A two-sport athlete at Long Island University from 1962-64, Mike Couch was one of the top pitchers in the Northeast for the Blackbirds baseball team. Couch capped his career as the all-time leader in career earned run average at 0.87. He teamed with fellow hall-of-famer Sal Campisi to form a nearly untouchable 1-2 combination on the hill for LIU. 

Over his three seasons on the varsity team, the Blackbirds won three straight Knickerbocker Conference titles and Couch helped LIU advance to the NCAA Atlantic Coast Tournament in 1964. 

Couch played two years on the basketball team and helped the 1963-64 squad to a 14-9 record.