Since his arrival at Columbia, Head Coach Brett Boretti has revitalized the Columbia Baseball program in every aspect, building the Lions into a perennial Ivy League contender. Under his leadership, Boretti has led the Lions to six Gehrig Division titles, eight Ivy League Championships, 15 wins over ranked programs and seven NCAA Tournament victories. The Lions have been to six NCAA Tournaments in the last 13 years. He has also been honored as Ivy League Coach of the Year four times (2015, 2018, 2022, 2024) and ABCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2015. Six of Boretti's players have been Ivy League Player of the Year, and five have been named Rookie of the Year. Columbia has had 146 players receive conference recognition under Boretti's leadership, including 48 First Team selections. Additionally, designated hitter Joey Falcone became the first Columbia baseball All-American in 31 years after being selected to the NCBWA second team and to the ABCA third team in 2015. Since 2012, 12 of Boretti's players have been drafted by Major League clubs, and three have signed as free agents. On April 6, 2024, Boretti became Columbia baseball's all-time wins leader with a 19-6 victory at Dartmouth. It was the 360th win of Boretti's 19-year Columbia career, surpassing Hall of Famer Paul Fernandes for the all-time record in program history. Boretti is currently sixth all-time in wins among Ivy League coaches since the conference was formed in 1956. Boretti's staff includes Associate Head Coach Tom Carty, Canyon Kyle, and two-time All-Ivy League First Team infielder/three-time Ivy League champion David Vandercook '15CC.
2026 Columbia Baseball Review
The Lions once again positioned themselves among the Ivy League's top programs in 2026. Columbia earned a berth in the Ivy League Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, extending a stretch of sustained success that has become a hallmark of the program under head coach Brett Boretti. The Lions battled through a demanding schedule, collected several signature victories, produced some of the conference's top individual performers, and remained in postseason contention until the final weekend of the regular season. One of the defining moments of the season came in early March when Columbia traveled to Morgantown and defeated No. 23 West Virginia, 7-4. The Mountaineers would go on to advance to the College World Series, giving the Lions one of the most impressive wins by any Ivy League program. As a team, the Lions led the conference in homers and slugging percentage, while posting the fewest strikeouts. Jack Kail once again established himself as one of the Ivy League's premier players. The senior infielder earned First Team All-Ivy League honors for the second consecutive year and was named to the ABCA All-Northeast Region squad. Kail finished fourth in the Ivy League with a .337 batting average, recorded 57 hits, 15 doubles and 37 RBI and struck out only nine times in 169 at-bats. His elite bat-to-ball skills ranked among the best in the country, making him one of the toughest hitters in Division I baseball to retire. On the mound, Thomas Santana served as one of Columbia's most dependable starters. The senior right-hander logged nearly 60 innings, won five games and struck out 51 batters. Evan Kleinhans anchored the bullpen, appearing in 23 games, which was the most in the Ivy League.
Other 2026 Highlights/Notables
- Boasted the No. 18 non-conference strength of schedule in the country.
- Had a pair of big come-from-behind victories, erasing a nine-run deficit over Penn and overcame falling behind 7-0 in a walk-off win over Yale.
- Jimmy Chadwell, Cole Fellows, Thomas Santana earned spots on the CSC Academic All-District Team
2025 Ivy League Champions
The Lions captured the 2025 Ivy League Tournament Championship, clinching their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013. Columbia would go on to earn a victory in the Hattiesburg Regional for their seventh NCAA postseason win under head coach Brett Boretti.
Robertson Field at Satow Stadium is one of the best college baseball facilities in the Northeast and in the Ivy League. Robertson Field received an update during the summer of 2019 as new turf was installed. Previously named Andy Coakley Field for 86 years, the venue was updated and renamed Robertson Field in 2007 and then its current Robertson Field at Satow Stadium after additional improvements in 2011. In fall 2007, the playing surface was rebuilt with FieldTurf™, enabling the Lions to have more outdoor practice opportunities during the offseason. Another upgrade took place during the summer of 2010 when stadium-style seating was installed, adding to the stadium's capacity. Included in the renovations were upgraded dugouts, rebuilt scoreboard and an extended press box as the facility officially became known as Robertson Field at Satow Stadium. Then in 2016, updated batting cages were installed beyond the leftfield wall. The stadium is the site of America’s first-ever televised sporting event, a Columbia-Princeton baseball contest on May 17, 1939.
The award-winning Campbell Sports Center is a five-story, 48,000-square-foot building, located on the corner of Broadway and 218th Street. It contains sports program offices, a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center, an auditorium with seating for 175, hospitality suite, a study center, theater-style multimedia athletics classroom, student-athlete lounge, conference rooms, team meeting rooms, banquet and event facility with kitchen and administrative offices for Columbia’s outdoor sports programs. It was built with one purpose in mind: to meet the needs of Columbia’s student-athletes. The venue provides the occupants and student-athletes a home base alongside the fields, courts and other facilities of the Baker Athletics Complex. All of Columbia’s outdoor sports programs are based here: football, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse and field hockey.
During the winter months, Columbia Baseball has access to a brand-new indoor winter practice facility, the Bubble at Baker, a Seasonal Air-Supported Structure (SASS) located at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. Located at Columbia’s Baker Athletics Complex (corner of Broadway and 218th Street) and adjacent to the Campbell Sports Center, the Bubble at Baker is a heated air-supported dome enclosing Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium and field. The facility also features a brand-new Field Turf Revolution 360 playing surface, which was installed in October 2017. The bubble is inflated each winter from December through March.
Under Brett Boretti, Columbia has won eight Ivy League Championships: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Columbia Baseball has had 10 former players see Major League Baseball action, while 30 have been selected in the MLB Draft. Since Head Coach Brett Boretti's arrival, 12 Lions have been selected in the MLB Draft. Recognizable Columbia draft picks include Lou Gehrig, Eddie Collins, Gene Larkin and Frank Seminara. Recently, Josh Simpson '19CC was called up to the Miami Marlins roster in late 2023 and made his Major League debut in 2025. He is currently in the Seattle Mariners organization. Weston Eberly '23CC was selected in the 16th round of the 2023 Draft by the Chicago White Sox.