Erie, PA-The Mercyhurst Athletic Department has announced Jimmy Latona as the new head baseball coach. Following a national search, Mercyhurst is excited to remove Latona's interim tag as the program readies for a new era at the Division I level.  

Director of Athletics, Joe Spano, expresses "I am excited for Jimmy and his family for this opportunity. He has represented Mercyhurst as a student-athlete and as a coach for almost a decade. His accolades on the field are impressive but his hard work and dedication to coaching and the Mercyhurst community are what matters most. He will continue to grow the program through the reclassification period while carrying forward the tradition of our storied baseball program."  

Latona, a Rochester, N.Y. native, played at Monroe Community College in 2014 and 2015 before transferring to Mercyhurst for his final two years. As a player, he helped the team win a program high 43 games in 2016. In Latona's senior season, he was named All-PSAC, All-Region, and All-American. 
 
In 2018, Latona helped coach the Lakers to a Regional Championship and a Division II College World Series appearance before pursuing his professional baseball career in the United Shore Professional Baseball League. Latona played professionally for two seasons, being honored as an all-star, while also earning the most valuable player award during the USPBL's championships series.  

 In 2020, Latona returned to Mercyhurst to re-join the coaching staff. The 2023 season was his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Lakers. Over that time, Mercyhurst accumulated a record of 92-53. 

"First off, I want to thank Andy Simon-Wambach and everyone who was involved in the interview process, Latona commented. Being named Head Coach at Mercyhurst is a dream come true for me. Having spent six years as part of this program, Mercyhurst holds a special place in my heart. I am looking forward to leading this program into this new era of Mercyhurst with the transition to Division I. Words cannot explain how excited and how grateful I am to be named the 9th head coach in program history." 

Latona is the first head coach named since long time skipper Joe Spano, who spent 24 years as the leader of the Lakers. Spano, one of the winningest coaches in all of Division II, has been a long-time mentor of Latona's throughout his career. 

"I would also like to thank Joe Spano, as well as Charlie Spano, for being such amazing mentors for me both on and off the field. Playing for them and working with them have been some of the best years of my life and I have learned so much from both. Eight years ago, they took a chance on a junior college kid to come and play for them, and then took another one hiring me back in 2018 with very little coaching experience. Mercyhurst is a special place to many, and I can't wait to make it a special place for future Lakers." 

Taking over the head coaching duties in 2024, Latona led the Lakers to a 21-20 overall record. In conference play, the team went 18-10 and lost just one conference series to IUP, who finished the 2024 season ranked 4th in the country and finished a victory shy of the national championship series. At the helm, seven players earned all-conference honors, while two received All-Region status. In the classroom, Latona led the team to a conference leading team GPA of 3.61 throughout the 2023-24 academic school year.  

"We are excited to promote Jimmy to head baseball coach," said Vice President for Student Life & Athletics Dr. Laura Zirkle. "Jimmy demonstrates a love for Mercyhurst and a winning mentality both on and off the field. His dedication to excellence will inspire our student-athletes and enhance our proud Laker baseball tradition." 

Latona graduated from Mercyhurst with a Bachelor of Science in Business in 2017. He resides in Erie with his wife, Molly, and newborn baby, James Latona III.