Panthers Add Lipari, Cheesebrough to Coaching Staff
8/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 13, 2010
PITTSBURGH — University of Pittsburgh head baseball coach Joe Jordano has announced the hiring of Tom Lipari as the Panthers’ new pitching coach and Kyle Cheesebrough as a volunteer assistant for the upcoming 2011 season.
Lipari comes to Pitt after having most recently served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Youngstown State University for the past three seasons. Lipari fills the void left by former pitching coach Brandon Rowan who departed Pitt for the top assistant job at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
“I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be at such a prestigious university and baseball program like Pitt,” said Lipari. “I am very excited to coach under Joe Jordano, with all the good things he has done not only for Pitt but in college baseball. It’s also going to be very nice to reunite with Danny Lopaze who I coached with at Michigan State.”
Over the past three seasons Lipari has coached 11 players who are pitching in professional baseball, including both Aaron Swenson and Eric Marzec from the 2010 Penguins squad. Marzec was a 30th round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers after registering 56 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched with a 3.92 earned run average. Swenson posted an 8-1 record with 94 strikeouts in 99.2 innings of work and signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Orioles. As a team, YSU totaled 423 strikeouts in 2010, the third best total in program history.
"Coach Lipari will do an outstanding job with our pitching staff,” said Jordano. “He is extremely knowledgeable and has a tremendous reputation for developing staffs. With the quality arms we have returning entering this fall I am confident that Coach Lipari will have this staff completely prepared to compete this season. He is a great addition to our staff and shares the same high expectations that the rest of our staff has for our team. I very much look forward to working with Tom."
In 2009, Lipari helped guide Phil Klein to First Team All-Horizon League honors as he went 5-2 with 80 strikeouts in 76 innings and totaled a conference-leading 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Prior to Youngstown State, Lipari was a part of the Michigan State staff from 2007-08 alongside current Pitt assistant coach Danny Lopaze. In addition to serving as the director of David Grewe’s Top 9 Baseball Camps while at MSU, Lipari was responsible for every aspect of the pitching staff including conditioning and strength training. Lipari helped mold Chris Cullen into an All-Big Ten selection while two players, Nolan Moody and Mark Sorensen both signed professional contracts with the Detroit Tigers.
In 2007 Lipari was the pitching coach for the St. Cloud Riverbats in the The Northwoods Summer League, helping the team to the league championship that year. From 2005-07, Lipari served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa.
As a player, Lipari was a standout at the University of New Orleans from 2001-02. During his junior season he became the first pitcher in UNO history to throw a nine-inning no hitter, accomplishing the feat against nationally ranked Southern Mississippi. For his efforts he named the National Collegiate Player of the Week. As a senior in 2002, he was elected team captain and became just the fourth pitcher in school history to record over 100 strikeouts in a single season.
Lipari signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Padres in the spring of 2002 and played two seasons with the organization with the Eugene Emeralds, Ft. Wayne Wizards and Lake Elsinore Storm. In 2004 he played for the Salem Avalanche, minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. Lipari completed his playing career with the Sioux City Explorers, pitching from 2005-06.
Cheesebrough arrives at Pitt after spending the last three seasons at the University of Louisville as both a player and student-assistant coach.
"Coach Cheesebrough joins our staff from the highly successful University of Louisville program,” said Jordano. “He has an expectation of success and that mentality that will mesh well with our program. Each coach I spoke with at Louisville could not be more positive and each highly endorsed Kyle. He will be working with our catcher's and outfielders as well as assisting Coach Lopaze with the offense and is another great addition to our staff."
As an undergraduate assistant coach, Cheesebrough worked with the catchers and also assisted with the offense. During games he worked as a first base coach and also as a bullpen coach. Cheesebrough also oversaw conditioning workouts and bullpen sessions in addition to assisting with on-campus recruiting for the Cardinals.
“I am excited to be coming back to my hometown of sorts,” said Cheesebrough. “I have family in the area and am thankful that Coach Jordano is giving me the chance to work my way through the collegiate coaching ranks. There are a lot of exciting things happening at Pitt and I hope to add whatever I can to take the program to the next level.”
Cheesebrough helped the Cardinals to back-to-back Big East Tournament Championships and NCAA appearances during his time as a catcher. During his senior season in 2009, the Cardinals won the Louisville Regional and advanced to the Cal State Fullerton Super Regional.
"As with any head coach, we do not like transition, but with success comes opportunity for those who are involved with your program to move on,” added Jordano. “That is the greatest compliment I can receive. I am so grateful for what Coach Rowan and Coach Leahy brought to our program over the past few years. I cannot be more proud of them and am excited to follow their careers. I am also very excited about our new staff as we move into a new phase of our program entering the new Petersen Sports Complex."