Keith Osik: Major Leaguer turned Farmingdale State legend

By: Michael O’Brien, Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, NY, October 27, 2025- At a small Division 3 baseball program such as Farmingdale State College, it is not typical for the program to be spearheaded by a ten year MLB veteran catcher who has seen it all in the world of baseball. Farmingdale State is not your typical  Division 3 baseball program. Keith Osik is the head coach of Farmingdale State, having a storied college career at LSU before having a decade-long Major League career as a catcher, playing under prominent figures such as Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland.

It is estimated that under 10% of MLB players ever reach 10 seasons in the Majors, which is an incredible feat that Osik accomplished. The vast level of experience and insight that Osik has provided to the Farmingdale State baseball program since he was hired as their head coach in 2005 has been invaluable, and has led to a large amount of success as well. Osik holds a 454-294 overall record as the head coach of Farmingdale State, with a 240-90 record within the Skyline Conference, along with 9 Skyline Conference Championships and a College World Series appearance. Incredible success has always followed Osik during his tenure as head coach, even though a career in coaching was not always his plan.

When Osik was first hired as the head coach of Farmingdale State, he took the job as a favor to his friend who was the athletic director for the school at the time, replying simply with “sure.” He struggled adapting to the coaching world at first, noting the lack of discipline in regards to practice schedules for his players, even asking his assistant coach Steve Hassan, “What did we get ourselves into?” The adjustment from the playing world to the coaching world is typically a challenging one, and is a transition that doesn’t always work. For a career that Osik initially doubted getting into, it has objectively gone very well.

Coming off of another Skyline Conference win in 2025, the pressure is on Osik and Farmingdale State to repeat with another stellar performance and another Skyline Conference title. Regardless of how the upcoming 2026 season goes, Osik has carved out an incredibly remarkable career within the world of baseball. From Wading River High School to catching All Star pitchers and impacting the lives of hundreds of young aspiring baseball players, Coach Osik is one of the most prominent baseball figures on Long Island, and figures to be for quite some more time.

B