HEAD COACH

Head Coach Herb Melendez looks to continue the trend of improvement that has marked his tenure at the helm of the LI Pride Gold team. With Melendez's coaching experience at the D1 & D2 collegiate levels (ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY/Felician College and NYIT) and proven tradition of winning and his commitment to success, the 2016 team looks to contend with the best teams throughout Long Island and the Northeast.

 Herb Melendez,  first joined the St. John's staff as a volunteer assistant coach prior to the 2011 season and returned  with the Red Storm after spending the 2012 season at Felician College as Assistant Coach. His knowledge of the game was a key asset to the Red Storm staff as he assists in hitting and team defense during his second stint in Queens. While at Felician in 2012, Melendez worked with the catchers, the outfield and the offense, helping the Golden Falcons improve their win total by four from the 2011 season and register the program's best finish (fourth) in the CACC championships since 2007.

Melendez has recently joined the NYIT coaching staff for the 2016 season

Melendez has coached baseball and travel softball for the past 16 years.

He presently Coaches the 18u Gold team as well and is the founder of the Long Island Pride Organization.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Melendez was semi-professional baseball pitcher in the Spanish Federation League.

LIU POST

CATCHING AND HITTING COACH

2014: NFCA All-America First Team...Daktronics, Inc. All-America First Team...Daktronics, Inc. East Region Player of the Year...ECAC and ECC Player of the Year...NFCA All-Region First Team...ECC First Team All-Conference...ECC Player of the Week (Mar. 24, Apr. 14)...earned Co-Most Outstanding Player of the ECC Tournament honors...second in the ECC with a .438 batting average, to go along with a .495 on-base percentage and a .907 slugging percentage...led the ECC with a program-record 25 home runs and 77 runs batted in, both statistics ranking third among all hitters in the nation...25 home runs and 77 RBIs broke the single-season records set by Christie Softy in 2010...set new single-season program-bests in total bases (176), extra-base hits (40) and slugging percentage...had four multi-home run games, including in the final two games of the ECC Championship against Molloy (May 4), went 4-for-4 with 5 runs batted in second game...was a home run shy of the cycle with two runs batted in against Northern State (Mar. 10)...hit 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs against Le Moyne (Mar. 20)...collected four hits in seven at-bats in NCAA East Sub-Region Championship against Southern New Hampshire University (May 11)...went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in NCAA East Super Regional final against Caldwell (May 17)...posted a .982 fielding percentage behind the plate.

2013: Daktronics, Inc. East Region Second Team ... NFCA All-Region Second Team ... ECC First Team All-Conference ... batted .301 with 55 hits, including eight doubles … tied with teammate Liz Weber for third in the ECC with 10 home runs ... third in the ECC and second on the team and with 50 RBIs ... went 1-for-4 with a grand slam against SW Minnesota (March 11) … was 4-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored against Bridgeport (April 20) … went 1-for-2 with a three-run homer against New Haven (April 3) … went 1-for-3 with a three-run double against Queens (N.Y.) (April 9) … went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored against Wayne State (March 16) … homered in three consecutive games against Bridgeport (April 4), and a doubleheader against St. Thomas Aquinas (April 6) … went 2-for-5 with a grand slam, a solo homer, six RBIs and two runs scored in a doubleheader against St. Thomas Aquinas (April 6).

2012: ECAC and ECC Rookie of the Year … NFCA Second Team All-Region … started in all 56 games played … batted .346 with 56 hits, including 10 doubles and nine home runs … drove in 45 runs and came around to score 29 … tied the team lead with five sacrifice flies … named ECC Rookie of the Week (April 2, April 9) … blasted her first collegiate home run with a solo shot against American International (March 18) … combined to go 2-for-5 against Adelphi (March 22) that included a two-run homer in the opening game … batted 2-for-4 with three RBI in game one against Southern New Hampshire (March 25) … cranked out a three-run homer in the matinee game at Mercy (March 27) … added another three-run shot two days later against Dowling (March 29) … combined to go 3-for-6 with four RBI against St. Thomas Aquinas (April 3) … cleared the fence with a three-run homer in game two at NYIT (April 6) … batted 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored against NYIT (April 7) …  batted 1-for-3 with a solo shot at Dowling (April 14) … batted 2-for-3 in both games against Queens (N.Y.) and Dowling at the ECC Softball Championships (April 27).

Prior to LIU Post: Four-year player at Deer Park … the Falcons were Class AA Finalists and ranked sixth on Long Island and 22nd in New York State in 2011 … batted .564 and drove in 23 runs on 44 hits with 28 runs scored her senior year … was a career .425 hitter with a .517 on-base average and recorded 71 runs … also played volleyball.

Personal: Older of Mark and Denise Dzierzynski’s two children … admires her parents … plans to become an occupational therapist after graduating … majoring in health science with a minor in healthcare administration.

COACH RALPH ENTERS HIS 10TH YEAR IN COACHING

AND HAS BEEN WITH THE PRIDE SINCE ITS INSEPTION

PRIDE  ASSISTANT COACH AND CATCHING COACH