Mark Biancoviso
Head Coach
Years: 1
Email: Mark.Biancoviso@csi.cuny.edu
Biancoviso became the 10th head coach of the CSI Softball program upon his arrival in January 2026. The former Xaverian Softball head coach brings forth more than a decade of experience coaching at the youth, high school and collegiate showcase levels.
In 2017, he established the Xaverian junior varsity softball squad followed by the varsity team in 2018. Under his leadership, the Clippers achieved sustained success at the local, state, and national levels, despite being a program less than a decade old. Xaverian and Biancoviso compiled a 125-38 overall record, earning six division championships and five Brooklyn/Queens finalist appearances.
Across his time with the Staten Island Saints Fast Pitch Organization and Xaverian High School, Biancoviso has helped more than 75 student-athletes advance to the collegiate level, emphasizing player development both on and off the field. |
Mark Biancoviso
Year-by-Year |
| Year |
Overall |
Conf. |
| 2026 |
Pending |
Pending |
| TOTALS |
Pending |
Pending |
|
|
Michael Kaffl
Assistant Coach
Kaffl was hired as an Assistant Coach for the CSI Softball team in early 2026. In recent years of coaching, he's worked along side Mark Biancoviso on the Staten Island Saints and at Xaverian High School where he led recruitment and talent development for both organizations.
Thomas Reno
Assistant Coach
Tom Reno joined CSI Softball in early 2026 as an Assistant Coach. As the President of the Staten Island Saints Fastpitch Organization since 2008, he brings a variety of different experiences from the high school and collegiate levels.
In 2015, he led the Saints to a National Championship and a few years later in 2017 he began is collegiate coaching experience at St. Thomas Aquinas College as an assistant where he and the staff guided the team to the best record in school history during that time. Later on in 2018, he transitioned to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) where he sat as the Assistant Softball coach until 2022. In 2021, the Lions saw their first CACC softball title in 12 years and made consecutive NCAA D2 East Regional Apperances after advancing to the big stage the following year in 2022.
Alyssa Polemeni
Assistant Coach
Alyssa Polemeni joins the CSI Softball staff in the early months of 2026. She is a former Division I student-athlete at Long Island Univesity (LIU) where she competed on the softball team for four seasons. During her time, she received the honors of NEC All-Tournament Team (2023), First Team All-NEC (2025) and NCFA Third Team All-Northeast Region.
Robert "Coach Sugar" Santiago
Hitting Coach
Robert Santiago was hired as Hitting Coach for the CSI Softball Team in 2022. Playing men’s open level fastpitch softball for over 30 years in numerous different states and countries, Santiago will bring valuable insight to the program.
Santiago grew up playing a variety of sports including baseball, football, hockey, and basketball. In 2019, he landed his first coaching job as an independent hitting coach for the Extreme Baseball and Softball Academy, where he is still working today. Santiago also has two National Championship awards, ASA (Amateur Softball Association,) and NSA (National Softball Association.) In addition, he obtained a national batting title in men’s ASA fastpitch, and is among the top five teams in world championship rankings between 2012-2021.
Santiago has grown as a hitting coach during his six years of experience by watching his young men and woman compete and be successful at all levels of fastpitch and baseball. He has coached student-athletes that have played from the D3 through D1 level in Baseball and Softball, some of whom have graduated with degrees becoming doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, police officers, and firemen. Most importantly, Santiago serves as a dedicated and supportive coach who always has his students best interest at heart.
Gianna DeCesare
Assistant Coach
Gianna DeCesare returns to the College of Staten Island as part of the 2026 softball coaching staff as of November 2025. During her time with the Dolphins, from the years of 2015-17, she was part of the team who won the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Championship three-years in a row.
DeCesare began her coaching experience during her college years as a coach for Westerleigh Little League in Staten Island then from 2014- 16, she was the Assistant Head Coach and Head Pitching Coach for New Dorp High School. Additionally, she was a volunteer coach at the College of Staten Island upon graduating from 2017-18.
Her final year of coaching prior to re-joining CSI's Softball Staff was in 2027 where she was the head coach at Moore Catholic High School. After not having a JV softball team for almost 10 years, Moore Catholic came out last year for the first time winning the CHSAA Annual Easter Tournament in Queens, NY. She also led her high school team during that season to take first place in the City and going out as the Archdiocese City Champions.
