Baseball Coaching Staff

Michael Mauro
Head Coach

Years: 17
Won-Lost (Pct.): 328-290-1 (.530)

Phone: (718) 982-3171
Email: m ichael .mauro@csi.cuny.edu

Beginning his 17^th season as head coach, Mauro has amassed over 300 wins in his career coaching the Dolphins. He is the winningest coach in the history of the CSI Baseball program and his tenure has spanned both the Division II and Division III eras in the history of CSI Athletics.

Mauro's coaching experience expands far beyond his service to CSI. In 2000, he was named an assistant coach at Tottenville High School, a position he had until his assistant coaching position at CSI in 2008. There, he was a part of three PSAL City Championships, earning the Northeast High School Baseball Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2003. Prior to joining the Pirates, Mauro had assistant coaching stops at New Utrecht High School (1999-00) and Moore Catholic High School (1996-97).

An accomplished player, Mauro started his college career at John Jay College and played for three years, twice being named an NCAA Division III 2nd-team All-American at shortstop. Upon finishing his junior season, Mauro signed a professional free-agent contract with Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers. The infielder played for the Bristol Tigers (American League) and was promoted to the Niagara Falls Rapids of Class A (New York Penn League). On April 6, 2019, he was also inducted in the John Jay College Athletics Hall of Fame as a player.

Once his playing career came to a close in 1991, Mauro joined the New York Police Department, and finished his studies at the College of Staten Island, earning a bachelor's degree in Sociology. Currently, he is in his fourth year as an assistant coach for the Staten Island Ferry Hawks, a professional baseball team that plays on Staten Island as part of the Atlantic League. Since joining the organization, he has seen two of his former players, John Esposito and Ryan Kehoe, sign their first professional contracts with the team as well. He is also the Vice President of Marketing for TLC Physical Therapy.

A Staten Island native, Mauro and his wife, Janene, reside in Sunnyside, Staten Island, with their children Alexandra and Michael, Jr.

Michael Mauro Year-by-Year
Year	Overall	Conference
2009	19-20	7-3
2010	31-11	11-1 $
2011	23-19	8-2 $
2012	21-18	8-4
2013	30-12	11-2 $
2014	19-16	9-1
2015	25-15	7-1 $
2016	26-13	7-1 $
2017	27-11-1	n/a $
2018	18-16	6-3 $
2019	16-22	8-4
2020	5-3	0-0
2021	7-17	6-15
2022	11-25	4-15
2023	17-26	9-15
2024	15-28	7-17
2025	18-28	11-9
TOTALS	328-290-1	119-93
$ - CUNYAC Champions # - ECC Playoff Berth

James Mardikos
Assistant Coach

Phone: (718) 982-3171
Email: james.mardikos@csi.cuny.edu

Former CSI pitcher and standout James Mardikos became a new addition to the Dolphins staff in January of 2018. The accomplished four-year star is making his first foray into collegiate coaching, bringing a wealth of experience to the table.

Mardikos' coaching experience is extensive, but the former southpaw pitcher made his mark best in a Dolphins uniform from 2008-11. His 12 career wins put him 9th all-time at the College while his 131 career strikeouts were good for 8th all-time. The team collected three CUNYAC Championships during his four-year career,and he was a part of CSI's best-ever 31-win season in 2010.

Alongside his experience on the diamond, centered on the mound, Mardikos was also a Prospects Coach with the New York Dynasty, where he served as the Pitching Coach in 2012 with the Under-16 travel squad and then as a Head Coach with the 18-under unit from 2013-15. There he was a part of multiple tournament appearances in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Mardikos is also heavily versed in day-to-day operations at CSI, formerly serving as a Gameday Sports Information Assistant and and as a weekend Building Supervisor at the campus' Sports & Recreation Center.

The baseball field is where Mardikos has always found himself, and he hopes to incorporate his experience into the current crop of student-athletes the Dolphins boast.

Matthew Bowers
Assistant Coach

Phone: (718) 982-3171
Email: matthew.bowers@csi.cuny.edu

The College of Staten Island Baseball program named Matthew Bowers as an Assistant Coach in September of 2019. Coming off of a sensational college career, it is Bowers' first hand at collegiate coaching.

A Staten Island native, Bowers was a three-sport star and standout infielder for St. Joseph by the Sea High School, where he captained the Vikings' Baseball program for three years, helping guide the unit to a City Championship his sophomore season in 2010. The baseball resume granted him a scholarship to play for Long Island University - Post, a former member of the East Coast Conference, of which CSI is now a member.

Charged primarily with working with infielders and general team strategy and recruiting while at CSI, Bowers' career at LIU-Post included 91 starts with a career fielding percentage of .946, scattering over 70 hits with 30 RBI for the Pioneers. After finishing 13 games under .500 his freshman season, Bowers help steady a unit that took home an ECC Championship in 2017, his redshirt-senior season, a run that ended at the Division II Regional Championships.

Bowers achieved his Bachelor's Degree at LIU-Post in Management with a minor in Marketing. Alongside his duties at CSI, he is the Owner and Operator of M Squared Cleaning Services on Staten Island and a Manager & Sales Merchandiser with M Squared Beverages in Brooklyn. Baseball has always been close, however, as Bowers has continued to work as a baseball coach and volunteer at several baseball camps and clinics.

Thomas Laino
Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator

Phone: (718) 982-3171
Email: thomas.laino@csi.cuny.edu

Laino joined the Dolphins as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator during the 2023 season, but he is no stranger to the Baseball scene in New York. A graduate of Saint Joseph by the Sea High School, Laino was a Newsday and New York Post All-Star in 2001 and named a Staten Island Advance All-Star Honorable Mention that same year. In 2002, he was named to the Newsday 2nd Team before moving on to join the Wagner College Baseball Team. He spent two years at Wagner College before departing to start a family, and soon after, he began coaching.

His first coaching stop was in 2004 at Saint Peters High School under Jon Lamattina where he served as an instructor for hitters and catchers. Later that same year, he returned to Saint Joseph by the Sea under Coach Gordon Rugg and served as an instructor for the team's pitchers and catchers. In 2007, Laino took over practice planning and scheduling, 3rd base coaching duties and defensive strategy for the team. Three years later in 2010, he was a part of a CHSAA City Championship-winning team for the first time. Laino remained on the staff in 2016 when Ken Rigatti took over head coaching duties, and he continued to carry out his previous responsibilities. He then spent another two years as an Assistant Coach with Nelson Ortiz before departing for CSI ahead of the 2023 season.

Outside of coaching, Laino served as a Board of Director and Major League Director at East Shore Little League from 2008 until 2019. Here he also worked as a roving instructor for hitters and coordinated defensive strategy at the little league. Laino also continues to be a guest speaker and instructor at camps and clinics throughout the New York and New Jersey area. Lastly, he serves as a director for the Metro United Baseball League that selects the best Staten Island baseball players to compete in an annual All-Star game.

Laino was born and raised in the Staten Island neighborhood of Rosebank. He is married to his wife Andrea with four kids, TJ, Nicolette, Bobby, and Taylor.

Shendi Ulaj
Assistant Coach

Phone: (718) 982-3171
Email:

Ulaj joined the coaching staff for CSI baseball in the fall of 2023 following a four-year career with the Dolphins. As a player, he joined the Dolphins in 2020 and lost much of his first season to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned the following year to hit .263. In his final two season in 2022 and 2023, he hit .383 and .359 with 5 home runs and 49 RBI. He brings with him a deep familiarity with the program and knowledge of the game that will surely benefit the newest Dolphins joining the program for the first time.

John Esposito
Pitching Coach

Phone: (718) 982-3171
Email:

John Esposito, a proud Staten Island native, joined the College of Staten Island's baseball coaching staff in the fall of 2024. A former standout player for the Dolphins, Esposito enjoyed an illustrious five-year career as a pitcher, where he earned a reputation as one of the team's top performers. He consistently ranked in the program's top five for both innings pitched and strikeouts, and he remains tied for the single-game record with 18 strikeouts.

In addition to his coaching duties, Esposito currently plays professionally for the Staten Island Ferry Hawks, a team in the Atlantic Baseball League, where he continues to showcase his talent on the mound. His professional playing experience adds an extra layer of expertise and leadership to his coaching role.

Esposito's extensive playing experience, both at the collegiate and professional levels, makes him a valuable asset to the Dolphins' coaching staff. As a former player who excelled under pressure, he brings a player's perspective and a competitive edge to his coaching philosophy. His dedication to the sport and the program continues as he works to develop the next generation of Dolphins.

Saverio Nardone
Strength & Conditioning / Assistant Coach

Phone: (718) 982-3171
Email:

Saverio Nardone joined the Baseball coaching staff in the fall of 2024 and brings with him a great deal of experience at several different levels. With over a decade experience coaching in the NYC High School and travel circuit, as well as Collegiate Summer Baseball in the Tri-State, he possesses great insight into the landscape of the game throughout New York City and the rest of the tri-state area.

His accolades include the first-ever NYC City Championship for Midwood High School in 2016. He has also been named NYSWAA & MSG Varsity Coach HS of the year, and in 2017, he was named named ABCA Rawlings Regional High School Coach of the Year. This came on the heels leading Midwood High School to the program's first ever Monroe Tournament Championship and second ever Brooklyn Division title. In 2023, he would go on to became the winningest coach in the program's history. Currently, he is the Head Coach of the Gamers in ABCCL, NJ and has led the team to three consecutive winning seasons & semi final appearances.

Nardone joins the CSI coaching staff as an assistant who will provide the team support in the area of strength and conditioning. His vast experience and long history of success at several different stops throughout his career will certainly help bolster a program that is looking to establish long-term success at the NCAA Division II level.

Bob Steele
Assistant Coach
(1935-2022)

A coaching veteran for over six decades, Steele joined on to the team as a volunteer assistant with Head Coach Michael Mauro in 2009, a position he held until his passing in 2022.

Steele coached baseball for nearly all of his adult life, having spent a majority of time with the baseball program at Staten Island's Mckee / Staten Island Technical High School, where he doubled as the school's Athletic Director for 42 years. Coach Steele was Coach Mauro's high school coach from 1983-1987.

Steele was given the Sportsmanship Award by the Warren Jacques Committee in 1975, the Staten Island Advance Service Award in 1979, and took home Sportsman of the Year honors from the Advance in 2002.

In 2018, Steele was inducted into the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame, and in June of 2021, McKee/Staten Island Tech named their baseball field after him. Steele's contributions to the Staten Island community extended far beyond the baseball diamond as he served as both coach and mentor to countless student-athletes at the high school and collegiate level.

A plaque dedicated to Steele's memory was affixed to the final booth in the baseball press box during the 2022 season. During his tenure as assistant coach, he could always be found taking in the action and keeping the game's official scorecard in the booth that now bears his name.