Chestnut Hill, MA- Pine Manor College announced the hiring of Anthony Leonelli as the inaugural head coach of men baseball. Leonelli is the latest addition to the Pine Manor growing athletics team. This announcement marks an exciting time of growth at Pine Manor College as the college continues to expand its offering to men and build its NCAA athletic program.
Leonelli will recruit Pine Manor College's initial roster in 2016-2017, and the team will begin to play in 2017-2018. With this addition of men baseball, Pine Manor College will now have five men's sports and five women's sports.

Athletic Director, John Griffith, commented, "We are excited to offer baseball starting in 2017-2018 and welcome Anthony Leonelli to our team and serve as Head Baseball Coach. His experience in recruiting, coaching, and sportsmanship will enhance our Athletic program and launch Pine Manor College's men baseball."

"I could not be more excited to help build a collegiate baseball program from scratch. I look forward to recruiting student-athletes that will benefit not only our program but the campus community as a whole" said Leonelli.

Leonelli comes to Pine Manor College after most recently spending 2011-2014 as the varsity baseball coach at Blackstone Valley Technical High School in Upton, Massachusetts. Leonelli inherited a program that had not won a league title since 1977 and promptly turned them into a regional power posting a 65-23 (.738) record, and a 50-6 (.892) league record. The Beavers claimed the 2012 and 2013 Colonial Athletic League titles and the 2012 State Vocational Championship. In those four years, the Beavers also sent eight players on to play college baseball.

Leonelli also has substantial experience on the summer wood bat circuit, serving as manager of the Cmass Expos (HABL) in 2006 and 2007 and pitching coach for the West Roxbury Bluefish (YBL) in 2008 and 2009. During this time Leonelli coached well over 50 Division 1, 2, and 3 players as well five future professional players including current Minnesota Twin Ryan O'Rourke.

Away from the diamond, Leonelli spent the last 11 years in college basketball including stints as the head coach at Green Mountain College and assistant coach at Rhode Island College, WPI, and Wentworth.

He also runs 508 Athletics, a company providing first rate instruction for youth and scholastic athletes and recreational options for adult athletes throughout Central Massachusetts and beyond.

Leonelli played collegiate baseball for Jayson King at Franklin Pierce an NCAA D2 program in the Northeast 10 after a storybook scholastic career at Nipmuc Regional that included a four-year varsity career and pitching them to the 2001 MIAA State Championship.
With Leonelli's record of success, Pine Manor College anticipates a great 2016-2017 recruiting year and 2017-2018 baseball season.