Erie, Pa. - Ahead of the 2025 season, Mercyhurst baseball adds two new members to their coaching staff. Newly minted Head Coach Jimmy Latona looks to continue the strong tradition of success for the Lakers on the diamond with a staff that includes Jake Marinelli and Kyle Nicholson as the team's two new coaches.

Marinelli spent time as part of the Laker's team from 2012-15, helping the program to their first-ever appearance in the College World Series, and graduated from Mercyhurst in 2016 with his bachelor's in communications. He began his time as a coach with his alma mater in 2015 through the 2017 season, helping the team to back-to-back seasons in which they won 30 or more games. In the fall of 2017, Marinelli was named the head coach for Mercyhurst North East before enjoying stints at Division I programs, Gardner-Webb and Youngstown State. His most recent stop came with DIII Keuka College, serving as the head coach for each of the past three seasons.

Nicholson has carved out plenty of success for himself on the mound as both a player and coach, hoping to bring that track record to Erie. He previously played for Texas A&M where he was named All-American in 2007. He was then drafted in the 7th round of the MLB First Year Player Draft. Nicholson was selected by San Fransisco Giants, playing with the team through the 2010 campaign and being named the MiLB Most Spectacular Pitcher for the 2008 season. From there, he joined the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M before leading the Bethel Park Independent travel team from 2013-19, and Bethel Park High School from 2019-21 .While at Beth Park High School, Nicholson helped establish one of the better programs in the state of Pennsylvania with the team winning the PIAA state championship in 2021. He then joined IUP as the associate head coach prior to the 2021 season with the team seeing a 25-win improvement in 2022, an NCAA record, while making their way to the Division II College Word Season in 2024.