Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (10/4/2022) – "After a national search I am pleased to have Joe Brooks as our new Head Baseball Coach!" issued Gwynedd Mercy University Director of Athletics Keith Mondillo. Coach Brooks takes over the Gwynedd Mercy University baseball program at a historical time as a campus-wide transformation includes renovations such as a new scoreboards, bullpens, batting tunnels, dugouts, backstops, fencing, and a new synthetic playing surface. In addition to oversight of the baseball program, Coach Brooks will also serve as Gwynedd Mercy University's Athletic Maintenance Specialist.
 
"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join the Gwynedd Mercy University community," said Brooks. "I'd like to thank Director of Athletics Keith Mondillo, the search committee, and the entire campus community for welcoming me into their family and for the opportunity to lead the Griffin baseball program. We will achieve in the classroom, be active members of the campus community, and compete at a high-level on the field with class. It is a great time to be a Griffin and I can't wait to hit the ground running!" Brooks most recently served as an assistant at Atlantic East Conference (AEC) rival, Immaculata University (December 2021 – September 2022). Prior to – and during - his time with the Mighty Macs, Brooks was a volunteer coach with the University of Pennsylvania (August 2019 – September 2022), as well as a head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Penn State Abington (August 2017 – July 2019). Coach Brooks also served as an assistant with Timber Creek High School (2017) and Brooklawn American Legion (2013-2017).
 
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As a member of the Immaculata University baseball coaching staff, Coach Brooks helped lead the Mighty Macs to a 29-14 overall record, a 14-4 conference standing, and a 2022 AEC Championship. Immaculata University's 2022 season extended to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Regional Tournament, where a 1-2 stretch versus #4 Keystone College (L, 5-7 on May 20/L, 5-6 on May 22) and #2 Montclair State University (W, 9-5 on May 21) led to their eventual expiration. The 2022 Mighty Macs featured three American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-Region performers in sophomore pitcher Jason Hughes (Warminster, Pa.) (1^st Team), junior catcher Josh Crowding (Mickleton, N.J.) (3^rd Team), and senior second baseman Frank Margiotta (Congers, N.Y.) (3^rd Team) and the D3Baseball Region 5 Coach of the Year in Josh Copsky.
 
The Nittany Lions enjoyed a program record 25-13 finish in 2018. That year, Coach Brooks guided an offense that improved in every statistical category from the year prior. Major contributions from five freshmen and four sophomores helped Penn State Abington set six program records including runs scored (344), on-base percentage (.424), sacrifice flies (27), runs-batted-in (295 RBI), hit by pitch (81), and homeruns (13). They ranked among the Top-25 in the nation for runs scored per game (9^th, 9.1), hit by pitch (9^th, 81), on-base percentage (15^th, .424), and walks (20^th, 221). They also ranked 31^st in the nation in sacrifice flies (27) and 41^st in total runs scored (344). Defensively, the Nittany Lions ranked 1^st in the nation for double plays per game (1.21) while seeing a 0.23 point increase in fielding percentage from the year prior.
 
Coach Brooks mentored Penn State Abington's freshman infielder Ryan McCarty, who was selected as a D3Baseball (Rookie of the Year) and the first American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-American in program history. McCarty was also selected as the Mid-Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year and North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Rookie of the Year honors. He went on to establish single-season program standards for hits (65), runs scored (49), and RBI's (47) in before being invited to play for the Alpharetta Aviators of the Sunbelt Collegiate Baseball League. Coach Brooks also mentored sophomore outfielder Stevie Stevenson, who received All-NEAC First Team honors.
 
During his collegiate career, Brooks accomplished more in his three years at Rutgers-Camden than most players do in their four-year careers. He led the Raptors to the only two regular-season New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) titles in school history (2014, 2015) and helped them reach their National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Baseball Championship Tournament. While at Rutgers-Camden, Brooks earned all-conference honors both athletically and academically, set several program standards, and conducted a three-year hitting clinic on the collegiate level.
 
After transferring from East Carolina University, Brooks started all 125 games during his three years at Rutgers-Camden. He finished his collegiate career as the Raptors' all-time leader batting average (.386), while also ranking second in career on-base percentage (.473), second in career hits (187), third in runs scored (112), fifth in walks (65), fifth in total baes (230) and ninth in RBI (82). As a freshman in 2014, Brooks hit a career-high .421 with 67 hits, 49 runs scored, and a .523 on-base percentage en route to a D3Baseball.com All-American honor.
 
A stellar student as well, Brooks was a member of Rutgers-Camden's inaugural Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Fall 2015) as one of five student-athletes on that team to post a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA). Brooks graduated from Rutgers-Camden in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in history and a concentration in secondary and special education. He currently resides in Blackwood, New Jersey.