Before coaching at Pomona-Pitzer, Pericolosi was the assistant coach for the Cape Cod Baseball League Brewster Whitecaps and mentored future Major Leaguers Mike Aviles, Chris Dickerson, Tony Gwynn Jr., Taylor Tankersley and Sean White.
He has been one of the most sought after baseball experts in Europe since 2000. Pericolosi coached the Swedish National Baseball Team for two years and spent three summers in Sweden as a MLB International envoy coach. He also spent two additional summers in Sweden as a player/coach for the Leksand Lumberjacks and two years in Belgium as a player/coach for the Brussels Kangaroos. During the summer of 2010, Pericolosi served as a coaching consultant with the San Martino Junior Baseball Club in Italy.
He has since become a magnet in the European Baseball Coaches Association exchange program, an initiative to develop European coaches’ insights in every aspect of the game through collaborative mentoring by experienced American coaches like Pericolosi at some of the best collegiate baseball programs including Pomona-Pitzer. From running team practices to covering coaching mechanics, strategy and philosophy, participants have the opportunity to closely work with host coaches to fine tune their craft. A 2000 graduate of Pomona College–where he played baseball–and a former coach for the Georgia State Panthers, Australian Baseball League CEO Peter Wermuth commented, “Our Pomona-Pitzer head coach, Frank Pericolosi, has a strong international orientation and has taken this initiative (EBCA exchange program). Frank has coached down here in Australia a few times, and we have set up an ABL intern program. But more importantly, he has coached in Europe for many years, and I am excited that he has made Pomona-Pitzer one of the pioneers in the European Baseball Coaches Association exchange program.”
A sabbatical leave from Pomona College in the fall of 2009 would prove to be a blessing for those Aussie athletes who were fortunate enough to be taken under Pericolosi’s wing.
He worked his magic as an assistant coach for Baseball Victoria Geelong Baycats in Australia, where he strengthened the Baycats’ coaching structures and methodology.
in the 27th round of the 2011 MLB amateur draft.
Competing at the highest level in the Victorian State League, the Geelong Baycat coach assisted with all the teams in the club–from children to the most competitive team. Pericolosi also provided instruction at a MLB youth clinic and in addition to serving as an assistant coach with the Victorian U-14 State Team. “Kids play baseball for right reason,” Pericolosi said. “Because it’s fun. For me, the most gratifying thing is to see a player improve and know you were part of that process. Coaches and teachers had a very powerful effect on my development as a person. I would like one of my players to say that about me…”
Pericolosi is so popular that prospective players are making significant life-changing decisions based on his reputation of running a first-class collegiate baseball program to accompany the quality education afforded by the prestigious Claremont University Consortium. Kevin Brice, a senior from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tuscon, Arizona, chose to be part of the coach’s Pomona-Pitzer legacy of excellence recently and echoed the sentiment of mixing the best of sound mind and body in Claremont. The future Sagehen (2016) outfielder explained,
“I chose Pomona because of its great academic program and baseball program. It had a welcoming atmosphere when I visited, and it’s hard to turn down playing baseball in Southern California. I really like Coach (Frank) Pericolosi. He seems laid back, honest, and he’s built up a great baseball program. I’m excited to be able to play for him next spring.” Pericolosi is just as fired up as the young slugger in his line-up based on his past baseball statistics. In 30 games last season, Brice hit for a .527 batting average–including 26 RBI, 12 doubles, five triples–and scored 53 runs. Coach Perilcolosi hopes to add him to his long list of success stories of graduates who have gone on to play professional baseball. Serving as an American Baseball Coaches Association Executive, the 36-year-old coach has had a prolific effect on the quality of the players he has mentored and actively engaged in launching professional baseball and business careers.
Coach Pericolsi said, “It’s great for recruiting to have all these guys playing professionally. We can talk to a kid who is a borderline Division I athlete and say that you’ll still have the chance to get drafted or play overseas and get a great education in the process. It’s also great for all those guys to continue playing. They’ll end up in the business world or other things when they’re done, but in the meantime, they get to play a few more years of baseball.” He speaks from first-hand experience as the Connecticut native attended Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford, where here was named All-State in baseball and honorable mention All-State in football during his senior year. A 1997 graduate of Massachusetts’ Williams College–where he excelled in both collegiate football and baseball–Pericolosi was named All-Conference and All-Region in baseball. In addition, he played two summers for the New England Collegiate Baseball League Middletown Giants. Pericolosi was selected as an All-Star and named to the NECBL All-League team in 1995. He later played in Europe.
Whether player or head coach, Frank Pericolsi has always given his best effort and in return he expects that same level of commitment from everyone around him. The bottom line is that Pericolsi knows how to get the most out of his players. Conversely, it’s no secret that players worldwide have trusted that they can depend on their “living legend” coach to give them their best shot of success on and off the field while having fun in the process.
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