The College of Staten Island baseball season will begin in early March, and when they do their new-look coaching staff will feature a new but familiar face as former pitcher James Mardikos has joined the crew. A four-year standout, Mardikos will join the staff when the team gets underway with pre-season practice at the end of the month. Mardikos will rejoin Head Coach Michael Mauro, who he played for, along with assistants Pat Daddio and Bob Steele and new hires Pat Gale and Rob Bass.
“James recorded my first-ever win as a collegiate coach when he pitched my first year here, so we have a special bond,” said Mauro, who will enter his 10th season this year with CSI. “For him to come back 10 years later and lend his expertise as a former player is a very special thing for me and the program. James understands the game and our particular program and that’s an invaluable asset for our kids to have.”
Mardikos’ coaching experience is extensive, but the former southpaw pitcher made his mark best in a Dolphins uniform from 2008-11. His 12 career wins put him 9th all-time at the College while his 131 career strikeouts were good for 8th all-time. The team collected three CUNYAC Championships during his four-year career, and he was a part of CSI’s best-ever 31-win season in 2010. Needless the say, Mardikos is excited about coming aboard for his alma mater.
“I am very happy to be joining the staff here at the College of Staten Island,” he said. “I am very familiar with everyone involved with the team and with some of the players and it’s a great feeling to be able to return to the field where I played and help guide the team in this capacity.”
Alongside his experience on the diamond, centered on the mound, Mardikos was also a Prospects Coach with the New York Dynasty, where he served as the Pitching Coach in 2012 with the Under-16 travel squad and then as a Head Coach with the 18-under unit from 2013-15. There he was a part of multiple tournament appearances in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Mardikos is also heavily versed in day-to-day operations at CSI, serving as a Gameday Sports Information Assistant and as a weekend Building Supervisor at the campus’ Sports & Recreation Center.
The baseball field is where Mardikos has always found himself, and he hopes to incorporate his experience into the current crop of student-athletes the Dolphins boast.
“I am hoping that my knowledge of the game can have an impact on our current players, helping lift their ability and bring out the best in them on the field,” he noted. He also understands that the CSI baseball pedigree demands excellence, and knows that the current unit can stay on tack. “Our goals are to certainly remain at a championship level, and in the process pick up impressive wins against quality opponents, who are always on the schedule year after year.”
Now boasting a complete staff, the CSI baseball season is set to get underway. The team starts official practice on Monday, January 29, and will open up on the weekend of March 3 in Myrtle Beach, SC, as part of the Cal Ripken Division III Experience.
