Jake Marinelli, a Northeast Ohio native, will be in his first season as an assistant coach with the Youngstown State baseball program in 2021-22.
Marinelli most recently served as an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb in 2021 and has six years of collegiate coaching experience.
With Marinelli on the staff in 2021, Gardner-Webb finished with a 29-23 overall record and a 27-13 mark in Big South Conference play. Marinelli was in charge of the program's camp administration and budget, assisted in summer placement for current players and assisted in daily practice plans and organization. He also worked on fundraising endeavors, which reached more than $50,000. Marinelli worked closely with GWU's catchers and coached first base during the 2021 season.
Marinelli spent the 2018-20 seasons as the head coach at NJCAA Division II member Mercyhurst North East, where Head Coach Dan Bertolini was the head coach for eight seasons. He led all aspects of the baseball program while building a regionally recognized recruiting network. Under Marinelli's leadership in 2019, 20 sophomores graduated and advanced to play at many different levels including USCAA, NCAA Division III, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I. Mercyhurst North East closed in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to becoming the head coach at Mercyhurst North East, Marinelli served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Mercyhurst, during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. While working closely with the Lakers' catchers and pitching staff, he helped lead the program to three consecutive top-10 national finishes. He organized and operated the program's recruiting network while assisting in fundraising that averaged more than $20,000 per season. Marinelli coordinated and facilitated multiple camps and showcases for prospective student-athletes and built relationships with professional coaches and scouts. He also coached and worked with multiple professional players during his tenure.
Marinelli served as the head coach of the Martinsville Mustangs in the Coastal Plain League during the summer of 2020. He built a roster of 30-plus players from across the country while organizing daily schedules and assisting in all aspects of game day activities. Marinelli communicated closely with NCAA coaches and followed plans laid out for each of their player's personal schedules. In addition, he served as the head coach of the Erie Steelheads 16u-17u Youth Baseball Organization from the summer of 2017 to the summer of 2019.
During his four-year playing career at Mercyhurst, Marinelli helped lead the Lakers to the program's first Division II College World Series appearance as a senior in 2015. The Lakers finished with a 40-11 overall record and were ranked fourth in the nation.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marinelli earned a bachelor's degree in communication with a concentration in new media in 2016.
