This bio is now a part of a historical archive, the individual was on the staff from 2019-2023 and is no longer employed by Wilkes University.
Kevin Gryboski ’95 enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Wilkes baseball program in 2023. Gryboski became the 16th coach in the history of the Colonels, and the first named to the department in a full-time role prior to the 2019 season.
Gryboski's fourth season in 2022 saw the Colonels win 24 games, the most since the 2009 season for the program. Wilkes also earned the program's 1,000th victory on April 30, 2022. Four Colonels were named All-MAC Freedom while Sawyer Kemp was selected Second Team All-Region by D3baseball.com.
In 2021, Gryboski led the Colonels to a 17-14 mark and a spot in the MAC Freedom Tournament as the fifth seed. Six Colonels were named All-MAC Freedom with outfielder Darren Kerdesky and designated hitter Dominick Bayo on the First Team as well as Bayo's D3baseball.com All-Region Second Team and ABCA All-Region Third Team honors.
During his first season three Colonels were named All-MAC Freedom including designated hitter Brandon Reno as a First Team selection.
Gryboski became a household name to Colonels fans during his playing career from 1992-95. He was twice drafted, first in the 16th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball amateur entry draft by the Cincinnati Reds (pick #436), ultimately returning to Artillery Park for his senior season, following which he was drafted again in the 16th round of the 1995 draft by the Seattle Mariners (pick #426). In 2002, Gryboski was traded to the Atlanta Braves, who he broke camp with in spring training, making his first major league appearance on April 13th, pitching 1.2 innings in a 13-inning loss to the then-Florida Marlins. Gryboski would go on to stints with the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals.
While with the Braves, a perennial postseason team in the early 2000’s, Gryboski appeared in 13 playoff games from 2002-2004, attaining a 1.64 earned run average over 11 innings with 10 strikeouts. The Braves were unable to escape the Division Series all three years, despite Gryboski’s performance.
During his days in the Navy and Gold, Gryboski put his name throughout the record book, as he holds the career record for most complete games (22), and is ranked in the top ten in strikeouts (fifth, 195), innings pitched (fifth, 205.1), wins (fifth, 18), and games started (seventh, 30). Gryboski is tied for first in complete games in a season with eight and ranks tied for eighth in strikeouts for a season with 65. Gryboski also appeared on the basketball team during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons.
Gryboski spent the previous three seasons as the varsity head coach at Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills, Pa. Gryboski also spent the last four years as the head baseball coach and organization director of the McMurray Renegades, a travel baseball organization. During the 2014 season, Gryboski was the pitching coach of the Washington Wild Things, a professional team in the East Division of the independent Frontier League.
Gryboski was inducted to Wilkes University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005, and has been inducted to the Luzerne County Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Plains American Legion Hall of Fame in 2011.
Gryboski graduated from Wilkes with a degree in Environmental Sciences with a minor in Physics.
