Photo via BigTenSportsWatch.com

Northwestern head baseball coach Paul Stevens will retire following the end of the 2015 season, the Northwestern athletic department announced via a release Thursday.

After 31 years with @NUCatsBaseball #B1GCats, head coach Paul Stevens will retire at the end of the 2015 season: http://t.co/Ilt3Dz6Ct7

— Northwestern Athletics (@NU_Sports) April 2, 2015

Stevens, who has been NU’s head coach since 1988, has more wins than any other manager in program history. He’s won 663 games during his tenure with the Wildcats, 311 of which came in Big Ten play.

“We have had an incredible run during my time at this place that I consider to be so special,” Stevens said in the release. “I often think about big wins and moments on the field, but what will surely last are the memories and friendships that I have been so fortunate to develop over the past 30 years. It has been a blessing for me and my family to be a part of the Northwestern community for many years, and we look forward to a great conclusion to the year.”

Since getting the job as NU’s skipper, Stevens has coached 65 MLB draftees and players who signed a professional contract, most notably four-time World Series champion Joe Girardi and MLB All-Star Mark Loretta.

Northwestern baseball currently sits at 8-19 on the 2015 season and plays a three-game series at Illinois this weekend.