CALIFORNIA (Sept. 2) – A coach with collegiate experience on both sides of the state, Vinnie Morelli was recently announced as the assistant coach for the California (PA) baseball team.

Morelli recently completed his first season as an assistant coach at Susquehanna (PA), a NCAA Division III program in the Landmark Conference. He previously served three years as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Westminster (PA) after playing for the Titans from 2018-21.

"I'm very happy to welcome Vinnie to the Vulcan baseball family. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his different stops during his coaching tenure," said first-year head coach Joey Noro, who was previously as an assistant with the program for nearly a decade. "His background as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, as well as being a head coach in the Hamptons collegiate summer league, is extremely valuable."

While with the Crusaders, Morelli worked alongside 20-year head Denny Bowers – the all-time winningest coach in program history. Susquehanna won the Landmark Conference Championship as recently as 2023 before advancing to the NCAA Regional Championship that spring. Last year, the Crusaders ranked third in the league in stolen bases per game while sitting among the top five in doubles per game, total walks and ERA.

"This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me. I cannot thank Coach Noro and the hiring committee enough for the chance to join a high-profile program with an unbelievable legacy," said Morelli. "I'm thrilled to continue growing as a coach and taking on new challenges, all while coming home to Western Pennsylvania."

Morelli joined the coaching staff of Westminster in 2022 when the Titans advanced to the title game of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament for the first time in a decade. He helped Westminster record three-consecutive seasons of at least 20 victories while setting the program record for conference wins in 2022. The Titans boasted 13 different players that received recognition from the league during Morelli's tenure as assistant coach with shortstop Logan Mergenovich garnering All-PAC Second-Team laurels at shortstop in back-to-back years.

In addition to his collegiate experience, Morelli has served as head coach of the North Fork Ospreys in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League (HCBL) in each of the past two summers. The Ospreys play in Peconic, New York, which is 90 miles east of New York City on Long Island. This summer, Thomas Matuszewski led the HCBL with a .403 average after being a consensus first-team all-region player during the spring as a freshman at Jefferson (PA). Morelli previously spent the 2023 summer in Virginia as the hitting coach for the Strasburg Express in the Valley League

Morelli was a catcher at Westminster from 2018-21 and was a member of the PAC Academic Honor Roll as a senior. He appeared in 36 games over his career and made 23 starts, including 15 as a senior.

A native of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Morelli earned his bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in marketing from Westminster in 2021. He later competed his master's degree in business administration in 2024, also from Westminster.