Mike Murray Jr., a former San Francisco Giants farmhand and All-State catcher from Westfield, will be officially introduced on Monday as St. Joseph High School’s new head baseball coach.

A 2010 graduate of Wake Forest University with a degree in political science and history, Murray earned a master’s degree in sports business in 2014 from Columbia University and currently attends Rutgers University Law School.

Murray succeeds Steve Bucchignano, who resigned last month to accept an assistant coaching position at Kean University, his alma mater.

St. Joseph is a perennial state power, having averaged 18.5 wins over the past 11 seasons while claiming six Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championships under three head coaches, all of whom St. Joseph Athletics Director Jerry Smith said “did a great job.”

Murray’s father, Mike Sr., spent two seasons in the Chicago White Sox chain, and his younger brother, A.J., also an All-State catcher from Westfield, will begin his second season with the Minnesota Twins organization next spring.

Until last fall, Murray, 28, worked in the Office for the Commissioner of Major League Baseball as a licensing consultant. He recently worked at East Coast Conditioning in Edison and coached club baseball across the state.

Murray said he has already started contemplating the bevy of talented pitchers his new charges will face, including the likes of Old Bridge’s Zach Attianese and Monroe’s Robbie Peto, two University of North Carolina signees who epitomize the pitching-rich league.

“The first night I knew it was going to be me (coaching St. Joseph), I started thinking about all these unbelievable arms in the GMC we are going to have to face,” said Murray, a phenomenal hitter throughout his career who will help the Falcons develop a plan at the plate.

“My best ability as a player – and catching helped as well – was having an aggressive approach at the plate, trying to do damage on every swing,” Murray said. “We want them to feel that they can get the job done in every situation.”

Murray said his goal in working with hitters is to teach sound mechanics, to reinforce good habits, to encourage players to be aggressive and to handle the bat properly. Murray, who fanned just 12 times in 350 at bats during a stellar four-year high school career, said his offensive philosophy espouses small ball but emphasizes advancing runners without giving up outs.

“Through base-running and having guys handle the bat (via the hit-and-run or hitting behind runners), we want to put pressure on the defense,” he said. “I want each guy in the system to do that and hopefully it pays dividends.”

In interviewing candidates for the position, Smith said he sought a communicator and an educator, adding that everyone affiliated with the team has a responsibility to work together in concert to bring the program to the next level.