpot Baseball Classic five times in the last nine seasons, most recently in 2008. Respected as one of the nation’s elite coaches, Stone became the all-time winningest coach in UMass history when the Minutemen swept a doubleheader from Saint Joseph’s on May 8, 2001.

The 1996 season marked the most successful year in school history, as Stone guided UMass to its third straight Atlantic 10 Conference regular season championship and a second straight Atlantic 10 Tournament crown. The Minutemen advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, reaching the East Regional finals and winning the school’s first NCAA Tournament game since 1969. UMass finished the season on a 25-4 run, including a school record 18-game winning streak, (which was best in the nation) and posted 40 wins for the first time in school history.

In 1995, Stone led the Minutemen to their first NCAA Championship berth since 1978, while the team won 38 games, second-most in school history. In addition to claiming the Atlantic 10 regular season title, UMass won its first Atlantic 10 Tournament crown since 1980.

From 1994-1996, Stone was a three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year selection. Stone has sent 33 players into professional baseball during his 20 years at UMASS. In addition to his teams winning Atlantic 10 Tournament titles in 1995 and 1996, Stone’s squads finished as runner-up in the Atlantic 10 in 1988, 1991, 1997, 2000 and 2003. He has also led the Minutemen to 13 appearances at the Atlantic 10 Championship in 20 seasons.

After his graduation from the Taft School in Connecticut in 1974, Stone signed a professional contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a catcher in the Cardinals’ system for three years and played in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league organization for two seasons.