COACHING STAFF

Head Coach Joe Reina

2015-16 will be the 15th year at the helm of the Yellowjacket baseball program for Joe Reina.  In his time at Rochester, he has created a firm foundation for success on the diamond.

He guided the Yellowjackets in 2014 to the championship game of the Liberty League Tournament, ultimately falling to Union College and ending up one game short of reaching the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time as a coach.  The 2014 Rochester baseball squad ended with a 25-16 record and were 16-8 in the conference, earning the 2nd seed in the Liberty League Tournament.

In 2015, Reina's Yellowjackets were preseason favorites in the Liberty League and ended up with a 26-16 record overall and 17-7 mark in conference play, good enough to reach the conference tournament for the second straight season.  The 2015 season includes a new school record winning streak of 17-game which lasted from March 29 through April 19.

In 2010, Reina's Yellowjackets repeated as University Athletic Association champions in February, and won their second straight Liberty League regular season title. The previous season was equally as successful, as Reina led Rochester to a school record 30 wins, while being ranked as high as 8th in the country.

Under Reina, Rochester qualified for the Liberty League baseball playoffs 10 times, coming in 2003 (when it was known at the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association), '04, '06-'10, '12, '14 and '15. In 2005, the Yellowjackets were 21-16-1 overall and finished second at the UAA Championships. Reina and his staff have been recognized for their accomplishments in the Liberty League by earning the league's coveted Coaching Staff of the Year award in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Reina picked up his 300th career victory in the 2015 season, coming following a 2-1 win over Clarkson University.  He has a career record of 302-242-2 (.573) overall and is 168-104 (.618) in conference play.

A Rochester native, Reina is a graduate of Gates-Chili High School where he starred at shortstop for the Spartans. He then took his talents to Monroe Community College where he played under Hall of Fame coach H. David Chamberlain. In 1995, Reina was selected as the Region III Player of the Year and a second team All- American shortstop. He was awarded a full athletic scholarship to Division I, Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus. A two-year starter for the Blackbirds, Reina had two solid seasons including his junior year where he hit .371 and four grand slams in a season. He graduated with a bachelors degree in physical education.

Reina then came back to Rochester and his alma mater to coach at Monroe CC. In two years at Monroe, the Tribunes tallied close to 100 wins and finished runner-up in the district championships. He then accepted a two year position as a graduate assistant at The College of New Jersey (Division III).

While at TCNJ, Reina worked as the infield instructor and recruiting coordinator. The Lions won their first Conference championship in 18 years in 2000. In May of 2001, Reina graduated with a Masters of Education Degree.

During the summer months, Coach Reina has had a wide variety of experience in coaching all different levels. For two years he coached in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. In the summer of 2001, he worked as an assistant for the Bourne Braves, a member of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. Ten of the 24 players were selected in the 2002 Major league Baseball Amateur Draft while the Braves had one of its most successful season in the program's history.

In the summer of 2002 and 2003, Coach Reina was asked by Major League Baseball to work in their International Envoy program. He worked in Southern Germany and in Japan.  The  purpose of these trips were to further baseball in both countries. He worked with players from ages 7-45 and also worked with softball players in different clubs.

Assistant Coach Brian Bezek

The 2015-16 season will mark the fifth for Brian Bezek on the Yellowjacket staff.  A 2012 graduate of UR, Bezek received a Bachelors degree in Financial Economics, with minors in both Business and Legal Studies.

Bezek played second base his freshman and sophomore years on the team, and first base his senior year.  Injury held him out of his junior season, where he helped with the infielders and coached first base.