ERIC CIRELLA

Head Coach

Eric Cirella was officially named the fifth head coach in the history of the Salve Regina baseball program in June 2013, returning to his alma mater and replacing his father, Steve, who stayed on staff as an assistant coach until 2017, after a 14-year tenure as head coach of the Seahawks. Cirella is entering his 12th season as Salve Regina's head coach.

In 12 seasons, Cirella's record stands at 332-143-6. He has guided the Seahawks to Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championships four times (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021), the school's first-ever New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) in 2025, and NCAA appearances eight times (2022, 2023, 2024 NCAA At-Large), including six straight NCAA appearances.

The 2025 Seahawks captured their first-ever New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament championship - after winning their second-straight regular-season title in their two years in the league - on a Mother's Day walk-off single in extra innings by Tyler Petrosino after Shane Williams had led off the 10th with a triple. Cirella's crew then earned the top seed in the Harrisburg Regional and swept through their three games in Pennsylvania for their second-straight regional championship (wins over Keene State, host Penn State Harrisburg, and the College of New Jersey). The 15-1 clincher over TCNJ represented a program-high 20-game win streak; the previous best had been a 17-game win streak in 2023.

Cirella's milestones in 2025 included becoming only the second head coach in Seahawk history to amass 300 career wins (3/1/2025) and then surpassing his dad as the all-time winningest coach in program history (No. 319 on 4/24/2025). In his 12 seasons as head coach, Eric Cirella's teams have won 30 or more games five times including the last four consecutive seasons. He now owns a career mark of 332 wins, 143 losses, and six ties for a .696 winning percentage.

The 2024 season was the most single-season wins ever in the history of the program (40-10) while earning the program’s first-ever trip to the College World Series in Eastlake, Ohio. The Seahawks were the #1 seed in the Cortland Regional, defeating Colby, Cortland, and Washington & Jefferson to win their first-ever NCAA Regional. In the Super Regionals, Salve Regina defeated Salisbury by the scores of 9-8 and 14-12 to advance to the CWS. Last year also marked the first season in the NEWMAC, where the Seahawks won the regular season title with a 13-3 record.

The 2023 Seahawks had won more games than any team in program history (39-10-1) and were the #1 seed in the Dallas (PA) NCAA Regional for the first time in program history. Cirella was named CCC Coach of the Year, while RHP Sean Mulligan was named CCC Rookie of the Year as well as Region 2 Rookie of the Year (D3Baseball). Overall, a dozen Seahawks garnered All-CCC recognition. Seven more were recognized as All-Region (Clark, Jeffries, Homa, D'Amato, Arrigo, Siqueira, Mulligan). Christian Homa was named First Team All-American as a Designated Hitter (ABCA/D3Baseball). Salve Regina finished with a .571 strength of schedule, propelling the team to its second straight NCAA at-large bid and eventual #1 seed in the NCAA Regionals. The Seahawks saw their ranking climb as high as #13 in the nation, while finishing #15/#20 (Collegiate Baseball/D3Baseball) in the country.

The 2022 Seahawks won the CCC Regular Season championship en route to their first NCAA at-large bid in program history after winning 30 games with a .574 strength of schedule (18 of 382 nationally). Dominic Perachi was selected in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates (320th overall) after winning National Pitcher of the Year, Regional Pitcher of the Year and CCC Pitcher of the Year. Dylan Ketch (NEIBA/D3Baseball), Patrick Maybach (NEIBA), Andrew Roman (D3Baseball), and Perachi also garnered All-Region accolades with Ketch (CCC Defensive Player of the Year) and Perachi winning major conference awards. In the 2022 Lynchburg (VA) Regional, Salve Regina eliminated Earlham and #8 Lynchburg before losing to #3 Birmingham Southern in the regional finals.

After having an unbeaten 2020 season cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic the Seahawks once again claimed the top-seed in the CCC following an abbreviated 2021 regular season. In the CCC tournament the Seahawks defeated Roger Williams in a best-of-three series in the semifinals, then were declared conference champions when their opponent could not compete due to COVID-19 cases. Earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the Seahawks once again headed to Hartford, Connecticut, for the regionals where the team earned two victories, including a win over #11 nationally-ranked Southern Maine.

In 2019, the Seahawks, battling injuries all season, emerged from the fourth seed/loser’s bracket to win five games while facing elimination to win their third CCC Championship in four years. In a championship matchup of Rhode Island universities, Salve Regina swept Saturday’s doubleheader (after losing game one on Friday) against Roger Williams to earn the CCC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Senior Zach Smith was named CCC Player of the Year as well as NEIBA All-New England First Team. Smith and his senior counterparts played in the CCC Finals each of their four years, winning three.

Sandwiched between multiple championships, the 2018 Seahawks (25-15) won the CCC regular season title with a 12-4 conference record (for second straight year) and earned the #1 seed in the CCC Tournament, while eventually losing in the best of three championship to Western New England. Salve Regina’s 25-15 record with a .562 strength of schedule (34 of 393 in country) had them on the table, but just short of their first NCAA at-large bid. Eight Seahawks made All-CCC, while Alex Perry, Dylan Ketch and Patrick Maybach received All-New England accolades. Just two years after graduation in 2020, Alex Perry earned a spot on the D3 Baseball All-Decade Team as a Second Team Designated Hitter.

The most prolific season in the history of the baseball program also included the first two NCAA wins in the New England Regional, first over Penn State-Berks and then nationally-ranked Arcadia. From March 28 through June 5 (final poll), Salve Regina baseball stayed in the Top 30 nationally – getting as high as No. 13 (ABCA) in the country and finishing the year ranked No. 23. Salve Regina was also ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in New England (NEIBA) for eight consecutive weeks, finishing the year as the No. 5 team in the region.

Overall, 11 players were named All-CCC (a school record) while Cirella (CCC Coach of Year) and Pat Maybach (Rookie of Year) were honored with two of the conference’s major awards. The Seahawks placed four on All New England Team: Maybach (First Team NEIBA/D3Baseball), Christian Vargas (Second Team NEIBA/D3Baseball), Jimmy Fitzgerald (Second Team NEIBA), and John Militano (Third Team NEIBA). Maybach was also the second straight Salve Regina baseball player to be awarded D3Baseball Rookie of the Year in New England. The 2017 Seahawks were regionally ranked by the NCAA regional committee for the third time in Cirella’s tenure and were also ranked as high as No. 1 in New England.

In only his third year at the helm, Cirella led the 2016 Seahawks over Endicott College in the CCC title game to give Salve Regina its first baseball championship since 2005 (the 2005 team was captained by Cirella). The Seahawks advanced to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Salve Regina won 26 games for the third consecutive season. The Seahawks were regionally ranked by the NCAA committee for the third time in four seasons.

Overall, the 2016 Seahawks had one of the most dangerous offenses in the entire country, boasting a .326 team batting average and an OPS of .870. Their 481 hits were most all time in a single season. Nine players were selected to All-CCC teams while four earned All-New England recognition (program records). Senior Ryan Kelly (OF) and sophomore Alex Perry (1B) were All-New England selections for a second time, while freshman Tristan Dacey (DH) and Zack Smith (OF) were first-time honorees. Smith was also tagged D3baseball’s Rookie of the Year in the New England region.

In 2015, one of the youngest Salve Regina baseball teams in recent history (20 freshman) captured the ECAC Championship, coming from behind to beat Framingham State in the bottom of the 9th inning. The Seahawks matched their 26 wins from the previous season, finishing 26-16 while winning 14 of their last 16 contests.

Freshman Alex Perry was the CCC Rookie and Player of the Year (a first in the history of CCC Baseball). Additionally, Perry garnered First Team All-New England (NEIBA & D3 Baseball) as well as Rawlings ABCA Third Team All-American. This was the program’s first All-America honoree since Cirella 10 years prior (2005).

In his first full season as the Salve Regina head coach in 2014, the Seahawks posted a 26-15 record, placed six players on the All-CCC teams, and qualified for the ECAC postseason tournament as a two seed. Additionally, Salve Regina appeared in two (of three) northeast regional rankings by the NCAA – a first in program history. Senior LHP Vin Roth and sophomore OF Ryan Kelly were both named Second Team All-New England (NEIBA). Kelly also earned Third Team All-Region by D3Baseball.

Cirella began his coaching career in 2005-06 at Salve Regina University, helping the Seahawks win a school record 32 games (32-13). A four-year stand-out baseball player at Salve Regina University, Cirella was an All-Conference and Academic All-Conference member four years while also earning the 2004 Brother Michael Reynolds Award for outstanding accomplishment in academics and athletics. He also was the school’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2004-2005, and was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-America© (2003-2005) in addition to earning ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America of the Year award in 2005 (a combined Division II and III award).

Cirella graduated magna cum laude from Salve Regina University with a bachelor’s in financial management in May of 2005. He was a member of the Dean's List four straight years and graduated with an impressive 3.87 GPA, the highest GPA of any finance graduate in 2005. He was also the CCC Senior Scholar Athlete for Baseball in 2005. In 2011, Cirella was the youngest ever inductee into the Salve Regina Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2010, he finished his master’s degree in communication studies at the URI School of Communication, where he also taught as a graduate instructor from 2007-2009.

Eric and his wife, Taylor, reside in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, with their son, Hudson.

ZACH CLESAS

Assistant Coach

Zach Clesas comes to Newport after a season with the Wheaton College baseball program for the 2024-25 season and after spending a stint as the Interim Head Coach for the Rhode Island College baseball team in the fall of 2023, before settling in as the Anchormen's Pitching Coach for the 2024 campaign.

For five seasons, Clesas toiled both as a starter and a relief pitcher for the Lyons from 2019-2023.

The right-hander concluded his Wheaton career, ranking fourth on the program's career appearances list with 71 games. He culminated his tenure in Norton by being named Second Team All-Conference by the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Clesas stepped up to become a starter in his final season with the Lyons and made his last collegiate outing a good one, defeating No. 1 Johns Hopkins University in the NCAA III Super Regional after allowing just two runs on five hits and no walks, while fanning three batters over seven and a third innings of work. Clesas finished the season by going 7-2 in 12 starts with 40 strikeouts and a 3.33 earned run average in 73 innings pitched. The Rhode Island native was among the elite control pitchers in the nation that season, issuing just seven walks for a rate of 0.86 per nine innings pitched to place him sixth among Division III hurlers.

Clesas tossed 137 1/3 innings and posted a 12-3 record to go with a 3.47 ERA during his career for Wheaton. He struck out 72 batters and surrendered just 27 walks, while recording four saves and holding opposing hitters to a .263 batting mark.

In addition to his stellar collegiate career, Clesas also pitched in the Futures Baseball League for the Brockton Rox and the New England Collegiate Baseball League for Martha's Vineyard, where he helped the Sharks capture the NECBL Championship behind a season that saw him register a 3-1 record, while posting a 1.85 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.

Hailing from Johnston in the Ocean State, Clesas graduated from Wheaton in 2023 with a degree in business and management.

PETER CLAYS

Assistant Coach

Peter Clays joins the Seahawk baseball staff in December 2021.

A Rhode Island native, Clays graduated from Georgetown in 1988 where he played both baseball and football for the Hoyas. He has spent the last 25 years coaching baseball at the high school level. From 1996-2014 he coached at North Kingstown High School. From 2015-2021 he was at South Kingstown High School as an assistant coach. The 2019 Rebel baseball team won the D1 Rhode Island State Championship. Clays has also assisted with the Ocean State Waves in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) from 2015-2021. During his coaching tenure, Clays has coach over 50 players who have went on to play professional baseball.

HARRISON BARLOW

Assistant Coach

Cirella on Harrison Barlow - "Harry had spent a year and a half with us in 2015-2016 and was part of our first championship in 2016. He does a tremendous job with the infielders as well as helping with the day to day things. He played for me at URI and also was an assistant for me while I coached the Ocean State Waves, so he knows the expectations and really has a great understanding of the system we have in place. He throws great BP, can handle a fungo bat, and will also be a guy who helps out our team defense as well as offensive skills. On top of it all he's a great person and will be a great role model for our guys."

Previous coaching experience includes: Salve Regina University (2015, 2016 - CCC champions, 2019-present), Rhode Island College (2017, 2018), and Ocean State Waves (2015, 2016)

Primarily focused with hitting, infield defense, baserunning, recruiting and coaching first and third base.

Barlow was named the 2011 Gatorade Rhode Island Baseball Player of the Year, the Cox Sports Baseball Player of the Year, the Division I-South Player of the Year and he was selected First Team All-State.

The 6-foot-1,165-pound shortstop batted .479 with 36 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 14 RBI and seven doubles. Barlow also produced a .630 slugging percentage and a .578 on-base percentage. As a pitcher, Barlow posted a 1.77 ERA and 15 strikeouts against just one walk in 17.1 innings.

Barlow was presented the Eileen Cullen Hughes Award by the Rhode Island High School Baseball Umpires Association for the player who has gone above and beyond the sport to promote baseball.

DIRK BAKER

Assistant Coach

Dr. Dirk Baker joins the Seahawk baseball staff in December 2023.

A native of Auburn, Mass., Baker earned all three degrees from Boston University (B.S. Journalism 1991, Ed.M. PE 1993, and Ed.D. Curriculum & Teaching 1998; Dissertation: An Investigation of Fitness for MLB Players).

Over 30 years as a college coach (Harvard, BU, Worcester, and now Salve Regina), 6-time NCAA Tournament qualifier, 39 playoff wins, 100 last at-bat victories, and over 540 total - all won by his players. Baker left Worcester State with the most wins of any coach/sport in school history.

His squads made 12 Championship Games (MASCAC-9 and ECAC-3). Baker coached nine conference Players of the Year, five All-Americans, five future MLB players (42 pros), with three draft picks at Worcester State. A two-time MASCAC Coach of the Year, he was the first baseball coach with a team to earn a 3.0 GPA for the academic year and did it in back to back years. Over 550 times a player earned a semester 3.0+ GPA during his time at WSU from 1995-2022.

Baker coached at virtually every level including the Cape Cod League, American Legion, and Bay State Games (won Central's first ever gold medal in 2021). Certified PE teacher K-12 and Mental Prep Coach through Brian Cain. He's participated or run camps and clinics every year since 1991. Personally had a hand in Lyons Field at WSU being named the 2014 ABCA/Turface Best Maintained College Field in the country.

He was a D1 North Atlantic Conference all-star at Boston University, All-New England (scored winning run in NEIBA All-Star Game at Fenway Park), two-time captain, two-time All-Academic, Most Outstanding Senior Baseball Player, set three school records, and was selected to the BU Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baker has written five books and produced five instructional videos with Championship Productions. A book on Kid Gleason, manager of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, is being worked on currently.

STEPHEN CIRELLA

Mental Performance Coach

BIO coming soon