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Marek Drabinski finally ended his chase for an elusive Ivy
League title in his 11th year at the helm of the Brown baseball
program last season. He led the Bears to a team-record 27 wins,
besting the previous mark of 25 set by his 2002 club and earning
New England Coach of the Year honors from the New England
Intercollegiate Baseball Association. Drabinski also recorded
three-straight 23-win seasons from 1999 to 2001, which tie for the
third-most wins in a season by a Brown squad. In addition to his
head coaching responsibilities, Drabinski works closely with the
Bears pitchers and catchers. 2007 was Brown's seventh season with
double-digit wins in the Ivy League, six of which have come under
Drabinski's watch, as the Bears took the Red Rolfe Division title
with a 14-6 mark. Brown was once again the top hitting team in the
Ivy League, hitting .346 in League games, 39 points ahead of any
other team. The Bears also led the League in on-base percentage,
slugging, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in,
and stolen bases. Brown's pitchers also were outstanding, finishing
second with a 4.22 ERA in Ivy play and recording a League-high 153
strikeouts, 28 more than any other team. The Bears raked in
postseason honors as a result, with Devin Thomas' unanimous
selection as Ivy League Player of the Year and Jeff Dietz's
selection as Pitcher of the Year headlining a list of five First
Team and two Second Team All-Ivy, four All-New England, and three
All-Northeast honorees. In the last nine years, the Bears have
compiled 105 Ivy wins, the second-highest among Ivy League schools.
Drabinski was the runner-up for New England Coach of the Year in
1999 after leading Brown to its first winning season in 10 years.
During his tenure, Brown has had 28 First Team All-Ivy, 23 All-New
England and 13 All-Northeast Region selections. Drabinski has
coached a total of 15 players who have gone on to play
professionally, including Thomas, Brown's highest draft pick since
1973 when he was chosen in the seventh round of the MLB First-Year
Player Draft by the Detroit Tigers last summer, and Dietz, who
signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks after his junior season.
Drabinski arrived at Brown after a three-year stint as an assistant
coach at his alma mater, the University of Connecticut, under
legendary head coach Andy Baylock. He was responsible for the Husky
catchers and outfielders, and also served as the conditioning coach
and assistant hitting coach. A 1991 graduate of Connecticut with a
degree in finance, Drabinski was a four-year starter for the
Huskies at catcher. He was selected as captain both his junior and
senior seasons, with the 1990 team capturing the Big East
Conference Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Northeast Regional.
UConn's MVP in 1990, Drabinski also earned All-Big East Conference
honors in 1988 and was a member of the 1990 Big East Conference
Tournament Team. After his collegiate playing career, Drabinski
spent two-plus seasons with the Atlanta Braves organization, making
stops in Idaho Falls and spending two seasons with the Braves'
Class A affiliate in Macon, Georgia. After his pro career, he
returned to Connecticut in 1994, earning his Master's Degree in
Sports Management. Drabinski is the director of the highly
successful Brown Baseball Camps, which has gained the reputation of
developing outstanding young pitchers. He and his staff also
conduct several youth clinics throughout the year. Marek, a native
of Chicopee, Massachusetts, now resides in Lisbon, Connecticut,
with his wife, Tracie, and his three children, Brandon (11), Jordyn
(9) and Austin (6).
