COACHING STAFF

Megan T. Bryant
Head Coach

Megan T. Bryant was named Stony Brook's head softball coach in 2001. A three-time America East Coach of the Year (2009, 2012 & 2014), Bryant is the winningest manager in program history with 630 career victories at the helm of the Seawolves' program. She has 974 total in 36 seasons of coaching.

In year one as a member of the CAA, Bryant guided the Seawolves to a 29-27 record, with a 10-13 mark in league play. Stony Brook earned the No. 7 seed in the 2023 CAA Championship, tabbing victories over No. 1 Delaware, No. 2 UNCW, No. 4 Elon and No. 6 Charleston. Under Bryant's tutelage, Alyssa Costello was selected to the All-Conference First Team, CAA Softball All-Tournament Team, NFCA Division I All-Region Team, earned CAA Player of the Week recognitions and was named the SUNY Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

In 2022, the softball program finished with a final record of 31-16 (.660), the program's most wins since the 2012 season when the Seawolves finished 36-17-1 (.676). Junior catcher Corinne Badger became the first student-athlete in program history to claim the National Player of the Week honor after a historic weekend at the FIU Tournament (Feb. 25-27). Graduate pitcher Dawn Bodrug and Badger were named to the NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Team. Bodrug recorded four no-hitters, tossed 22 complete games, and 10 shutouts.

After having their season cut short in 2020, Stony Brook returned to the field in 2021 and got off to a hot start, sweeping the Winthrop Kickoff Tournament to take hold of a 4-0 record. Bryant led the Seawolves back to the conference tournament and to the finals after taking down No. 2 seeded UAlbany. Unfortunately, the rematch of the 2019 AE Championships did not fall in favor of Stony Brook as UMBC bested the Seawolves 1-0 in the finals. Dawn Bodrug recorded the season's only no-hitter and second of her career against Binghamton on March 27.

Stony Brook got off to its best start in 29 years in 2020, winning its first seven games en route to a 10-4 record. Though the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Seawolves broke onto the national stage, becoming the last unbeaten team in the country. The Seawolves led the America East in ERA (1.76), strikeouts (105), fielding percentage (0.995) and more. In the shortened season, JUCO transfer Dawn Bodrug tossed the program's first perfect game in eight years and senior Jourdin Hering hit for the cycle.

In 2019, Bryant led the Seawolves back to the conference tournament, besting UMass Lowell, 2-1 before falling in the finals to UMBC. The softball program finished with a final record of 32-19, its best record since 2014. It was the program's 11th winning campaign in its last 13 years. The Seawolves had their third America East Player of the Year in the past five seasons in junior Marissa Rahrich. The P/1B was named to the NFCA All-Region team and was a First Team All-Conference selection for the second year in a row.

Bryant recorded her 500th career win with the Seawolves on May 9, 2018, guiding the program past UMBC, 5-1, in the America East Championships. She recorded her 800th career victory as a collegiate head coach on May 6, 2016 with an 8-0 win over in-state rival Albany, making her the 25th coach in NCAA Division 1 history to surpass the 800-win plateau.

Stony Brook went 25-22 (10-7 AE) in 2018, going 2-2 in conference postseason play. Under Bryant, four Seawolves earned America East All-Conference awards in 2018: Melissa Rahrich - America East Player of the Year/First Team, Irene Rivera - First Team, Nicole McCarvill - Second Team/All-Rookie, Katelyn Corr - All-Academic. Rahrich also became the 12th player in program history to earn an NFCA All-Region selection.

Under Bryant's leadership, the program has tallied a winning conference record in 11 of the last 12 seasons. Bryant guided the Seawolves to a winning America East record in 16 of their 20 years in the conference.

She made school history in 2008 when she led the Seawolves to their first-ever America East Championship and into the NCAA Tournament. In the opening round at the Tempe Regional, Stony Brook faced the eventual national champion, Arizona State, and gave the Sun Devils all they could handle in a 2-0 defeat.

Bryant again led the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2013 after an improbable run through the America East Tournament. The Seawolves lost their opening game of the competition, before winning four straight elimination games, including two against top-seed Albany to clinch the title. Stony Brook became just the second team in America East Tournament history to win the championship after losing its first game. After winning the title, Stony Brook was sent to the Columbia Regional where it faced No. 6 overall seed Missouri and Oregon State.

In 2009, Bryant coached the Seawolves to the school's first America East regular season title and a program-best 36 wins. For her efforts, Bryant was named the 2009 America East Coach of the Year. She has since gone on to receive the award in 2012 after another 36-win campaign and in 2014 after guiding the Seawolves to 34 wins and a regular-season crown They also won the 2015 regular-season title under her leadership.

During her tenure, Bryant's players have received numerous national and conference accolades. She has coached 12 NFCA All-Region players (most recently Melissa Rahrich in 2019), 36 different All-America East selections, 16 America East All-Rookie team players, three America East Pitcher of the Year recipients (Allison Cukrov in 2012 & 2014) and three Stony Brook Female Athletes of the Year.

As successful as Bryant's teams have been on the diamond, they have enjoyed equal success in the classroom. Her teams traditionally have one of the highest GPA's among Stony Brook's female teams, and since 2007 have placed 15 players on the America East All-Academic team.

Prior to Stony Brook, Bryant served as the head coach at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, from 1988-99. Before Bryant's arrival, the Bulldogs had endured five straight losing seasons and three straight last-place finishes in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). After a 13-44 finish her first season, Bryant led Drake to a 33-24 record, 10-6 in the MVC, in 1990, which earned her MVC Coach of the Year accolades. In 1993, just four years after her arrival, Drake won both the MVC regular season and tournament titles while compiling a 35-16 record (13-3 MVC), the most wins in a season in school history. Bryant once again received MVC Coach of the Year honors. In 1994, Drake repeated as MVC Tournament champions and obtained a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs registered winning records six times and finished in the top four in the MVC five times in the last eight seasons Bryant was at the helm.

Bryant began her college coaching career at Stetson University in Deland, Fla., where she compiled a 63-40 record as head coach from 1985-87. Bryant inherited a program that had begun just the season before her arrival, and in her first season led Stetson to the New South Athletic Conference championship in 1986, receiving NSAC Coach of the Year honors. Stetson repeated as NSAC champions in 1987. Bryant has also served as an assistant coach at both Furman University in Greenville, S.C., in 1988 and at St. John's University.

Bryant also spent four years as a physical education instructor and head coach at Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak, N.Y., from 1981-85.

In addition to her coaching experience, Bryant has also served on two NCAA Certification Review Equity Subcommittees and as a member of the NCAA Division I Softball Midwest Region Committee. Bryant currently serves as the head coach representative on Stony Brook University's Intercollegiate Athletics Board and was previously involved with the USAToday/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Bryant graduated from the University of Bridgeport in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in physical education, K-12. She competed in both volleyball and softball at Bridgeport.

Sabrina Kuchta
Assistant Coach

Sabrina Kuchta joined the Stony Brook softball coaching staff prior to the 2023 season after spending the past six years as a head coach in the Premier Girls Fastpitch organization.

Kuchta has held different coaching roles at the club level. Since 2014, she has gained experience as an assistant head coach and a solo head coach of different club teams. She has coached over 50 athletes who committed to play softball at the college level.

Kuchta had a standout five-year softball career as a catcher at DePaul University from 2015-19. She was named to the 2015 All-BIG EAST Second Team as a true freshman. She had several career-defining moments, including recording a hit and two runs batted in to secure a BIG East Championship win over St. John’s as a junior in 2017. That sparked a streak of Kuchta and the Blue Demons winning three-straight BIG EAST Championships from 2017 to 2019.

Kuchta helped DePaul win three BIG EAST regular season and tournament titles and appear in three NCAA Tournaments during her career. She was a member of the BIG EAST All-Academic team during all five years of her career.

The Darien, Illinois, native earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Psychology, along with her master’s degree in Marketing from DePaul.

Tracey Balinskas
Assistant Coach

Balinskas joined Stony Brook's staff as a volunteer coach before the 2022 season and works with the Seawolves' pitchers. She has held previous coaching positions with The Beast 18u Gold Fastpitch (assistant coach), Saint Vincent Ferrer High School (head coach), and Adrenaline 14-16u Girls Fastpitch (assistant coach).

Prior to her coaching career, Balinskas earned her Bachelor's degree from Molloy in 2016. While at Molloy, she was a member of the softball team and played third base and pitched for the Lions. In 2015, she was named the ECC Player of the Year for her standout play on the field. During her collegiate career, she was named an NCAA Woman of the Year top 30 honoree, NFCA Scholar-Athlete award recipient, and Third Team Academic All-American.

Stephanie Bagwell
Assistant Coach

Stephanie Bagwell joined the Stony Brook Softball coaching staff in September of 2023. Bagwell joined the Seawolves after spending five seasons in the same position at Francis Marion University. The Patriots registered 141 wins during Bagwell's tenure as an assistant and most recently were crowned 2023 Conference Carolinas Tournament champions en route to the program's fourth-ever NCAA Tournament bid. Bagwell will focus on hitting and leading outfield groups, while also being responsible for practice and game day planning, assisting with recruiting and camps/clinics and will act as the program's academic liaison.

A member of the NFCA's Hall of Fame Committee, Bagwell earned her M.S. in applied health/sport science from Northwest Missouri State where she also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for the softball program. During her time with the Bearcats, the team compiled more than 50 wins, boasted 12 all-conference honorees and in 2018 set a program record for batting average.

Prior to her coaching career, Bagwell played collegiate softball at Lyon College, Sacramento City College and Saint Leo University. After helping Saint Leo capture its first-ever Sunshine State Conference Championship and NCAA Division II Tournament bid, the Fairfield, California native transferred to Sacramento City. She was an honorable mention to the All-Big 8 Conference with Sacramento City and helped her squad to a CCCAA Regional appearance.

Bagwell's final two seasons were spent at Lyon College where she hit .329 over two seasons. She enjoyed success on and off the field, earning both American Midwest Conference Second Team All-Conference distinction and recognition on the Academic All-American Midwest Conference. She graduated in 2016 with a B.S. degree in business administration.

Outside of college athletics, Bagwell's experience includes an event management internship with USA Softball and Major League Baseball. With USA Softball, Bagwell assisted in facility management, game day operations and the coordination of USA Softball Olympic Tournaments. She worked to initiate events enabling youth development through baseball and softball, including the MLB Breakthrough Series, during her time with the MLB.