Amherst College Athletics

A name familiar to baseball fans in the Lehigh Valley, Adrian Yaguez just completed his 16th season as skipper of the Spartan baseball team.  Yaguez has guided the Spartans to 11 Region 19 Final Four appearances, eight (8) EPAC conference championships, three (3) Region 19 runner-up finishes, two (2) NJCAA World Series appearances and one (1) Region 19 championship (2018) during his tenure.

2025 was a season of ups and downs for the Spartan Baseball program, as they reached a high of #4 in the country during the season, but then were plagued with injuries, falling in the opening round of the Region 19 playoffs and finishing with a 21-20 overall record.  The Spartans did capture their 8th EPAC Conference championship during the Yaguez-era, with Yaguez earning Coach of the Year honors..  Yaguez, in his 17th season, passed Hall of Famer John Sweeney as the winningest coach in program history, notching his 434th win, to eclipse Sweeney's 433 victories in 20 seasons.

2024 was one for the history books for the Northampton program, as the Spartans earned their first ever national #1 ranking (which they held for 2 weeks) and set a program record for wins with 47.  The Spartans were the #2 seed for the Region 19 Tournament and finished as the Region runner-up to RCSJ-Gloucester.  Yaguez recorded his 400th career win during the season and was named EPAC Coach of the Year after guiding his team to the conference title.  10 Spartans earned All-Region accolades and Pitcher Austin Beard earned Region 19 Pitcher of the Year honors. The Spartans finished 47-10, ranked 3rd in the final poll of the season. 

The 2023 season saw the Spartans finish the season ranked 11th in the country, finishing with an overall record of 32-15.  The Spartans advanced to the Region 19 Final Four, where they advanced to the semi-finals as the #3 seed.  Shane Fillman earned First Team All-Region honors, while Jeff Sabater was a Second Team selection and Jake Black was tabbed as a Third Team pick. Sabater became Northampton's all-time hits leader and career stolen base king, while Fillman's 79 hits were the second most in a single season in program history.

2022 was a return to some sense of normalcy as challenges of the pandemic lessened somewhat.  The Spartans advanced to their 9th Region 19 Final Four, finishing the year at 34-12 overall, earning votes in the final NJCAA DIII poll of the year, after being in the top-10 throughout the regular season. Ryan Santangelo and Jeff Sabater earned Second Team All-Region honors.

2021 saw the Spartans return to the diamond despite the challenges of playing through the COVID pandemic.  Yaguez guided Northampton to a record of 16-9, including a 6-0 mark in Region 19.  Yaguez also achieved a milestone during the 2021 campaign, winning his 300th game on May 1st, with a 5-2 victory over Central Penn College. 

The 2020 season ended after 10 games for the Spartans, as they finished 4-6 overall, but still ranked in the top-10 of various national polls.  The Spartans had just completed their last game in Myrtle Beach when they were informed that the 2020 season was over due to the pandemic. 

The 2019 squad set a program record for wins (37) and led the NJCAA in homeruns, with 73 round-trippers in 47 games.  The Spartans ascended as high as #2 in the national poll, which was also a program-best mark. After rejoining the EPAC, the Spartans claimed the conference championship and earned the #2 seed for the Region XIX Tournament, where they advanced to their 8th Final Four in 11 seasons under Yaguez.   Tommy Dunleavy was named Region XIX Player of the Year, while CJ Gantz earned EPAC Player of the Year honors. The Spartans placed six players on the All-Region team, as well as six on the All-Conference team.  Yaguez was honored for his efforts with the EPAC Coach of the Year Award. 

The 2018 team, which was ranked as high as #3 in the country early in the season, actually fell to 6-7 at one point, before winning 29 of their final 37 games, capturing the program's first-ever Region XIX Championship and advancing to their 2nd consecutive NJCAA World Series. The Spartans finished 35-15 overall and were the #3 seed for the Region XIX tournament, where they knocked off Bergen in the first round, before topping RCGC (#1 in the country), Cumberland (#2 in the country) and Brookdale twice in the Final Four to claim the title at Kean University. 

Yaguez earned NJCAA District Coach of the Year and ABCA/Diamond Regional Coach of the Year honors, while sophomore Tyler Melko and freshman CJ Peechatka were both named to First Team All Region.  Sophomore shortstop Christian Del Toro earned Third Team accolades.  Freshman Tommy Dunleavy was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team, while Melko was named a NJCAA First Team All-American. 

The 2017 squad finished 35-9 overall and advanced to the NJCAA World Series in Greeneville, Tennessee.  The Spartans rose to #5 in the NJCAA national poll and earned the #2 seed for the Region XIX tournament, where they fell to Cumberland County College in the Region XIX title game.   Yaguez picked up his 200th career victory at Northampton on April 23rd when the Spartans defeated perennial power Brookdale, 13-2.  Sophomore Angel Lopez earned EPAC Player of the Year honors along with First Team All Region accolades, as six Spartans in total earned post-season honors.  Yaguez won his 4th EPAC Coach of the Year Award, as the Spartans finished 10-0 in conference play.  Colton Hooker earned NJCAA World Series All-Tournament honors and Lopez became Northampton's first MLB draft pick, as he was selected in the 13th round by the Cleveland Indians. In addition, Lopez was named a NJCAA All-American, earned a Rawlings Gold Glove and was honored by Spalding as the NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year. Lopez became the second Gold Glove award winner under Yaguez, following Keith Sacarakis in 2009.

In 2016 Yaguez and the Spartans returned to the Region XIX Final Four after a two-year absence, advancing with a series victory over Middlesex County College in the opening round of the playoffs.  The Spartans finished 27-13 overall, were the #4 seed for the Regional playoffs and were nationally-ranked throughout the season.  Angel Lopez was named EPAC Player of the Year and First Team All Region, while Yaguez garnered his third EPAC Coach of the Year Award. 

The 2015 Spartans finished with an overall record of 23-18, advancing to the Region XIX playoffs as the #6 seed, where they fell to #3 Bergen.  Northampton placed five players on the All-Region Team and were ranked in the NJCAA national top-10 poll at several times during the season.

The Spartans finished the 2014 season with an overall record of 18-11, winning their third consecutive EPAC championship.  Northampton was nationally-ranked during the year, moving as high as #8 in the national poll.  Four players earned All-Conference honors, with Freshman Zach Sheranko being named Conference Player of the Year, while Yaguez earned his second consecutive Coach of the Year honor.

The Spartans finished the 2013 season with a 27-13 record and earned votes in the NJCAA national poll.  The Spartans placed four players on the All-EPAC Team and two players were named to the All-Region squad.  In addition, Yaguez achieved his 100th career victory at NCC on April 9th at Montgomery County Community College.

Yaguez, former Head Coach of the Lehigh Valley Catz of the ACBL for 7 years, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the dugout at Northampton.  Yaguez has served as an Assistant Coach at NCC, Phillipsburg High School and NCAA Division I Lafayette College.  Success has followed Yaguez; an ACBL championship in 2003, EPCC championships during his tenure at NCC and a trip to the NCAA College World Series Regionals while a member of the staff at Lafayette in 2007.

Yaguez received his bachelors degree from DeSales University and his masters degree from East Stroudsburg University.  A native of New Jersey, Coach Yaguez resides in Easton with his wife Erica, sons Jackson and Lucas and daughter Leora.

HONORS / AWARDS
2025 - EPAC Coach of the Year 
2024 - EPAC Coach of the Year
2019 - EPAC Coach of the Year 
2018 - ABCA/Diamond NJCAA District G Coach of the Year 
2018 - NJCAA District G Coach of the Year 
2017 - EPAC Co-Coach of the Year 
2016 - EPAC Coach of the Year 
2014 - EPAC Coach of the Year
2013 - EPAC Coach of the Year

YAGUEZ AT NORTHAMPTON (17 seasons - thru 2025)
OVERALL RECORD: 438-226 (66%)
REGION RECORD: 199-93 (68%)