John Yurkow was promoted to W. Joseph Blood Head Coach of Baseball in July 2013 after serving seven seasons as an assistant coach with the University of Pennsylvania baseball program. As of the end of the 2022 season, he has compiled an overall record of 169-147-1 including a 90-52-1 record in Ivy League play. Following a banner year in 2022, Yurkow moved into third place on the program's all-time wins list. Under Yurkow’s tutelage, Penn has reached 20 wins in five of his seven full seasons, finishing with a winning record in all five of those seasons. Yurkow is one of five coaches to reach 100 wins and is the third-fastest to reach triple digits with a win in his 152nd game as head coach (4/21/2018 – Cornell). Over his seven full seasons as head coach of the Quakers, Yurkow has produced 53 All-Ivy selections including two Players of the Year, two Pitchers of the Year, three Rookies of the Year, 25 first-team selections, 16 second-team honorees, and 12 honorable mentions. On top of the All-Ivy selections, Yurkow has prepared athletes to compete at the next level, with nine players selected in the MLB Draft since his promotion in 2013.Following two seasons cut short by the CoVID-19 pandemic, the Quakers set a slew of program records in 2022, most notably breaking the 30-win plateau for the first time in program history, finishing the year 33-15, including a program-record 17 victories in Ivy League play, winning all seven conference series. Penn hit 50 home runs, had 328 RBI, and struck out 484 batters, all program records. The team’s 362 runs scored were the most in a single season since 1893, while their 506 hits were the second-most in program history. In 2019, the Quakers’ offense had a marquee year. Penn set program records in hits (533), doubles (109) and RBI (320). The Quakers set the bar in the Ivy League in each of those categories, additionally leading the conference with a .334 team batting average, .422 on-base percentage, .497 slugging percentage, 354 runs scored and 8.6 runs per game.Not only was Penn’s offense the gold standard of the Ivy League in 2019, it also put the Red and Blue in the national spotlight. The Quakers ranked second among all Division I programs in batting average (.334) and doubles per game (2.66), third in scoring (8.6 runs per game), fourth in on-base percentage (.442) and triples per game (.54), and ninth in slugging (.497). Those big numbers landed the Quakers eight All-Ivy selections including a league-leading four first-team selections, the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year in Christian Scafidi, and the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in Josh Hood. With Hood’s unanimous selection, three of the last four Ivy League Rookies of the Year were representatives of Penn. To cap the year off, senior captain Matt O'Neill was selected by the New York Mets in the 20th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Despite multiple losses throughout the team due to graduation and the MLB Draft, Yurkow fielded a competitive squad in 2018, falling just short of a return to the Ivy League Championship for the second consecutive year. The Quakers concluded their 2018 campaign 16-25-1 overall and 9-11-1 in Ivy play, wrapping up the year with a pair of consecutive wins against Yale, the regular-season Ivy Champ.
Mike Santello was promoted to the role of Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator in July of 2013.Following two seasons cut short by the CoVID-19 pandemic, the Quakers set a slew of program records in 2022, most notably breaking the 30-win plateau for the first time in program history, finishing the year 33-15, including a program-record 17 victories in Ivy League play, winning all seven conference series. Penn hit 50 home runs and drove in 328 runs, both program records. The team’s 362 runs scored were the most in a single season since 1893, while their 506 hits were the second-most in program history. Under Santello’s guidance, the Quakers emerged as one of the nation’s top offensive powerhouses in 2019. Penn finished the season ranked within the top five of all Division I programs in many offensive categories. After the conclusion of the College World Series, Penn held the nation’s second-best batting average (.334), ranked second in doubles per game (2.66), and third in triples per game (.54). Practicing increased plate discipline and utilizing increased opportunities in the batting cages, Santello helped lead Penn to rank third in on-base percentage (.422) and scoring (8.6 runs per game). The Quakers looked primed to post similar numbers in 2020. Unfortunately, the opportunity was halted by the season's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through eight games in 2020, Penn had a .292 batting average with 82 hits and 42 runs scored. Comparatively, the 2019 Quakers posted a .273 batting average with 85 hits and 52 runs scored. Santello managed one of Penn's most experience offensive units to date in 2018, returning eight-of-nine starters from the 2017 batting order. Coincidentally enough, the group's top performer came from non-other than one of the new additions, as Eduardo Malinowski emerged as not only Penn's, by also the Ivy's, best bat. Under Santello's tutelage, the freshman led the league in batting average (.347) and total hits (59), eventually earning him Ivy League Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Ivy honors. Penn's other first-team All-Ivy selection -- Matt McGeagh -- also thrived under Santello, pacing the league in both RBIs (43) and slugging percentage (.508). As a unit, Santello's corps ranked second amongst Ivy programs in overall batting average (.268) while leading the conference in doubles (73). In addition to helping lead Penn to its first Ivy League Championship Series since 2007, Santello oversaw an offense in 2017 that totaled a .282 average and 88 doubles - a mark that ranked second in the Ivies on the season. He was instrumental in helping catcher Matt O'Neill attain his second consecutive All-Ivy Honorable Mention distinction, as well as overseeing 2017 Ivy League batting champion Tim Graul reign in a unanimous First-Team selection. The sixth-year assistant worked primarily with the catching corps in addition to the hitters throughout the season, and oversaw O'Neill throw out 40 percent (14-35) of attempted base-stealers. In 2016, Santello helped the Quakers to an Ivy League-best .282 average and 32 home runs. He also helped both catchers capture Ivy League honors with Tim Graul winning Ivy League Player of the Year and Matt O'Neill winning Ivy League Rookie of the Year. In 2015, Santello assisted in guiding Penn to a 22-15 overall record, with a 16-4 Ivy League mark. The 16 wins in league play were the most in program history. The Quakers fell to Columbia, 4-2, in a playoff game to determine the Ivy League Gehrig Division title.
Josh Schwartz joined the Penn baseball coaching staff in July 2013 as the pitching coach after spending six successful seasons in the same position at Gloucester County College. During his tenure, the Roadrunners won two NJCAA Division III National Championships (2010, 2013). He also helped develop seven All-American pitchers.Following two seasons cut short by the CoVID-19 pandemic, the Quakers set a slew of program records in 2022, most notably breaking the 30-win plateau for the first time in program history, finishing the year 33-15, including a program-record 17 victories in Ivy League play, winning all seven conference series. As a team, the Quaker pitching staff struck out 484 batters, shattering the previous record of 358 set in 2018. Schwartz coached Kevin Eaise to a Unanimous Ivy League Pitcher of the Year selection after the right-hander was the only starter to win more than four conference games while finishing third in the conference in ERA (3.05), strikeouts (51) and batting average against (.227). Additionally, Joe Miller became just the second pitcher in program history to strike out more than 80 batters in a season, finishing the year with 91.In a shortened 2020 season, Penn's pitching staff posted an Ivy League-low ERA (4.00) with 62 strikeouts, 41 walks, and held opponents to a league-low .224 batting average. Entering the 2019 season with a trio of experienced starting pitchers, Schwartz was able to strike fear in Ivy League opposition with one of the best weekend rotations among Ancient Eight teams. Leading the rotation was the Quakers’ junior ace Christian Scafidi, who was named the Ivy League and Big 5’s Pitcher of the Year. Scafidi finished the season with the League’s lowest ERA (2.62) and finished the season with one of the conference’s best strikeout/walk ratios (45 K’s/9 BB’s). Scafidi and fellow junior starter Mitch Holcomb both finished the season with a 6-1 record after nine starts. Following the loss of multiple pitchers to the MLB Draft, Schwartz was tasked with rebuilding the Quakers' bullpen nearly from scratch in 2018. The lone returning starter -- senior Gabe Kleiman -- anchored the group while several young arms developed, eventually leading to a dangerous staff eight deep. By year end, the 2018 Quakers had set a new bar for program strikeouts (358), surpassing last season's group by eight. Amongst the Ivy League, Penn finished second in ERA (4.63) and first in strikeouts, tossed four complete games and wrapped up the season with one shutout (at Yale, 5/13). Unsurprisingly, Kleiman served as the group's top performer, closing out the season with two complete games, a team-high 69 strikeouts -- good for 10th all-time in program history -- and 70.1 innings pitched. Schwartz graduated his first class of pitchers on the staff in 2017, and saw the staff finish second in the Ivy League with a 4.16 ERA. The Quakers ran away with the strikeout lead, totaling 350 in 45 games to set a new all-time program record. The staff also posted three complete-game shutouts and three pitchers earned Ivy League or Big 5 Pitcher of the Week honors. Schwartz oversaw two All-Ivy performers in unanimous first-team selection Jake Cousins and honorable mention recipient Gabe Kleiman. Cousins' seven wins on the season gave him 20 for his career, ranking third on the program's all-time wins list while his 2.91 career ERA ranks sixth. Adam Bleday's 74 strikeouts on the year are the sixth-most in a single season in program history. In 2016, Schwartz helped the Quakers to a 3.99 ERA, good for second in the Ivy League. Under his tutelage, Gabe Kleiman won Philadelphia Big Five Student-Athlete of the Year, as well as All-Ivy and All-Big Five selections. In 2015, Penn finished with a 22-15 overall record, with a 16-4 Ivy League mark. The 16 wins in league play were the most in program history. The Quakers fell to Columbia, 4-2, in a playoff game to determine the Ivy League Gehrig Division title.
Derek DeMaria // Assistant Coach
John Yurkow Baseball Camps sessions are open to any and all participants; limited only by age and grade level. REFUND POLICY: 30 days before camp will result in a 50% refund minus the registration fee. Cancellations within 30 days of camp will result in forfeiture of the entire camp fee or a credit toward a future camp.
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