Entering his 25th season as head coach of the Cal U baseball program, Mike Conte has continued the tradition of the Vulcans as one of the most successful and stable teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Conte became just the fourth head coach in PSAC history to reach the 600-win milestone in 2018. Already the all-time winningest coach in program history, he became the first Cal U head coach of a men’s sport to total at least 600 career victories. While in the dugout, Conte has guided the Vulcans to seven PSAC Western Division titles and 16 PSAC Tournament appearances with conference crowns in 2004 and 2010.
Conte was selected the 2019 PSAC West Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his career. He helped lead Cal U to a school record 37 overall and 19 PSAC West victories and the program’s first appearance in the PSAC Tournament since 2016. The Vulcans featured both the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and PSAC West Freshman of the Year with Eric Fairman, who set the single-season school record with 44 stolen bases, also being chosen a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
In 2016, the Vulcans boasted their second player in four years selected in the MLB Draft in PSAC West Athlete of the Year Mick Fennell. The St. Louis Cardinals selected the two-time, consensus all-region honoree and national semifinalist for the Tino Martinez Award in the 22nd round. A two-way player, Fennell was named an ABCA Third-Team All-American as a junior and received All-PSAC laurels in three-consecutive years.
Conte was tabbed the PSAC West Coach of the Year in 2013 after leading the program to a 35-18 overall record. The Vulcans also claimed a share of the PSAC West title and featured the first consensus All-American in program history in Kyle Petty. One of the most versatile players in the country, Petty became the first Cal U player in nearly two decades to be selected in the 2013 MLB Draft when he was taken by the Seattle Mariners in the 23rd round.
Cal U captured the PSAC Championship in 2010 in walk-off fashion and made its fifth all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament before finishing the season with a 34-18 overall record. Conte also earned PSAC West Coach of the Year laurels for the sixth time in his career.
In 2007, Conte guided the Vulcans to a then-school record 36 wins, a fourth-straight divisional title, a runner-up finish in the PSAC Tournament and the program's first NCAA Regional Tournament appearance since 1983.
Conte led Cal U to four-straight PSAC West championships from 2004-07 with the first PSAC Championship in 25 years. The championship team of 2004 featured two-time Academic All-American and PSAC West Athlete of the Year Mike Larson. Larson was an all-conference outfielder/pitcher after leading the team in average, homers, RBI and ERA.
The Vulcans won back-to-back PSAC West titles in 2001 and 2002 after posting a then-school record 16 conference wins. Outfielder Bryan Hartung was an all-conference player on the 2001 team before finishing his career as the school's all-time leader in homers and RBI. Hartung became the first Conte-coached player inducted into the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
During his 24 seasons as head coach, Conte has mentored 135 All-PSAC West players, eight PSAC West Athletes of the Year and five ABCA All-Americans. In addition to successful players on the diamond, he has coached the only four Academic All-Americans in program history and the only six players to receive the academic Top 10 Award from PSAC.
Since the start of the 2000 season, a total of 17 Vulcans have played professional baseball. Three members of the 2010 PSAC Championship team made their professional debuts the following summer. After a record-breaking spring with the Vulcans in 2011, pitcher Randy Sturgill played with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League during the summer. Additionally, shortstop Matt Peters played with the Washington Wild Things in 2015 after finishing his career in the spring as the school’s all-time hits leader. Petty was a two-time, minor league All-Star and advanced to Class AA while playing five seasons with Mariners. Fennell played two years with the Cardinals in the minor leagues before spending time with the Wild Things.
Prior to taking the head-coaching position in 1997, Conte served as an assistant coach for the late Chuck Gismondi, who set then-school records for wins and games coached.
A native of nearby Brownsville, Conte was a two-time all-conference outfielder at Virginia Tech. As a junior, he led the team with a .352 average and received an offer to play with the Baltimore Orioles, which he declined. Conte returned to school for his senior season and led the team in triples, homers, RBI, stolen bases and at-bats. He finished his career and still ranks fifth in Virginia Tech history with 43 career homers.
Following the 1989 college season, he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 19th round and played five seasons in the A's minor-league system before retiring after the 1993 season.
Conte completed his undergraduate degree in 1990. Following his professional playing career, he started his coaching career in 1994 at Cal U as an assistant and completed his master's degree in Geography and Regional Planning.
Conte resides in California with his wife Jamie and their four children, Louden, Payton, Jessie and Nina. Louden is a senior on the Cal U baseball team this season.
