Bryant announced Thursday that it has hired Steve Owens as its new head baseball coach. Owens has led Le Moyne to 11 straight winning seasons, and he has coached 27 players who went on to play professionally in 19 years as a head coach at Le Moyne and Division III power Cortland (N.Y.) State.

A two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferenc coach of the year, Owens is one of the most respected coaches in the Northeast, and he is a fantastic hire for the Bulldogs. He replaces 2010 Northeast Conference coach of the year Jamie Pinzino, who was forced to resign last month in the wake of an alcohol-related arrest.

“I would like to thank Bryant University for the opportunity to be its next head baseball coach,” Owens said in a release. “It is very clear to me that the leadership and plan for excellence at Bryant University matches both the immediate and long-term goals that I have for the baseball program. I very much look forward to meeting and working with my players. In addition, I am excited to establish relationships with my colleagues and integrate my family into both the campus and community.”

Owens takes over a Bryant team that went 34-22 in just its second Division I season, winning the 2010 Northeast Conference regular-season title with a 25-7 league mark. The Bulldogs will become full members of the NEC and become NCAA-tournament eligible in 2012-13.

Le Moyne, meanwhile, remains indepedent after it was abruptly dumped by the MAAC in the summer of 2007, effectively blocking the Dolphins' path to regionals. Owens had led them to the NCAA tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2007.