Michael Impellittiere was named the head coach of Hood College's baseball program in August 2017. In his first season, he guided the Blazers to a 32-win season and a trip to the MAC Commonwealth Championship Game.Â
Hood won its first 14 games of the 2018 season, the fastest start in the program's four-year existence. The Blazers finished second in Division III in stolen bases with 152. The team was 11th in on-base percentage (.428) and 12th in bases on balls (234). Hood led the MAC Commonwealth in bases on balls, double plays turned (31), on-base percentage, scoring (8.2 runs/game), stolen bases and triples (19). The pitching staff was second in the conference in earned run average (4.60), strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.83) and strikeouts per nine innings (7.2).
During Impellittiere’s second season, the Blazers finished with the best overall win percentage (.654) in the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth. Hood led all teams in the conference in earned run average (3.56), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.27) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.21). En route to being named D3baseball.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region team and All-ECAC, Jordan Patterson completed the season with a conference-leading WHIP (0.97). Nate Luscombe earned MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year, while Impellittiere repeated as the conference coach of the year after leading the program to its first No. 1 seed in the program’s six-year history.
The 2020 season was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Hood was off to another quick start, going 8-3 in the early going. After the season, the Blazers took home an American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award for the third consecutive season. A total of 18 baseball student-athletes were named to the Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll.Â
After a pair of senior-laden rosters the previous seasons, the 2021 and 2022 rosters featured young talent taking the forefront. In 2021, Patterson as again named all-region and joined by Jahlin Jean-Baptiste on the all-conference team.Â
The spring of 2024 spring saw 23 wins and the best conference win total since 2019. At the plate, the team showed program highs in slugging percentage, home runs, and sac flies. Hood’s rotation included two arms in the conference’s top 2 in ERA, top 4 in earned runs, and the staff led in shutouts.
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The Blazers left with a postseason appearance and eight all-conference selections including MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year Joe Alexander. Three of those all-conference selections ended up being selected for ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com All-Region honors. Keegan Brennan also earned a spot on the ABCA NCAA Division III Region 5 All-Defensive team.
Prior to taking over as head coach, Impellittiere spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Blazers. During his two years on staff, he has worked with outfielders, catchers, and pitchers, while serving as the team's strength coordinator. Additionally, Impellittiere was a student life assistant in the college's Hodson Fitness Center.
He arrived at Hood after a two-year stint as an assistant baseball coach at the State University of New York at New Paltz. While at SUNY-New Paltz, Impellittiere was charged with serving as the program's infield and recruiting coordinator and assisted with hitting.
The Cold Spring, New York native is the owner of the Impy Sluggers, a youth baseball organization that includes a U-13 travel team.
Outside of Hood, Impellittiere was the head baseball coach for the Front Royal Cardinals in the Valley Baseball League during the summer of 2021. The Valley Baseball League was ranked third in the CSBN 2021Top 10 Collegiate Summer Baseball leagues. The team had a 42-game schedule where we finished with a record of 17-25 coaching players from Division I, II, III, NAIA and JUCO and was also fortunate enough to coach four players in the all-star game on one in the home run derby. Three Cardinals went on to play in the Cape Cod League. The Cardinals lead the league in three categories hits, doubles, and total bases. The Cardinals were second in batting average, on-base percentage, walks, fourth in RBI's, and tied with most double plays turned in the league.
Impellittiere played four decorated seasons as an undergraduate student-athlete at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa., and finished his career as a .298 hitter. He played an important role in Misericordia's three straight Freedom Conference championships from 2011-13, including a program-record 39-11 finish in 2013. That season, the Cougars posted a 3-2 mark at a NCAA Regional, hosted by the Cougars at PNC Field in Moosic, Pa.
During the course of Impellittiere's career, Misericordia achieved an overall record of 126-55, and the Cougars twice found themselves two wins away from going to the NCAA Division III College World Series (2011 and 2013).
He also brings experience as a grounds crew worker with the Hudson Valley Renegades from 2005-2010.
Impellittiere earned his Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from Misericordia in 2013 and MBA at Hood College in 2018.
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Season |
Overall |
Pct. |
Conference |
Pct. |
Postseason |
2018 |
32-11 |
.744 |
12-9 |
.571 |
MAC Commonwealth Championship Game |
2019 |
25-13-1 |
.653 |
15-6 |
.714 |
MAC Commonwealth Regular Season Co-Champions |
2020 |
8-3 |
.727 |
-- |
-- |
Season halted due to COVID-19 |
2021 |
11-21 |
.344 |
7-15 |
.318 |
MAC Commonwealth First Round |
2022 |
12-27 |
.308 |
4-12 |
.250 |
|
2023 |
18-20 |
.473 |
11-13 |
.458 |
|
2024 |
23-17 |
.575 |
12-9 |
.571 |
MAC Commonwealth First Round |
Totals |
129-112-1 |
.535 |
61-64 |
.488 |
4 MAC Commonwealth playoffs
1 Regular Season Co-Championship |