MILLEDGEVILLE, GA Georgia College & State University has named Chris Calciano as its new head baseball coach. Calciano comes to GC&SU after four years as the head coach at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He replaces Steve Mrowka, who left GC&SU after eleven years as head coach to take over the program at George Washington University in Washington DC.
Chris is a really good find for us and will be a terrific fit for our program, GC&SU Athletics Director Stan Aldridge said. This was one of the most difficult searches we have ever had in Athletics because we had so many good candidates. The quality of candidates is directly attributable to the baseball program that John Kurtz and Steve Mrowka established over the last 29 years. I am really excited that Chris will be joining us, and I look forward to working with him.
Calciano has posted a 120-77-3 (.608) record in four years at the helm for the Golden Rams and brought the team to the NCAA Division II Tournament two years in a row. West Chester went 36-12-2 in 2004, setting a school record for victories in one season. His pitching staff led the nation with a 2.67 earned run average.
I really want to thank (West Chester) Athletics Director Dr. (Edward) Matejkovic and everyone else at West Chester for all of the support over the last four years, Calciano said. I am looking forward to the challenge coaching at GC&SU and in the Peach Belt Conference. I hope to build on the successful tradition established by Coach Mrowka and his predecessor, John Kurtz. GC&SU has a tremendous baseball tradition, and I am really thankful to Dr. Aldridge for giving me this opportunity.
Calciano takes over a GC&SU program that went 32-22 last season. GC&SU went 407-231-2 (.638) in eleven seasons under Steve Mrowka and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2002, including the College World Series and National Championship game in 1995.
Calcianos Golden Rams finished with a then school-record 32-13 overall mark in 2003 and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Championship. Calciano also guided the Golden Rams into the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 1985 and was named the PSAC East Coach of the Year.
During his four-years at West Chester, Calciano has coached eight ABCA NCAA Division II Regional All-Americans and 21 All-Conference selections. He has also produced the only three 30-win seasons in school history.
Calciano was an assistant coach at Drexel University from 1995-2000, and he served for two years as the teams pitching coach. In 1998, Calciano became an integral part of the Delaware Valley Gulls, a member of the NCAA-sanctioned Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League in the Philadelphia area. He served as the teams general manager in 2000 after handling the head coaching responsibilities in 1999. In 1997, Calciano guided the Narberth Tribe to 23 victories and its first playoff appearance in seven seasons as its head coach and general manager. He was named the Delco League Manager of the Year for his efforts. The Tribe posted a 30-7 mark in 1998.
A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Calciano played professionally in the Frontier League in 1993 and 1994. While a player at Eastern University, Calciano earned All-Conference honors in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference in 1992 and 1993. He was also an Academic All-American in each of those seasons, and he earned All-American honors as a pitcher in 1993.
A 1993 graduate of Eastern, Calciano earned his masters degree from Eastern Kentucky while serving as a graduate assistant in the department of athletics. He is a native of Philadelphia and a graduate of Lamberton High School.
