STATEN ISLAND, NY – For nearly two decades, the recent stories of College of Staten Island baseball have often been told through two things: championship baseball and head coach Michael Mauro. 

From the dugout at the CSI Baseball Complex to championship celebrations and postseason milestones, Mauro became a role model with the program he spent 18 years building, mentoring, and guiding. Now, after nearly two decades at the helm, Mauro will retire from his coaching responsibilities in June 2026, leaving behind a legacy measured by far more than wins and losses. 

"[Michael] Mauro is CSI Baseball," said Athletic Director Matthew Scally. "What Mike has given to the program and this college is immeasurable and goes far beyond wins. When you look back on his legacy it will truly be about the impact that he has had on the lives of the young men who have played for him." 

A cornerstone of Staten Island baseball, Mauro arrived at CSI in September 2008, succeeding longtime head coach and 2018 CSI Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Bill Cali, who led the program for 14 seasons. Taking over a successful program brought expectations, pressure, and uncertainty, but Mauro embraced the challenge. 

In his first season, the Dolphins reached the CUNYAC postseason after finishing 19-20 overall and 6-2 in conference play, and one year later, Mauro delivered his first CUNYAC Championship, the beginning of an era that would come to define CSI baseball. 

"You know, the wins and losses never really meant much to me," Mauro said. "It was always about the relationships with my players and teaching them about life. With that said, winning is contagious, and I just had great kids during that time. It was fun." 

What followed was one of the most successful coaching runs in program history. Mauro led the Dolphins to seven CUNYAC championships, helped sustain a winning culture, and earned 10 Coach of the Year honors across the CUNYAC, ECAC, and East Coast Conference. Yet even amid the success, Mauro remembers the pressure he placed on himself in the beginning. 

"Coming into CSI, especially after Cali, I felt like I had to prove something," Mauro reflected. "I was very headstrong and thought I had to make a name for myself. By the third or fourth season, it got easier as I finally understood everything always works itself out." 

And work itself out, it did. 

By the conclusion of the 2026 season, Mauro finished his coaching career with 342 wins, the most in program history, becoming the winningest coach across both the Division III and Division II eras of CSI Baseball. But numbers alone never captured the full story. 

The transition to Division II presented an entirely new challenge; one Mauro says required an army. When CSI officially joined the East Coast Conference in 2020, amid the uncertainty of a global public health crisis, the program entered into unfamiliar territory. As time went on, the Dolphins steadily improved, rewarding them with their first ever ECC Tournament berth in 2025, a season that also brought Mauro his first ECC Coach of the Year honor. 

Mauro credits much of that transition to the support of Athletic Director, Scally, President Timothy Lynch, and the rest of the CSI administration. 

"It would've been impossible to do this alone," Mauro said. "They understand the pressure and everything that comes with running a Division II program, and they supported us every step of the way." 

Following the Dolphins' historic postseason breakthrough in 2025, Mauro considered stepping away. Instead, conversations with Scally and Lynch convinced him to stay for one more season. 

"They get it," Mauro said. "They made me want to come back and stay within athletics a little bit longer." 

The timing of retirement, in many ways, felt fitting. 

Throughout the 2026 season, the Dolphins spent the year on the road, even for home games, while construction transformed the CSI Baseball Complex, the same field where Mauro celebrated championships, milestones, and countless memories. 

"We won my first CUNYAC Championship on that field," Mauro said. "With the transition to a new facility and us still growing into Division II, it just feels right. It feels like a new era." 

His legacy was never only about banners or records. It was built in dugout conversations, bus rides, practices, and lessons that stretched beyond baseball. For generations of players, Mauro was more than a coach; he was a mentor, teacher, and constant presence. 

"I just want my current and former players to know I gave it everything I had every day," Mauro said. "Sometimes I fell short, but my heart was always in the right place. I tried to teach the game of baseball, but more importantly, the way of life." 

Scally continued, "there have been championships and many wins, but it is the lasting relationships between his players and his colleagues that make him a true winner. He has served as a mentor to so many other coaches and since my arrival at CSI, he has been an incredible asset to me off the field." 

While stepping away from the dugout, Mauro will remain a familiar face at CSI, continuing in his role as Marketing and Development Coordinator and staying connected to athletics in the years ahead. Additionally, Mauro will also remain as the Vice President of TLC Physical Therapy on Staten Island.  

"Being a head coach here and being part of the Staten Island baseball community has been the most wonderful experience of my life," Mauro said. "I'll carry that with me forever. I want to thank Matthew Scally, President Lynch, all my assistants throughout my time here, and everyone who supported me and guided me through this journey." 

For 18 years, Michael Mauro helped shape the identity of CSI Baseball. 

Now, as one chapter closes, the foundation he built ensures the story will continue. 

"I cannot thank him enough for all the time, effort, dedication, and love that he has poured into the baseball program. CSI Athletics and I are thankful that Mike will still be part of our department moving forward and his impact will still be felt on a regular basis," Scally concluded.