Mercyhurst University Athletics

2024 marked Laton'as first season as the head coach of the Lakers, helping the team to a record of 21-20 for the third most wins by a coach in their first season at the helm. Under Latona's tutelage, the team finished 14-8 in the PSAC West, earning them a spot in the conference tournament. Mercyhurst was one of the tougher teams in the PSAC when at home, going 12-4 when inside their friendly confines with the team outscoring their opponents 97-36 with eight games in which the Lakers scored seven or more runs. The pitching was just as good when on their own mound with the team allowing three runs or fewer in 14 of their 16 games including four shutouts.

In 2020, Latona returned to Mercyhurst to join the coaching staff. The 2023 season was his fifth season coaching under Head Coach Joe Spano. Over that time, the Lakers have accumulated a record of 92-53 with one appearance in the NCAA Atlantic Regional in 2023 while nine players have been named to an All-PSAC team.

Jimmy Latona, a Rochester, NY native, played at Monroe Community College, in Rochester, in 2014 and 2015 as a catcher and infielder.   In 2015, Monroe won the regional championship while Latona was named All-Region. While at Monroe, Latona was named to both the All-Region and All-District teams for the Tribunes.  Latona is one of two players with at least 60 hits and 60 runs in a single season in the last 10 seasons.

After playing at Monroe for 2 years he transferred to Mercyhurst for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. In 2016 he helped the team win a school record 43 games hitting and he was named to the All-PSACteam.  During Jimmy’s senior year he helped lead the team to 38 wins, with multiple weeks at number one in the D2 national polls, for the first time in school history. After his senior year Jimmy was named, All-PSAC, All-Region, and All-American. He graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelors Degree in Business Management.

In 2018, Latona helped coach the Lakers to a regional championship and a Division II College World Series appearance before he pursued his professional baseball career in the United Shore Professional Baseball League.

Latona played two seasons in the USPBL, for the Utica Unicorns, as the starting catcher but also played third base and corner outfield positions when needed. He was an All Star catcher both seasons and also participated in the homerun derby in 2019. During the 2019 season he lead the league in homeruns. In 2019, he helped Utica win the league championship where Latona was named the finals MVP.

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