Former Miami and UCF assistant coach Joe Mercadante joined the Stetson staff in July of 2017 as the Hatters' assistant coach. Mercadante serves as the Hatters’ primary hitting coach and works directly with the catchers. In addition, Mercadante was named as Recruiting Coordinator following the 2018 season.
His first season as a member of the Stetson coaching staff is one that will go down in history as the Hatters tied the school record for victories (48), won the ASUN regular season and tournament championships and then hosted and won an NCAA Regional.
Another highlight during the season was a school-record 18-game win streak.
Mercadante's work with the Stetson offense helped Brooks Wilson go from weekend starting pitcher to winning the John Olerud Award as the nation's best two-way player. In his role as closer, Wilson led the nation in saves, but in his role as cleanup hitter, he became the ASUN Player of the Year in addition to earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the NCAA DeLand Regional.
Mercadante also contributed to the Hatters' success on the mound thanks to his work with the Stetson catchers. Senior Austin Hale went from undrafted as a junior to a 28th round selection by Minnesota following the 2018 campaign.
Offensively, the Hatters finished seventh in the nation in triples with 23, the most in a season since 2000.
Mercadante earned the title of recruiting coordinator as a result of the efforts he has led to bring in some of the top players in the nation. Three of the Hatters' first-year players in 2019 were drafted, but passed up pro baseball to come to Stetson.
Mercadante spent seven years at Miami working with the Hurricanes' hitters and defensively with UM's catchers, in addition to scheduling games and assisting in recruiting efforts. During that time, he helped the squad make seven-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, which included four regional championships (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010) and two College World Series appearances (2006, 2008).
In 2011, Mercadante helped guide the Hurricanes to a 38-23 overall record, its 40th overall appearance in the NCAA Regional and a No. 22 ranking in the final Baseball America Top-25 poll of the year. Under his guidance, Miami hit .275 as a team with 547 hits, including 114 doubles, 12 triples and 43 home runs, to go along with 333 runs scored and a .376 on-base percentage.
Mercadante helped hone the skills and development of former Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal, who was not only a Johnny Bench Award finalist and named the ACC Player of the Year, but was also a first-round selection in the MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. Grandal currently serves as the starting catcher for the Chicago White Sox.
“Joe help lay the foundation for me to be able to have success, not only at the collegiate level but also as a professional,” Grandal said. “As both a hitter and catcher, to this day I am able to use the knowledge he passed down to me, not only to help myself get better, but also to help the next generation of future stars have a better understanding of the techniques that will help them in the future.”
During that 2010 season, Mercadante's offense hit .295 and became the first in program history to hit 100+ home runs, 20 triples and steal more than 100 bases, while being one of only two teams in the country to achieve the 100+ mark in both home runs and stolen bases.
Other MLB players coached by Mercadante include former MVP Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, recently retired 10-year MLB veteran Yonder Alonso, John Jay of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and former MLB players Danny Valencia, Jemile Weeks, Blake Tekotte and Chris Perez.
"Joe Mercadante is nothing but first class,” Alonso said. “He is a true leader for young men on and off the field. My time at the University of Miami was an incredible time. He helped me achieve my goals as a player daily. His consistent work was very helpful for me and I know 100% his work at Stetson will be more then amazing. I am looking forward to see what Joe will do at Stetson and how fast he can help bring a championship to Stetson University."
The Canes were ranked No. 1 for most of the 2008 season, with Mercadante aiding the squad as the team hit .320 with the second-most home runs (106) in school history. The 711 hits in 2008 were 10th all-time while the 2008 squad also ranked ninth in doubles (135), eighth in RBI (517), eighth in total bases (1,202) and fourth in slugging percentage (.541).
“Joe is an outstanding young man who works very hard,” former Miami head coach Jim Morris said. “He has all the ties to help in recruiting along with a vast amount of experience coaching baseball. This is a great hire for Stetson.”
Mercadante's first Johnny Bench Award finalist at Miami was catcher Eddy Rodriguez, who hit .318 with 64 hits offensively, while catching 15 runners stealing and picking off five from behind the plate in 2006.
He left Miami following the 2011 season and spent one year as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at UCF.
During his one season with the Knights, Mercadante helped lead UCF to an NCAA regional championship appearance and a No. 10 national ranking during the regular season. He helped five players receive All-Conference honors and three hitters who were selected in the 2012 draft.
Following the 2012 season Mercadante stepped away from college baseball for personal reasons. He took over as head coach of the Central Florida Gators, ranked as one of the top travel team programs in the nation by Perfect Game. He produced three Under Armour All-Americans, three Perfect Game All-Americans and two players who went on to play for USA Baseball.
In addition to his coaching, scouting and recruitment duties with the Gators, he has also served as Event Coordinator and Director for The Next Level Baseball Education, which included coordination and scheduling for the Orlando Scorpions.
“Joe is the heart and soul of our program,” Robert Rikeman, President and CEO of the Orlando Scorpions, said. “More importantly, his credibility with players of all ages is unmatched due to his knowledge and approach to the game. Joe is organized and thorough and always puts the kids’ best interests ahead of all else. Joe will be missed here, but Stetson is getting a dedicated, knowledgeable and tireless worker. We are proud and excited for him.”
Mercadante said the Stetson program, and Stetson University, have much to offer student athletes.
“We will recruit student athletes who want to compete at the highest level on the baseball field, while getting a first class education at one of the best private Universities in the southeast,” Mercadante said. “While helping these young men develop as baseball players, they earn a great education and we will do our best to ensure they grow as men and become members of the Stetson University family we all can be proud of.”
Mercadante graduated from P.K. Yonge High School in 1999. He was a four-year letterman for coach Bob Hawkins and was named the team MVP as a senior. Out of high school, he attended Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton, Ala., and helped lead the team to a JUCO Regional title and a berth in the Junior College World Series.
He then transferred to Delgado Junior College in New Orleans for his sophomore season. Mercadante arrived at the University of Florida in 2002 and hit .471 in a reserve role for the Gators while playing for former Hatter player and assistant coach Pat McMahon. He missed most of his senior season due to injury before beginning his coaching career.
After serving as an assistant coach at P.K. Yonge in 2004, Mercadante coached summer baseball in the Virginia Valley League with the Covington Lumberjacks.
Mercadante is a 2003 graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor's degree, Cum Laude, in Exercise and Sports Sciences in 2003. He earned his master's degree in the same field from Florida in June of 2006.
Mercadante and his wife, Katie, currently reside in Oviedo with their two sons, Roman (7) and CT (5).
