Welcome to RBI Sports, Inc

Staff

RBI Sports Staff
All staff are First Aid and CPR Certified.

Phil Fratello		Mike Rooney
Brandon Mann		Michael Nassisi
Chad Duesler		Mike Kolesar
Stephanie Antonelli		Rick Krasny
Erik Lazerus		Joseph DePalma
	Christine Stathes

Phil Fratello - Hitting Instructor

After a distinguished high school and college playing career as a catcher at North Rockland High School and Rockland Community College, Phil entered the coaching
profession. He has been coaching baseball at the college level for the past 13 years at Nyack College and Dominican College. He is widely recognized as one of the premier Hitting & Catching instructors in the entire Tri-State area.

Phil's unique ability allows him to teach proper baseball mechanics and technique at all levels. Phil has developed a hitting philosophy that is "NO GIMMICKS, NO CRAZY" new way to hit. His approach is a sound common sense approach that works and produces excellent results. We are very confident that any hitter who wants to improve will find success with Coach Fratello's approach.

Brandon Mann - Hitting Instructor / Pitching Instructor

Brandon Mann is in his 4th year of coaching at the collegiate level. Fresh out of college in 2006, Coach Mann took the 1st assistant and pitching coach job at Division I Iona College. During his tenure at Iona College, Brandon mentored one All-Conference Pitcher and one PING National Pitcher of the week.

In 2008, Brandon took the Full-time graduate coaching position at Manhattanville College to pursue his master’s degree in physical education. On the field, Mann primarily works with the hitters and fielders. In his first season with the Valiants, Manhattanville hit .356 as a team on the way to the 2009 Freedom Conference regular-season title and a berth in the Freedom Tournament championship game. Manhattanville ranked top 20 in the country in every offensive category including leading the nation in stolen bases with 162 in 40 games. Manhattanville hit 23 HR’s and averaged more than 10 runs a game; both new MVILLE records.

Under Mann’s tutelage, five Valiants were named to the All-Conference team, two of which were named All-Region. Manhattanville’s CF who went on to sign a professional contract with the American Defenders of the Can-Am League also was honored as a Rawlings Gold Glove All-American.

Mann began his career as a pitcher at Florida Atlantic University and played with the nationally ranked Owls from 2002-04. In 2003, Mann helped the team rank as high as #11 in the nation, capturing the Atlantic Sun Championship in 2003 before the team lost to Miami in the NCAA Coral Gables regional.

In 2004, Mann transferred to Lynn University (the 2009 DII National Champions) where he was the starting second baseman, while studying hospitality administration.

In 2006, he was honored as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American for the south region while helping the team reach the south regionals. As a second baseman, Mann helped the team lead the nation by turning 69 double plays in 2006.

As a captain of the 2002 Clarkstown North state championship team, Coach Mann was named New York State Player and Athlete of the Year in 2002. Mann also led the 2002 Rockland OTB Pirates to the American Legion World Series in Danville, VA, finishing 5th in the country and losing to the eventual champions Mississippi. Brandon was recently elected into Clarkstown North’s Hall of Fame.

Brandon is also the Co-Owner and Head Instructor of Pitch by Pitch Baseball Camp in Congers, NY.

Mike Rooney - Pitching Instructor

Mike Rooney is able to share the vast knowledge of the game of baseball that one gains from five years of professional experience.

Currently a social studies teacher at North Rockland High School, he is also pitching coach at Rockland Community College. Rooney spent his scholastic days leading North Rockland to two consecutive state championships.

He was then drafted out of high school by the Seattle Mariners as a shortstop, but decided to attend Penn State University on a baseball scholarship. After two years as a Nitanny Lion, Rooney transferred back to New York to play for St. Johns, and was later drafted as a pitcher by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 6th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft.

Rooney pitched in the Diamondback organization for five years, and reached as high as the Triple-A level.

Mike Kolesar - Pitching / Hitting Instructor

After captaining the Clarkstown North Baseball team in 2001 and receiving All-League honors in his last two seasons, Kolesar played for Division II Caldwell College and enjoyed one of the most impressive 4 year college careers in the school's history.

As team captain for 3 years, Kolesar was a 3 time All CACC and All State athlete for the Cougars. In 2004 he went 9-1 on the mound with a nationally ranked ERA of 2.70, hit .374 and was 2nd in the nation among Division II ballplayers in stolen bases, making him one of the most versatile players in the country and leading his team to its first appearance in NCAA Division II Regional Championship. Afterwards, he has coached in New City Little League and has managed with the Clarkstown Stars.

Mike has been giving private baseball instruction for the past 4 years and currently plays for the Middlesex Pirates in the NABA, a highly competitive and nationally acclaimed wood bat league made up of former major leaguers, minor leaguers, independent and collegiate ballplayers.

Chad Duesler - Speciality: Catching / Hitting/ Strength and Conditioning

Chad Duesler is a graduate of Dominican College in 2006. Chad played at Dominican College for 4 years. Duesler compiled a .340 career batting average at Dominican with a 133 hits, 98 RBI's and 24 Doubles. In the 2005 season Duesler was named MVP of the ECAC Baseball Tournament.

After graduating Duesler went back to College to become the Associate coach with Rick Giannetti. He was brought into the program to be the head recruiting coordinator and deal mainly with the hitters and the catchers on the team. In Duesler's 4 years as the Catching coach for the Chargers, he helped Pete Gilardo fulfill his dreams of getting drafted in the 45th round in 2007 by the Boston Red Sox.

In the off season Duesler serves as the strength and conditioning instructor for the chargers baseball program as well.

Michael Nassisi - Pitching / Hitting Instructor - Current Pitching Coach at Nyack College

At Nyack High School Michael Nassisi made all league SS as a sophomore and all section SS as a senior. Michael went on to D-II Rockland Community College to become the team’s closer as a freshman, where he would convert 7 of 7 save opportunities with a 1.50 ERA. As a sophomore at Rockland, Michael made all-region CF and helped lead Rockland to back to back league championships.

Michael moved to Chico, CA to pursue coaching and playing baseball. In summer of 2008, he helped coached the Chico Suns, a 16-17 year old American Legion team to 2nd place in the northern California state.

In the spring Michael was the assistant coach for Chico High School’s varsity baseball team in the spring. That summer Michael won Rookie of The Year for the Semi-Pro, Nor Cal Pirates who won both the Chico (C.A.R.D.) league and P.W.B.L. (Pacific West Baseball League) Championships. Nor Cal Pirates finished the Spring/Summer season with a record of 45-21 and Michael was the team’s starting 3rd baseman, leadoff hitter and the #4 pitcher in the rotation.

In 33 games Michael posted a .342 BA, .420 OBP, 26 runs, 18 RBI, 1 HR and 15 SB. As a pitcher he pitched in 33.1 innings, posted a 5-1 record with 1 save, 16 Ks, and a 3.24 ERA.

Rick Krasny - Softball Instructor

Rick Krasny is presently the Head Softball Coach of the DII Felician College Softball team in Rutherford, New Jersey. Before taking over the Felician program Rick held the position of Head Softball Coach at Division II Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York from 2001 - 2007, and before that served as the first Assistant at Division II Iona College in New Rochelle, New York for two years.

At Dominican, Rick took over a team that finished in next to last place and a 9-27 record, and over a period of just three years turned it into one of the strongest Division II Programs in the Northeast Region, being ranked as high as Top 30 in the country of all Division II colleges.

Rick was awarded the Coach of the Year Award in 2002 and 2005 and his teams still hold the record for having the highest batting average as well as the most home runs of any CACC team in CACC Conference history.

Rick has also held numerous hitting and pitching clinics in Rockland County as Vice President of the New City Little Softball Program from 1995 - 2000.

Erik Lazerus - Baseball Instructor

Erik’s baseball career starts with California State University Northridge- Division 1, Los Angeles Mission Junior College, and California State University, Chico-

Division 2.

Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1996 . Erik played minor league-AA minor league baseball, claiming the Western League Champions spot in 1997. Erik finished his baseball career with the Dodgers in 1999.

Erik’s baseball career continued as a Head Coach and Instructor in Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood Ca for the Junior High Boys Baseball team. Erik has also instructed in the following programs, All Pro Academy, NJ; Back to Basics Camp; Joe Clemente Hitmen and The Rockland Astros.

Erik is currently the Head Coach for Nyack High School Varsity Baseball.

Joseph DePalma - Baseball Instructor

Joseph is entering his first year as the Assistant/Pitching coach on the Nyack High School Varsity team. He is the current OTB Pirate Junior coach which will be playing in the Connie Mac Baseball Conference this upcoming summer.

Joe is the former Montclair State University Red Hawks (Fall 2005- Spring 2007) pitching coach. He was instrumental in the season long development of the Montclair staff as MSU ranked among the top teams in the NJAC in earned run, average, and pitching.

Joseph helped Montclair’s ERA stand at a 4.22 late in the season helping them win a Regional tournament and competing in the 2006 Division 3 Baseball Championship. Joe was responsible for organizing conditioning and throwing programs specific to the individual at Montclair.

He has the experience of teaching the fundamentals of pitching, hitting, fielding, and catching. Joe has taught private lessons, group lessons, and clinics with all ages and ability level.

Christine Stathes - Softball Pitching / Hitting Instructor

My name is Christine Stathes and I am a 24 year old that resides in Cornwall, New York. I have been pitching since the age of 12 years of age and attended numerous clinics on how to pitch and also learn how to hit.

I attended Cornwall Central High School and made the JV team as a 7th grader and moved up to Varsity in 9th grade. I was the starting pitcher but also played shortstop and right field. I have had 2 years of pitching with a 0.00 ERA.

I then attended Dominican College where I pitched for 4 years and was named Pitcher of the Year my sophomore year. I was also named NCAA All Regional Hitter in that same year and have had honorable mentions throughout my Dominican Softball career. I had coached at Dominican College for one year as a hitting instructor.

I have helped teach pitching lessons with previous coaches of mine for about 4 years now and am helping a previous coach of mine with his travelball team. I am a very dedicated and committed individual that takes great pride in what I do.

Stephanie Antonelli

1998 Suffern High School Graduate.
During her High School Career named All-County, All-League, All-Section.
WRKL/Shultz Ford Named Player of the Year in 1998
All-County MVP

Pitched a undefeated season in league play 1998

Pitched for the:
Rockland Stix 1991-1997
Long Island Fire and Ice, won the Pony Nationals in 1998.
Jersey Beach Girls 1999

Earned a 4 year athletic scholarship to pitch for Adelphi University
In 2001 named player of the year by Adelphi University
Holds record for most wins pitched in a season at Adelphi University.
Pitched team to NCAA Regional's 2001,2002

Currently teaches and coaches at Nyack High School
Nyack college pitching coach
Has given lessons throughout the county since 2000