2009 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR
Head Coach Joe Litterio is entering his 13th year at the helm of the Seahawk baseball program in 2012. He directs all aspects of the program and works primarily with the hitters and infielders.
Last season, under his guidance Jon Lucas repeated on the All-NEC team before becoming the eighth former Wagner student-athlete to sign a contract with a Major League team in the last six years when he inked a professional contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
In 2010, Litterio's team placed a school-record five players on the All-NEC teams - including a pair of First Team selections. As an overall unit, the Seahawks recorded 26 victories - highlighted by victories over NCAA Regional participants CCSU, St. John's and VCU - while reaching their third-straight NEC Tournament and the sixth in the last seven years. Vin Avella smashed a school-record 17 single-season home runs and finished his four-year career with a NEC-record 50 home runs. Damian Csakai also set the single-season record for most stolen bases in a season (41) and a career (132). Addtionally, the speedy centerfielder recorded school-records in games (212), at-bats (761), hits (235), runs (162) and hit-by-pitches (43). In the offseason, Andy Wells signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 2009, Wagner turned in arguably the top regular season in school-history. Litterio took home Akadema NEC Coach of the Year accolades while Matt Watson was named the Akadema 2009 NEC Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, Csakai was named to the NEC First Team and rising senior Seth Boyd to the Second Team. The Seahawks claimed their first-ever NEC Regular Season Championship while winning a school-record 31 games. Under Litterio's guidance the Green & White also matched the single-season record with 17 NEC wins before finishing third at the NEC Tournament. The team also became just the second Wagner men’s squad to win a NEC Regular Season title (MBB 2003) and just the fourth to win a NEC Regular Season or Tournament title (Baseball Tourney 2000 / MBB Regular Season 2003 / MBB Tournament 2003 / Baseball Regular Season 2009).
On the professional front, Litterio oversaw the development of two-time American League All Star and 2009 AL Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey, who was drafted by in the sixth round by the Oakland A’s in June of 2006. Last year, he saved 25 games (out of 28 chances) while posting a miniscule 1.47 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 49.0 innings over 47 games. In 2009, he saved an Athletic rookie-record 26 saves (in 30 chances) while posting a 6-3 record, a 1.84 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and 91 strikeouts in 83 1/3 innings over 68 appearances.
Following the 2010 season, Avella and Andy Wells each inked professional contracts with the independent Frontier League. Wells then became Litterio's eighth former Wagner player, and the seventh in the last five years, to sign a contract with an affiliated team when he inked a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason.
Also in 2009, junior RHP Kyle Morrison and senior RHP Andrew Huebner entered professional ranks. Morrision was selected in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Washington Nationals while Huebner inked a free agent contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
In 2008, Litterio brought Wagner to heights never before reached. Under his guidance, the Seahawks notched 27 overall wins and 17 conference victories while returing to the NEC Tournament after a one-year absence. He also became the all-time winningest coach in school history with his 150th win over then No. 22 St. John’s, a 4-3 walk-off triumph that was also Wagner’s first victory over a ranked team.
The Seahawks’ pitching staff also finished 12th nationally with a 3.85 team ERA, led by NEC Pitcher of the Year Joe Testa. On the heels of a successful four-year career that saw the hard-throwing lefthander record school-records of 308 strikeouts and 300.0 innings, Testa became the fourth former Wagner student-athlete to ink a contract with a Major League team over the last three years when he signed with Minnesota as a free agent. Testa has risen to the Double A ranks and was recently moved to the Washington Nationals at the 2010 trade deadline as a key component in the Twins' trade for 2010 All Star Matt Capps.
Litterio also was instrumental in the development of 2007 graduate Joey DiGeronimo. DiGeronimo, who was a 42nd round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles, finished as the school’s record-holder with 219 hits while also earning First-Team All-NEC honors. The four-year starter batted a team-best .347 while posting team-highs in hits (69), runs (42), doubles (10), triples (6) and stolen bases (29).
While at Wagner, Litterio has also coached current pro and former Philadelphia Phillies farmhand Mike McTamney and former Chicago Cubs farmhand Mike Cerminaro. In 2006, McTamney was cited by Baseball America as one of the top-eight prospects in independent baseball. Cerminaro, who graduated as the school’s leader in hits, runs, doubles and RBI, was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2001.
In 2006, Litterio led Wagner to arguably its most exciting season since winning the NEC Championship in 2000. Entering the season’s final weekend, the Seahawks were on the outside looking in needing to sweep all three games from Monmouth. Despite daunting odds the Green & White did just that and in the process knocked the preseason NEC favorite Hawks out of tournament for the first and only time since 1997, while qualifying for their third-straight trip to the postseason. No. 3 Wagner upset No. 2 Quinnipiac on their way to a third-place finish.
In 2005, the Green & White picked up 13 conference wins and made it to their second-straight NEC Tournament. In 2004, Litterio guided Wagner to within one game of the NCAA Tournament and a second-place finish in the conference tournament.
Litterio boasts a wealth of big-game experience as he has been to six NCAA Regionals. During his playing career at Rutgers, he helped the Scarlet Knights to bids in 1990, 1991 and 1993. While an assistant coach at Monmouth, the Hawks qualified for the 1998 NCAA Regional in Gainesville, Florida. The following season, while a coach at Winthrop, the Eagles won the Big South Conference Championship. Then in 2000, first season at Wagner, he led the Seahawks to their only NEC Baseball championship and their first-ever NCAA Regional appearance. Litterio became the first baseball coach in NEC history to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament in his first season.
During Litterio’s 11 seasons the Seahawks have made seven postseason appearances, winning it all in 2000 and finishing second in 2004, after only qualifying once previously in school history.
Known for his ability to recruit throughout the Northeast, specifically the New Jersey area, Litterio has increased his incoming class size nearly every year.
The Cranford, NJ native had a successful collegiate career as an infielder for Rutgers, where he helped lead the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances from 1990-1993. In 1990, his Rutgers team came within one game of the College World Series while recording the most wins (4) in a single NCAA Tournament in school history. A Second-Team All-Atlantic 10 selection at second base after his junior season, the sure-handed infielder recorded a .976 fielding percentage for a team that was ranked fourth in the nation in fielding.
After serving as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater the following off-season, Litterio coached at Immaculate Conception High School (NJ) in the spring of 1994. Litterio then moved back to the collegiate level, coaching at Monmouth from 1995-1998 where he was responsible for hitting instruction and infield play. From there he moved onto Winthrop for a season before returning to his Northeast roots as the head coach at Wagner.
His work with the hitters has paid off, as he has coached 24 of Wagner’s 46 members of the 100-hit club, including all nine members of the 200-hit club.
Litterio has gained the reputation of playing anyone, anywhere, anytime as is evident by the tough competition the Seahawks face every year. This year is no different as Wagner will play Winthrop, Kent State, Jacksonville, UNF, UCF, Rutgers, St. John's and Seton Hall.
In addition to claiming the career wins record in 2008, Litterio also holds the top-two marks for single-season victories. The quickest Wagner coach to 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200 wins, he has a 240-372-2 mark over 12 years. During NEC-play, he is 154-159.
Litterio and his wife Michelle reside in Brick, NJ with his children; Frances, Mia and Joe.
