Mike is entering his first year as an assistant coach for the Bears after working as the pitching coach at Fitch High School last spring and as the head coach at the University of Connecticut-Avery Point prior. He was honored by both the NJCAA and ABCA as the Div. II East District Coach of the Year in 2017 and helped lead the Pointers to a 29-16 overall record and their seventh trip to the NJCAA Div. II World Series in Enid, Oklahoma. Avery Point’s overall record with him at the helm was 80-48-1, and a best 30-12-1 in 2018.
Mike began his collegiate career playing infield at Avery Point in 2008 and 2009. He was selected to the NJCAA Division II All-New England team both years and was a key player from the 37-11 2008 New England Championship Team. He finished his UCAP career with a .404 batting average, 64 RBI, 99 hits, 21 doubles, and 5 homeruns. Mike is in the Avery Point record books for single-season hits (60), singles (43), doubles (14), and batting average (.432) as well as career hits (99), doubles (21), and singles (72).
After two years at the JUCO level, Mike continued his collegiate baseball career playing first base at the University of Hartford. In 2010, Aldrich started 38 games for the Hawks as their regular first baseman, finishing with a .314 batting average, 2 homeruns, 8 doubles, and second on the team with 29 RBI.
After the completion of his playing career, Mike first worked as a volunteer assistant at Hartford in fall 2011 under Coach Justin Blood. He graduated from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education and recently completed his Master’s in Secondary Ed. from Sacred Heart University.
Mike was a former St. Bernard High School standout, leading the Saints to the Connecticut Class S State Championship in 2007 and their first football state tournament appearance since 1985, being selected to the CHSCA All-State team in both sports as a senior. He was named to the All-ECC team for football in 2006 and 2007, baseball in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and to the All-Area New London Day and Norwich Bulletin teams throughout his high school career. In the summer of 2014, Aldrich was named Head Coach of the Niantic Legion team a year after their program was forced into folding and re-energizing them to a 25-10 record, Co-zone championship, and state tournament berth. In the summer of 2013, Aldrich was the head coach of the CT Bulldogs 19U AAU team finishing with a 30-10 overall record.
Mike currently works as a Special Education Teacher at Fitch High School in Groton, CT.
