Hilbert College Athletics

Drew Fittry, the two-time Hilbert College | Sal Buscalia Coach of the Year, enters his tenth season during the 2025-26 academic year.

Fittry has led the baseball program to five consecutive postseason appearances and is the winningest coach in program history.

During his nine seasons at the helm, the Hawks have established themselves as one of the top base running teams in the conference each year, placing in the top three in the AMCC in stolen bases in all nine seasons, while finishing #1 five times (2017, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025).  In 2022, the Hawks finished 11th nationally in stolen bases per game (2.97) and led the AMCC in stolen bases with 107 and then again in 2023 with 82.

Fittry guided the Hawks' baseball program to it's first AMCC Final Four weekend and skippered them to the title game in the double elimination tournament in 2023.  Hilbert saw great success in 2023 setting single season records in wins (26), games played (44), at bats (1417), runs (320), hits (435), doubles (76), triples (18), home runs (25), RBI (296), total bases (622), walks (191), hit by pitch (44), sacrifice flies (19), saves (12), innings pitched (337.2), fielding percentage (.949), chances (1495), putouts (1012), and assists (407).  The Hawks led the AMCC in triples, stolen bases (82), and ranked second in extra bases, hits, and RBIs.

This past spring, Fittry led a squad that featured six All-Conference selections, as well as a pair of d3baseball.com Team of the Week members (Dustin Hendrix and Tyler Noel).
 
Over the past nine seasons, Fittry has produced 28 AMCC All-Conference selections, three Hilbert McGrath Award winners (given to a graduating student-athlete who has demonstrated exemplary achievement both academically and athletically while at Hilbert College), seven All-Region honorees in Ryan Bonafede, Thomas Evans, Brendan Walsh, Patrick Whelan (2x), John Riviere-Vejas, and Joey Haynes, and he has developed the last four Hilbert Male Athletes of the Year in Whelan (2022), Evans (2023), Riviere-Vejas (2024), Haynes (2025).
 
Prior to serving as head coach, the former Division I standout made his mark on the pitching staff during his two seasons as the Hilbert pitching coach. Fittry’s staff set nine single-season program records and finished both seasons with the fewest walks allowed in the conference.

Fittry had a successful and rewarding baseball career at Niagara University. He was a four-year starter, 2-Time College Baseball Today MAAC Preseason All-Conference Candidate, 2-Time MAAC All-Academic Selection and named team captain his senior year. The former Purple Eagle ace finished his career ranked third in program history in starts (39) while accumulating 192.1 innings pitched and 107 strikeouts. Fittry also spent his summers playing in collegiate leagues throughout the country. He played for the Walla Walla Sweets of the West Coast League in 2011, the Herndon Braves of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League in 2012, and the California Glory of the Pacific West Baseball League (PWBL) in 2013. While playing for the Glory, Fittry went 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA over 50 innings pitched and was named a PWBL all-star starter.

In addition to coaching at Hilbert, Fittry has served as an instructor at Niagara University Baseball Clinics (2010-2014), Herndon Braves Summer Baseball Camps (2012), University at Buffalo Summer Baseball Camps (2012-2015), All In Sports Complex (2015), WNY Strike Zone (2017) and after the conclusion of the 2017 college season, Fittry spent the summer as the head coach of the Rochester Lake Monsters of the Interstate Collegiate Baseball League (ICBL).

Over his eight seasons coaching at the collegiate level, Fittry has coached a pair of MLB Draft Picks and seen a former Hilbert ballplayer ink a pro contract. Tanner Cooper was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 35th Round of the 2019 MLB Draft and Ben Cowles was selected by the New York Yankees in the 10th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Then In 2022, Hilbert College alum Aydan Rolph signed a professional contract with the Bakersfield Train Robbers of the Pecos League.

The Tonawanda native graduated from Niagara University in 2014 with a bachelor’s in sport management (concentration in sport operations) and a minor in gerontology. He currently resides in Lancaster with his wife Meghan and three children Brayden, Penelope and Chase.