And he got there in a way that Hollywood would reject for being too unrealistic.
Trailing 7-2 in the ninth inning against West Virginia State in the Wilson Tobs Tournament on Saturday, the Rams were down to their final out. Then came the rally. Then came senior infielder Alexander Angulo, stepping to the plate with the bases loaded and the weight of history hanging in the balance. One swing, one thunderous crack of the bat, and the ball disappeared over the fence. Walk-off grand slam. An 8-7 victory. And just like that, Horvath had win No. 258, moving past the late Don Flynn, who led the program from 1991 to 2005.
Fifteen years earlier, when Horvath took over as head coach, the school was still known as Philadelphia University and the baseball program was a team searching for an identity. Now, it’s a program with expectations. Over the last four seasons, Jefferson has won at least 23 games a year. Last spring, the Rams put together one of the most dominant runs in program history, winning 30 games, advancing to the CACC Championship, and reaching the NCAA Tournament for just the third time ever and the first time since 1990. That kind of success didn’t happen overnight. It came with recruiting, development, and a culture that kept players believing even in games like Saturday’s, when everything pointed to a loss—until it didn’t.
Horvath’s impact goes far beyond wins and losses. Since 2011, he has coached 34 of the program’s 51 All-CACC players. He’s coached three All-Americans, multiple conference award winners, and in 2017, he had a player selected in the MLB Draft—the first Ram drafted in 18 years. He’s also been at the forefront of academic success, with dozens of his players earning all-academic honors while balancing the demands of life as a college athlete.
The Rams, now 4-3 to start the 2025 season, return to action Wednesday at Millersville University.
