In March 2011, Lesley University's baseball program began its inaugural season under the coaching of Michael Rocco, who has established a foundation for a program that has come into respectibility within two seasons of the team's inception.

After taking the team from an 0-28 record in the team's inaugural season of 2011, Rocco was named New England Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 2012 after the team improved to 8-26.

"I am privileged and honored that the Lesley Athletic Department has chosen me to pilot its athletic program to a new level of competition and notoriety with the addition of baseball to the men's varsity sports," commented Rocco.

Rocco comes to Lesley after the spending 2009-2010 at NECC rival Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. Rocco served as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator that went 4-6 in NECC conference games this past season. Aside from his recruiting duties, he worked with the hitters and infielders as well as serving numerous other game day duties.

During the summer of 2008, Rocco was an assistant coach with the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. There he coached top college players from around the country and helped guide them to the Northern Division finals. Two players from that Keene squad were selected in the 2009 First Year Player Draft in the 3rd and 19th rounds, respectively.

Before coaching at Daniel Webster, Rocco was a standout at Bryant University as the first baseman for the Bulldogs. A four-year starter, Rocco completed his career as the program leader in games played (204), third in career hits (221) and was the career leader in put outs, which he currently holds the NCAA Division II career and single season records.

As a freshman in 2004, Rocco helped lead the Bulldogs to their first ever Division II College World Series appearance in Montgomery, Alabama. That season saw Rocco garner Northeast 10 Conference Freshman of the Year honors. The following year in 2005, Rocco was a member of the Bryant basketball team that reached the NCAA Division II National Championship game.

The Tewksbury, Massachusetts native began his coaching career with the Billerica American Legion program and also served a year on the Lowell American Legion staff. He has also served as the Head Coach of the cross country team at Daniel Webster where he guided the Eagles to an NECC championship in 2008, culminating with a berth in the NCAA Regionals and his being named NECC Coach of the Year.

Rocco also serves as a certified teacher's aide at Tewksbury Memorial High School in Tewksbury, MA. He resides in South Boston.

Pat Donovan began his first year on the Lesley baseball coaching staff in the Spring of 2011 during the program's inaugural season after being appointed to his position in July of 2010.

Donovan is a 2007 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. In his two years at Lowell, he was a two-time First Team All-Northeast-10 Conference Selection, as well as being a First Team All-New England Honoree. In his two years he set the program record for saves in a single season and saves in a career.

Prior to Lowell, Donovan played two years at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, in which he was named Little East Conference Rookie of the Year in 2004 and was a two-time Little East Conference All-Conference Selection as both a pitcher and an outfielder.

Upon the completion of his collegiate career, the Lowell native played for the Ottawa Rapidz of the Independent Can-Am Baseball League for the summer of 2008. He also spent two years at his former high school with the Lowell (MA) High School Varsity Baseball Staff as their pitching coach in 2008 and 2009. In the spring of 2010, he was the freshman coach at Dracut (MA) High School.

Donovan is the Fitness Director at Gold's Gym in Westborough and currently resides in Lowell.

Mike Kenneally joined the Lesley University baseball staff in August 2010 in its inaugural season.

“Mike has a wealth of knowledge and without a doubt will be a huge asset to our program," said Rocco. “He will be able to work with all position players because of his versatility as a player. I am thrilled to have him aboard.”

A Georgetown native, Kenneally was an assistant coach and helped select the Northeast Bay State team from 2009-2012.  He was also a coach for the Milton HS winter camp in 2011 and served as assistant coach for the 11U Boston Junior Rams AAU team in 2010. 

Kenneally currently lives in Dorchester and works for Arbella Insurance in Quincy.