Mick Janosko has served as the head coach of the Bearcats since 1998, and has built a program that focuses on success, both on and off the playing field.
“The players and staff realize the value of hard work,” said Coach Janosko. “There is no substitute. That’s why our philosophy is pretty simple – commitment, hard work and focus. We want players who are committed, who work hard, and who have good focus, not only on the field, but off the field as well.”
Janosko concluded the 2024 season with 482 wins, by far the winningest head coach in the SVC baseball team’s long history. His teams have eclipsed the 20-win plateau 12 times, including a school-record 27-17 mark in 2003 and a 26-20 record in 2004. The 2004 squad won the American Mideast Conference and advanced to the NAIA Regional Finals, falling one game short of the NAIA World Series. Janosko was named both the AMC and NAIA Region IX Coach of the Year.
The Bearcats have qualified for the PAC Championship Tournament seven times since the 2012 campaign, advancing to the PAC title game in both 2021 and 2023. The 2022 squad, which put together a team-record 16-game winning streak midway through the season, reached the PAC semifinals.
Janosko has coached 106 players who have earned all-conference honors, as well as all seven All-America selections in program history and 2023 National Association of Baseball Coaches All-Defensive Team honoree Jordan Sabol.
Along with their success on the field, the Bearcats have always been a strong-performing team in the classroom. More than 80 players have been named to the PAC Academic Honor Roll since 2011, while the team has received the ABCA’s Team Academic Award in both 2023 and 2023, recognizing squads that post a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the entire academic year.
Prior to being named head coach at Saint Vincent College, Janosko was previously the assistant coach at Point Park College from 1992-1994. During his two years as assistant coach, the Pioneers finished second and first respectively in the Keystone Empire Collegiate Conference.
As a player, Janosko had a successful career, playing at two top-ranked college programs, Marietta College and Point Park College. During his senior season at Point Park, Janosko played left field, catcher and designated hitter on a Pioneer team that posted a then-national record winning streak of 44 games. He hit .390 that year while driving in 32 runs. He participated in two College World Series and had several tryouts with pro clubs including Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Cincinnati. He is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association.
A 1986 graduate of East Allegheny High School, Janosko lettered in both football and baseball, earning all-section honors his junior and senior years. In 2006, he was named to the East Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame for his athletic achievements. He played semi-pro baseball for 12 years in the Daily News League, a newspaper sponsored league in the Mon-Valley area of Pittsburgh that has been in existence for over 90 years. He retired after the 1999 season.
In 2013, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, East Boros chapter, for his accomplishments both on the field and in the dugout.
A 1990 graduate of Point Park College, Janosko earned his degree in journalism-communications. He and his wife Melodi reside in East McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and have three sons, Parker, Kendall and Traynor.
COACH JANOSKO - YEAR-BY-YEAR
| 1998 |
16 |
26 |
|
| 1999 |
20 |
20 |
|
| 2000 |
15 |
33 |
|
| 2001 |
21 |
23 |
The Bearcats set the school's all-time single-season win record |
| 2002 |
21 |
23 |
|
| 2003 |
27 |
17 |
The Bearcats shatter their previous mark for wins in a season. |
| 2004 |
26 |
20 |
AMC North Division Champs, runners-up in the Region IX tournament; Janosko wins AMC North and Region IX Coach of the Year awards; Joe Pichler wins AMC North Player of the Year |
| 2005 |
22 |
24 |
|
| 2006 |
23 |
23 |
Third straight AMC playoff appearance |
| 2007 |
8 |
25 |
First year in NCAA Division III and PAC |
| 2008 |
16 |
19 |
|
| 2009 |
8 |
30 |
|
| 2010 |
20 |
20 |
|
| 2011 |
16 |
24 |
|
| 2012 |
24 |
19 |
First PAC Playoff Appearance |
| 2013 |
19 |
20 |
Qualified for PAC Tournament |
| 2014 |
18 |
21 |
|
| 2015 |
18 |
20 |
|
| 2016 |
17 |
20 |
|
| 2017 |
14 |
21 |
|
| 2018 |
15 |
21 |
Qualified for the PAC Tournament |
| 2019 |
20 |
19 |
Bobby Finn sets single season HR record (12) |
| 2020 |
3 |
4 |
Season canceled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 |
17 |
18 |
Advanced to PAC championship finals |
| 2022 |
24 |
14 |
Program-record 16-game winning streak from April 2 - April 20; Qualified for PAC Tournament |
| 2023 |
22 |
18 |
PAC Tournament runner-up; Billy Perroz breaks single-season hits (63) and doubles (17) record |
| 2024 |
11 |
25 |
|
| Overall |
481 |
567 |
|
