MONKS BASEBALL NEWSLETTER Issue #2 ~ March 7th, 2025
2025 SJC Baseball Hot Stove Auction a Huge Success
The Saint Joseph’s baseball team launched its 2025 season on Saturday, January 11, with the 19th annual Hot Stove Auction, drawing over 250 attendees. Established in 2005 by longtime Head Coach Will Sanborn ’86, the event funds the team’s annual Florida trip, equipment, and other program needs. Aside from a brief COVID hiatus, the auction has remained a cornerstone of SJC baseball. Each year, alumni, local businesses, and families of current players donate hundreds of items, ranging from gift cards and sports memorabilia to vacation packages and pro sports tickets. This year’s event featured a cash bar, pizza, apparel sales, raffles, and both silent and live auctions. Coach Sanborn, who also served as the auctioneer, expressed his gratitude: “It was incredible to see such a strong turnout despite the weather. The support from parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the program truly highlights what makes the Saint Joseph’s College Baseball Family so special.” Thanks to the generosity of attendees and donors, the event surpassed its fundraising goal, raising over $35,000 in just three hours. Notable auction items included three vacation packages, Bruins and Celtics tickets, and the highest-selling item - a gourmet dinner for 10, which went for $2,200, generously donated by alum Mike Greve ’00 and his brother, professional chef Chris Greve.
Former Standout Nic Lops Returns to SJC Coaching StaA Saint Joseph’s College baseball is excited to welcome back former standout catcher and three-year Hitting Coach Nic Lops ’15, who returns to the Shores of Sebago as the Monks’ Director of Player Development this spring. Lops rejoins St. Joe’s after a three-year stint as Head Coach at Southern Maine Community College, where he led the Seawolves to three championships and earned YSCC Coach of the Year honors each season. Since 2022, he has also managed the Sanford Mainers of the NECBL, winning NECBL Joel Cooney Manager of the Year twice - one of only two coaches in league history to do so. As a four-year starter for the Monks, Lops posted a .357 career batting average with 193 hits, 82 runs, 38 doubles, and 130 RBI across 154 games. He was a key contributor to three GNAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, earning multiple accolades, including GNAC Rookie of the Year, GNAC Tournament MVP, and several All-New England nods. After college, Lops signed professional contracts with the Watertown Bucks (Empire Professional Baseball League) and the Ottawa Champions (Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball) in 2016.
2025 SPRING TRIP SCHEDULE @ RUSSMATT INVITATIONAL