Stefen Henderson began as Academy of Art University baseball assistant coach in August 2019.
Highlighting Henderson's second campaign as assistant coach was ART U's first ever trip to the postseason, as the Urban Knights finished a single game ahead of Fresno Pacific to claim the PacWest NorCal pod title and the subsequent spot at the PacWest AQ Series. Even in the shortened COVID-19 year, ART U claimed 16 victories, winning three series on the year while splitting one. The 13-11 record in PacWest play marked the first time in program history that the Knights finished conference play above .500. For the first time this season an Urban Knight was named the NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week, with both Matthew Sanchez (
Mar. 10) and Collin Carriger (
May 3) earned the honor after also being named the PacWest Pitcher of the Week (Sanchez–
Mar. 8; Carriger–
May 3). Playing a major role in a season-opening series win over Fresno Pacific in which he delivered seven hits in his first 10 at-bats, Adam Inouye was named the PacWest Player of the Week on
Mar. 8. By the end of the campaign, four Urban Knights
would earn All-PacWest honors, with Ty Conrad and Jayson Summers named to the All-PacWest Second Team while Dominic Ruggiero and Andrew Shebloski found spots on the All-PacWest Third Team. The accolades kept rolling in for Conrad in the postseason, earning selections to each of the
2021 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA DII West All-Region Second Team,
2021 D2CCA All-Region Second Team, and
2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Additionally, baseball was represented by 10
2020-21 Academic All-PacWest recipients.
The Urban Knights' 2020 campaign, Henderson's first on staff, was highlighted by several dominant pitching performances as well as an epic nine-run comeback against Central Washington, but was ultimately halted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. At the spring's conclusion, the team collected nine
Academic All-PacWest honors with four of those also resulting in
D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards.
A 2013 ART U graduate, four-year contributor to the baseball team and
2013 Los Angeles Dodgers signee, Henderson returned after building his coaching background with experience at various North Bay baseball programs.
Rejoining the program as the Academy of Art career leader in games played (189), home runs (11), runs batted in (66), doubles (39), walks (106), and stolen base percentage (.843), Henderson's name can be found all throughout the program's record book. At the time of his return, he ranked second in career hits (121), runs scored (83), triples (10), total bases (213), and stolen bases (43) in addition to leading the program in walks for a single season after drawing 34 as a senior in 2013. Henderson led the team in home runs in each of his four years and went on to sign a minor league contract to play for the Dodgers in 2013 after earning his bachelor's degree in Music Production & Sound Design from Academy of Art that same year.
Henderson spent two years at the rookie level of minor league baseball, starting off with the Arizona League Dodgers before moving to the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League. In 2015, he joined the Canadian-American Association's Rockland Boulders then shifted into a varsity assistant coach role at Sir Francis Drake High school.
From 2017-2018 Henderson ran his own travel team, "The California Wave," before taking over director of operations and head coaching duties with the Marin-based California Warriors who provide elite training and showcases for student-athletes at top summer baseball tournaments for college coaches and pro scouts. He simultaneously held that role while also serving as an assistant coach at the College of Marin. The Mariners collectively went 101-64 with Henderson on staff, making the postseason in each of his first two seasons.
