Mark Woodworth - Head Baseball Coach

(860) 685-2924 - mwoodworth@wesleyan.edu

           Mark Woodworth, a 1994 graduate of Wesleyan University, enters his seventh season as Wesleyan's head baseball coach and member of the faculty. He is a part of a unique tradition as he is only the third head baseball coach at the school in the last 67 years. An adjunct assistant professor of physical education, he led Wesleyan baseball to the NESCAC tournament in two of his first four seasons, and was named the NESCAC Coach of the Year in 2002.
        Mark brings a wealth of experience accrued over 19 years of baseball coaching, including 13 at the college level. Before his stint as head coach at Wesleyan, he served as an assistant coach at Amherst College, as well as the head baseball coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. From 1996-97, he was an assistant coach at Wesleyan, while earning his Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree.
        In 1995, he coached four future major leaguers as an assistant for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League, the same league in which he played for the Wareham Gatemen in 1993.
        At Wesleyan, Mark also teaches and serves as the director of intramurals. In addition, he is the New England coordinator for the Division III national baseball coaches poll.
       As a player at Wesleyan, Mark was a four-year starter at shortstop, graduating as the all-time Wesleyan leader in games played. He was captain of the 1994 Wesleyan team which broke school records en route to winning the NCAA New England title before playing in the NCAA Division III World Series. The Cardinals finished their run with a berth in the national championship game, finishing runner-up, while posting a best-ever 30-8 record.
       Mark is a native of Norwell, Mass. and a 1990 graduate of Norwell High School. He was a three-sport captain, earned All-South Shore League honors in baseball, soccer and basketball, and was named the South Shore League Athlete of the Year in 1990. He also participated in numerous summer baseball leagues including American Legion, the Cranberry League, and the Boston Park League.
       Mark's coaching philosophy is marked by helping players to enjoy their experience and reach their potential. Focus is placed on the teaching of exceptional technique combined with a mental approach that allows players to play relaxed, confident and aggressive baseball under pressure.
       As a supplement to his baseball teachings, Mark has written a book, The Rhythm of Baseball, about the technique and mental approach of baseball.
     He is married to the former Robin McLellan, a 1997 graduate of Wesleyan University.  The have a one-year-old daughter, Lily Grace Woodworth.

      Dave McCarthy enters his third season with the Wesleyan baseball staff. A 1993 graduate of Colby College, he has an exceptional background of athletic success, including being one of the best pitchers in New England his senior year. A four-year starter on the mound, the left-handed thrower batted and played in the outfield when not pitching. McCarthy also was a three-year starter at tailback and a captain of the Colby football team which went 5-3 in 1993.
      A native of Rockland, Mass., he had a standout high school career in football and baseball. He was named to the South Shore League All-Star team in both sports, and was honored as a prestigious Boston Globe All-Scholastic as a senior in baseball. In 2007, he was voted into the Rockland High athletics Hall of Fame. After college, he served one season as an assistant football coach at Western Connecticut State University.
 

      Rob Manzo returns to Wesleyan after serving as an assistant baseball coach for the Cardinals during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Rob has had great success as a baseball coach, most recently with St. Paul Catholic High in Bristol, Conn., but also as the long-time head coach of his hometown Berlin American Legion team. His 2002 Legion squad won the prestigious Connecticut state title, recording a dominating 42-6 record.
      Prior to that, Rob spent three seasons coaching at his alma mater, Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., where he starred as a four-year starting catcher.
 

      Rich Adelstein enters his sixth season as the Faculty Mentor to the Wesleyan baseball team. He is an invaluable member of the staff, serving as a liaison in the quest to align athletic programs with academic and student life. Prof. Adelstein has been at Wesleyan since 1975, joining the economics department as an assistant professor in 1975, moving up to associate professor in 1981 and full professor in 1990.  He was the winner of the first Wesleyan University Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993. He also has spent time at Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Oxford.  Along with his duties in the economics department, Pro. Adelstein is a tutor in the College of Social Studies at Wesleyan and serves as director of the Public Affairs Center.
      In addition to his focus on economics, Prof. Adelstein was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1978. He received his Ph.D. and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A.A. from Wesleyan University, and an M.A.T. from Harvard University. He spent his undergraduate years at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1968 and catching on the varsity baseball team.