Hobart baseball head coach Brad Cook added another milestone to the program’s remarkable resurgence this week, earning 2026 ABCA/ATEC Regional Coach of the Year honors following the most successful season in Statesmen history.
Voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association, the award comes after Cook guided Hobart to a record-setting 32-15 campaign in just the program’s fourth varsity season since returning from a 27-year hiatus. The Statesmen surpassed the previous school record for wins while posting an 11-5 mark in Liberty League play and finishing second in the conference’s West Division.
Hobart also made a memorable postseason run. The Statesmen reached the Liberty League Tournament championship round and secured the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1992. Once there, Hobart collected its first NCAA Tournament victory and first win over a nationally ranked opponent by defeating No. 14 Mount Union in the Salisbury Regional. The Statesmen added a second regional win before their season ended against host and eighth-ranked Salisbury.
The success was fueled by a team that rewrote the program record book. Hobart set more than a dozen single-season records, including marks for hits, doubles, runs scored, stolen bases, innings pitched, strikeouts and fielding percentage.
Nationally, the Statesmen led Division III with 24 triples and ranked among the top 25 in several categories, including fielding percentage, WHIP, stolen bases, walks allowed per nine innings and shutouts.
Cook, who is assisted by Vincent Redmond, Ed Redmond and Nick Serce, has steadily elevated the program since its return. After winning nine games in 2023, Hobart improved each season, culminating in this year’s historic 32-win campaign and a 76-72 overall record under Cook’s leadership.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.