JERSEY CITY, N.J. - After a comprehensive national search that drew a large and highly qualified pool of applicants, Saint Peter's University is proud to announce
TJ Ward as the 13th head coach of its baseball program. The selection process included a thorough review of candidates, with top finalists invited to campus for in-depth discussions and evaluations. Those brought forward were chosen for their strong alignment with the needs of the program, the University's values, and its broader mission. Ward emerged as the clear choice to lead the program into its next chapter.
Ward is no stranger to the community surrounding Saint Peter's. He is a native of Jersey City and attended Saint Peter's Prep, where he played baseball prior to his collegiate and professional career. Director of Athletics
Katie Arcuri said "We are incredibly excited about the future of Saint Peter's Baseball under TJ's direction. TJ has an undeniable work ethic and passion, both for the game of baseball and for helping student-athletes grow as individuals. He will support our student-athletes and ensure the program's culture continues to align with Saint Peter's University Mission."
Ward joins the Peacocks after a successful tenure at the University of Hartford, where he served as recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. During his time with the Hawks, Ward guided the program to record-breaking offensive success, including the highest team batting average and on-base percentage in school history in 2025. In addition,he helped the program set the single-season home run record back in 2022. As recruiting coordinator, Ward recruited and developed multiple all-conference and all-region players.
Ward previously coached at Ramapo College, where he helped lead the Roadrunners to the 2019 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship game. In addition, he coached and instructed with MVP New England and Camilleri Baseball, working with players who advanced to the Division I and professional levels.
"I would like to thank
Katie Arcuri, President [Hubert] Benitez, and the rest of the administration for trusting me to lead the Saint Peter's baseball program," Ward stated. "This is a great opportunity to come back home and build a program that competes and strives for more on the field, in the classroom and in the community. I am looking forward to getting on campus to work with the student-athletes, connect with alumni and set the standard right away. I am honored and excited to be in the Peacock family and believe the future is bright in Jersey City!"
As a professional player, Ward competed in both the United Shores Professional Baseball League and the Frontier League. He was a 2019 USPBL All-Star, a league champion in 2018 and posted a .296 career batting average with the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers and New Jersey Jackals.
As a collegiate player, Ward was a four-year member of the University of Hartford baseball team (2014–2018). He helped lead the Hawks to the 2018 America East Conference regular season and tournament championships, earning First Team All-Conference honors twice and served as team captain his final two seasons.
Ward graduated magna cum laude from the University of Hartford in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics/Secondary Education.