MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball has its full staff assembled for the upcoming 2024 season, with some familiar faces returning to SMC, a pair of newcomers with professional experience, and new Director of Operations.
 
Head Coach Eric Valenzuela retained assistant Jack Meggs from the previous staff, who oversaw one of the best offensive seasons in program history after coming to Saint Mary's last season from the Kansas Jayhawks. But Valenzuela has also brought in assistants Daniel Costanza, Daniel Molinari, and Thomas Caulfield to round out his coaching staff, along with Cole Coffey as Director of Operations.
 
DANIEL COSTANZA – ASSISTANT COACH, RECRUITING COORDINATOR
The return of Coach Valenzuela also brings the return of Costanza, who was an assistant at Saint Mary's with Valenzuela in his first tenure with the Gaels. Costanza climbed his way up the ranks at SMC, beginning as the team's Operations Director in 2014, becoming a volunteer assistant in 2015, and then a full-time assistant coach in 2016, the same season the Gaels won the WCC Tournament.
 
The Walnut Creek, Calif. native also returns to his role as recruiting coordinator for SMC and will work with the infielders. He served in a similar role with Long Beach State where the Dirtbags ranked 36th in the nation with a .977 fielding percentage in 2021 and then finished 37th in the nation in 2022 at a .975 mark. The .977 in 2021 is the best for the program since 2017.
 
Costanza came to Saint Mary's for the 2013-14 season after spending two years as an assistant coach at Cal State East Bay. Before becoming a coach, Costanza played for two years at York College under 2009-2010 MCAC coach of the year Nick Harlan. He was the starting second baseman on back-to-back MCAC Championship Teams in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and also won a MCAC Tournament Championship in the 2009-2010 season.
 
York College earned a trip to the National Regional Tournament in Lubbock, Texas in the 2009-10 season, and the team was ranked as high as 23rd in the nation. York went on to win a second conference championship the following year and was ranked as high as 17th in the nation. Costanza played a total of 102 games and finished with a career batting average of .312 with 19 doubles, 4 home runs, 50 RBI, and 48 runs.
 
DANIEL MOLINARI – ASSISTANT COACH, CATCHING INSTRUCTOR
Daniel Molinari comes to Saint Mary's after spending two years as the catching coach at Cañada College under Head Coach Tony Lucca. In those two seasons each year's starting catcher transferred on to NCAA programs on a scholarship after their time at Cañada College, including a backstop that led the North Coast Conference in runners thrown out. 
 
The Palo Alto, Calif. native spent five seasons playing professionally, including with the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer league and Lake Country Dockhounds of the American Association. In 2022, Molinari finished top three among American Association catchers in runners thrown out at 30% and led all catchers in fielding percentage with a perfect 1.000%. Molinari also represented the Brazilian National team in the 2019 Pan Am qualifiers, the 2020 World Baseball Classic under MLB Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, and the 2022 World Baseball Classic under MLB veterans Steve Finley and Latroy Hawkins. He finished his professional playing career as a .316 hitter lifetime hitter with a .499 slugging percentage and a .931 OPS. 
 
Before his professional career he played two years at De Anza College under Head Coach Erick Raich. He was the starting catcher and team captain in both of his seasons in Cupertino, Calif., and was the team leader in doubles and RBIs his sophomore year. After twice leading the Don's to a Junior College regional, Molinari transferred to Limestone University under Head Coach Chris Wiley where in 35 games he slashed .326 with 10 RBI and slugged .421 while majoring in history, pre-law. 
 
Molinari played his high school baseball at Junipero Serra High School under Head Coach Craig Giannino and also played varsity water polo under Head Coach Bob green before graduating in 2014. 
 
THOMAS CAULFIELD – ASSISTANT COACH
Caulfield comes to SMC for his first collegiate coaching position after recently concluding his professional playing career. Caulfield most recently played for the Spire City Ghost Hounds of the MLB-Partner Atlantic League in 2023. Before that he played two seasons in the Pioneer League in 2022 and '21, and played a in a "bubble" set up in the 2020 season for the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League. His first professional season of 2019 included a stint in the Bay Area's own Pacific Association with the San Rafael franchise.
 
The Burlingame, Calif. native was a starting pitcher for two years at Skyline College in San Bruno, Calif. to begin his college career, leading his team in starts as a freshman. Was a team captain as a sophomore while starting and relieving during the season, and helped lead his to a regional playoff appearance in 2015.
 
From there he earned a scholarship to Chicago State University where he played one season before transferring to the University of San Francisco to finish his collegiate career in the WCC in 2018. Caulfield was a four-year starter at Burlingame High, and in 2013 he was the PAL Pitcher of the Year, First-Team All San Mateo County, and All-State Honorable Mention.
 
COLE COFFEY – DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Coffey was most recently the Infield and Hitting Coach for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in the Alaska Baseball League under Head Coach Dave Serrano. He entered the coaching ranks after a four-year playing career Chabot Junior College, CSUN, and Cal State East Bay.
 
The Castro Valley, Calif. native hit a combined .324 average with a .419 on-base percentage and slugged .474 over his two seasons at Chabot, covering 82 games. He'd play his final collegiate season at Cal State East Bay where he hit .409 in 22 at bats, and it's where he is currently getting his Master of Business Administration.
 
A 2017 graduate of Castro Valley High School and a three-year varsity letter winner, Coffey was first-team all-league selection as a senior and second-team all-league selection as a junior. He helped lead the Trojans to an appearance in the CIF-North Coast Section championship game as a junior in 2016 and also played travel ball with NorCal Grizzlies.
 
The Gaels are slated to begin the 2024 season in February and are preparing for Brother Ronald Gallagher Stadium to be open to the public this season.
 
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