Brigade Baseball has no parent coaches for any teams at any levels, including assistant coaches. Every coach is a baseball coach.
Mike DiPietro: Founder and Managing Director / Auburn Rockets General Manager, CNEBA / Pitching Instructor.
Coach D is a 1990 graduate of West Boylston High where he was a three-time varsity baseball starter in the outfield. Coach D was a fullback and defensive tackle on the 1988 West Boylston Division 3 Super Bowl Winning Team. Coach D is a member of the West Boylston Hall of Fame. He was the recipient of the George Cook award, Athletics Director Award, was a Central Mass Football All-Star. and participated in the 1990 2nd Annual Central Mass All-Star Football Game as a fullback. After completing his active military service in the United States Navy, Coach D began his coaching career in 1994, at Clinton Little League, which has continued for over 31 years. DiPietro has coached baseball at many different levels including little league level, AAU / Travel Tourament Teams (12u – 18U levels), Varsity High School as a pitching coach for Bromfield School, Nashoba Regional High School, Littleton High School Varsity Baseball Coach for five season, leading the Tigers to the Central Mass District Finals in 2018. Coach D was named 2018 Lowell Sun Coach of the Year. In 2019 Coach D created the Littleton Mariners, an expansion team into the CNEBA League for Brigade Baseball players that play at the college level. The Littleton Mariners captured the CNEB title in just their third season. In 2023 the Mariners merged with the Auburn Rockets, where Coach D serves as General Manager. Coach D was a coach for the West Boylston Little League District team in 2012 that won District 4 for the only time in the towns history. Coach D was the head coach for Brigade Baseball's 12u Super Division AAU Championship team. Coach D is also a private pitching instructor. He can be reached at 978.502.2540 or mdkmbosd@yahoo.com for pitching lessons
Alex Winkelmann: President and Director of Baseball Operations / Instructor / Littleton Varsity Head Coach.
Alex is a 2017 graduate from Saint Michael's College with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Finance. At Saint Michael's, Alex was part of the starting rotation beginning his Freshman year. During his rookie campaign he was selected to the DII NE-10 All-Rookie Team and spent the summer playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for the Winnipesaukee Muskrats in Laconia New Hampshire. Prior to Saint Michael's Alex played high school baseball at Tilton Prep, where he served as captain his junior and senior year. He lead the team to consecutive Lakes Region Championships in 2012 and 2013.
Alex has 13 years of coaching experience beginning as the manager of the Gilford Cal Ripken 12U All-Star team. In 2012 he led the Gilford All-Stars to their first ever District VI Championship with a tournament sweep. Other coaching experience includes two years at the 15U level, and three years as an assistant coach of the Post 1 Senior American Legion team in Laconia New Hampshire. While assisting with Post 1, the team made state tournament appearances two of the three years he was involved in the program. In 6 years with Brigade Baseball, Alex has collected 5 tournament championships, two tournament runner-ups, and two AAU Final Four appearances. With Brigade Baseball Alex has collected over 100 wins. Alex has been the Varsity Head Coach at Littleton High School since 2021.
Personal interests and hobbies include skiing, spending time on Lake Winnipesaukee, and going to Fenway to watch the Red Sox. Alex has been a certified umpire in the Granite State Umpire Association for 10 years.
Kristin Kinney: Vice President of Brigade Baseball
Kristin has been part of the Brigade family since 2018, when her youngest son Elliot began playing on one of the first 11U teams. She settled in Littleton, MA where she lives with her husband and two sons, after attending college in upstate NY and graduate school in Golden, Colorado. From 2017-2023, Kristin served on the Littleton Youth Baseball and Softball Board as Minors, Majors, and Babe Ruth coordinator and head coach. Kristin works as a program manager/ principal research scientist at a small, employee-owned government R&D firm in Andover, MA. When she is not busy with baseball and her day job, she enjoys playing golf, strength training, walking her dog, and watching the NY Giants.
Chris Santucci: Assistant Director of Baseball Operations and Lead Hitting Instructor / Private Hitting Instructor
Coach Santucci comes to Brigade from a successful and decorated baseball family, playing days, and softball career. As a 2 year starter in college baseball, Chris led his team in hitting and all offensive categories hitting a combined batting average of .396 with 7 Home-runs in 2 full seasons. After college Chris's love for the game brought him to become an M.B.U.A. Umpire in Central MA calling High School, Legion, and Babe Ruth games for several years.
Softball would be where Coach Santucci would experience some of his proudest sports accomplishments playing professionally for a Men's Major Softball organization where he played exclusively for some of the top sports brands in the game...(Team TPS / Louisville Slugger, Worth and Easton). Chris competed professionally for over 12 years at this level traveling all over the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico where he earned multiple awards in over 60 national tournaments with selections to All Tournament Teams, as well as earning multiple MVP honors. Chris was recognized for his career accomplishments and dedication to the game recently as he was selected for induction to the U.S.S.S.A. Softball Hall of Fame as a player. An accomplishment he is very humbled to have received.
After retiring from the professional circuit, Coach took his passion for both baseball and softball in a new direction, coaching and the development of young players. With almost 19 years in coaching and player development, coach has led tournament and travel baseball teams coaching age groups ranging from 12U to 16U and has been giving instruction and lessons for over 16 years . Coach Santucci is very much looking forward to continuing his coaching and player development/instruction with Brigade baseball and sharing his passion for the game with younger players. Coach Santucci is a private hitting and fielding instructor. He can be reached at 978.870.4177
Cole Winkelmann: 10u-12u Coordinator, 12u Head Coach, 16/17u Assistant Coach, Pitching, Hitting, Catching Instructor
Coach Winkelmann is a 2024 graduate of Gordon College with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology. During his time at Gordon, Cole was two-way pitcher/catcher who spent three seasons behind the plate for the Scots as well as on the mound. During his college career, Coach Winkelmann and the Scots would play in the Commonwealth Coast Conference playoffs his freshman and sophomore year. Prior to attending Gordon, Coach Winkelmann was a two sport athlete playing baseball and football for Tilton Prep in New Hampshire. Coach Winkelmann led the baseball team to Lakes Region Tournament appearances in his four seasons. Coach Winkelmann played his summer ball with Laconia Post 1 from 2015-2019 bringing Post 1 to 4 consecutive State tournament appearances. Most recently, Coach Winkelmann pitched for the Littleton Mariners in the Central New England Baseball Association for Coach DiPietro.
Coach Winkelmann has six years of coaching beginning in 2017 when he began coaching the Cantin Babe Ruth team in Laconia, NH. In his first season as coach, Coach Winkelmann led this team to a championship title. After moving to Massachusetts, Coach Winkelmann joined Brigade as the assistant coach of 12U and 15U team in 2021 and in 2023 Coach Winkelmann was head coach of the 14u. Coach Winkelmann also has been a certified umpire in the Granite State Umpire Association for 6 years.
Coach Winkelmann can be reached for private catching lessons at (603)-630-2227 or colewink32@gmail.com
Johan Asencio: 13u-15u Coodinator, 11u Open Head Coach, 13u Travel Head Coach, Fielding, Hitting Instructor
Johan is a 2017 Graduate of Clintion High School where he was a member of both the basketball and baseball teams as well as a memeber of the National Honor Society. Johan was three time Mid-Wach league All-Star. After graduating from Clinton High, Johan went to Fitchburg State University where he played for four years. While at Fitchburg State, Johan was awarded MASCAC 1st team all conference as well as the recipient of the sportsmanship award. Johan played for Coach DiPietro on the Littleton Mariners and was a member of the 2021 Championship Team. His goal as a coach is to get the most out of his players on the field but also to guide them in the right direction in life so they can be better human beings.
Mitch Crory: 16u/17u Coordinator/ 16/17u Head Coach / Pitching Instructor / Assumption College Assistant Coach.
Mitch is a 2018 graduate of Littleton High school, where he played for Coach DiPietro and he was a standout for the 2018 Littleton Tigers District Finalist Team on the mound and at the plate. In his senior season was the Mid-Wach D League MVP and a Lowell Sun all star with a 1.56 ERA. He is now going into his senior year at Assumption University as a data analytics major. After being a pitcher on the baseball team for 3 seasons, he has had to stop playing because of shoulder injuries. Mitch just finished his first season at the Pitching Coach for Assumption College.
Mitch played on the first ever brigade baseball team for the 18u team in 2018, and then for the Littleton Mariners. Mitch's coaching career started in 2020 as the head coach for the 12u Jr Spinners team before becoming the assistant coach for the 15u Brigade team with Coach Cruickshank in 2022. He is now entering into his third season as head coach of the 16/17U Brigade Baseball team.
Jon Cruickshank: 10u Head Coach/ Private Instructor / Marlboro Varsity Head Coach.
Jon is member of the graduating class 1998 at Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, VA). While at Hargrave he played 3 years of varsity football, basketball and baseball. He later attended Lasell College to play basketball and graduated in 2005. Coaching has always been his passion. Jon's baseball coaching career started in 2008 at Lasell College as an assistant coach for their club program. Lasell officially became part of D3 NCAA baseball in the 2009 season. He was there for 7 full NCAA seasons. He held many roles during this time such as recruiting, fundraising and baseball operations. In 2017 Jon moved on to Marlboro HS to become the varsity assistant coach. Beginning in 2021 Coach Cruickshank will begin his first season as the head coach for Marlboro High School. This allowed him to be closer to his family. Jon currently is a board member for Marlboro Youth Baseball Association (since 2014). Jon has also coached a team of college prospects that travel to Dominican Republic to compete against current and former MLB prospects. Jon is entering into his 5th season coaching for Brigade Baseball, coaching at the 10U,13U, 15u and 17u levels.
Chuck Schoolcraft: 11u Super Head Coach / Pitching Instructor / Nashoba Regional High School Varsity Head Coach
Before serving his country in the United States Air Force, Vietnam veteran, Coach Schoolcraft volunteered his time to coach in the little league baseball league in Randolph, Massachusetts from 1973-1975, and in1980 after being honorably discharged, he returned to Randolph to coach in 1980. His teams won the Championship in all three years he coached.
After moving to Hudson, Massachusetts in 1990, he volunteered his time to coach little league baseball from 1991-1993. His team won the championship in 1992 and was playoff runner up in 1993. He was also selected by the little league board of directors to coach the travel all-star team in 1992.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he once again volunteered his time to Hudson, but this time as the assistant coach/pitching coach at Hudson High School from 1997-2000. During the 1999 season he helped coach the team to a state title.
During the summers in Hudson, he coached the Hudson Senior Babe Ruth team in the Paul N. Johnson League from 1996 -2002. He was an assistant coach in 1996 and got promoted to the head coaching role in 1997, which he held until 2001.
In 2003 he was an assistant coach with the Clinton Legion team.
After leaving Hudson in the summer of 2001, Chuck became the Varsity Baseball Coach at Nashoba Regional High School where he still holds this position. During this time span his teams have won 5 League Titles. In 2013 his team won the school’s first ever Central Massachusetts Division 1 District Baseball Championship. That same year his team went to the school’s first ever state championship game. In 2017 his team made the Central Massachusetts Division 1 title game. In over 20 years Coach Schoolcraft has accumulated 268 wins in his tenure at Nashoba.
Other accomplishments at Nashoba include his team winning the inaugural Hudson Tournament in 2003. In 24 years at Nashoba his teams have made the State Tournament 21 years, 20 in a row. One of the three years they did not make the tournament was the year of Covid, where the tournament was not held. His teams participated in the Hillie Classic in Haverhill from 2014-2019.
Other off the field accomplishments include his teams raising over $100,000 for the program through various fundraisers. He also runs a high school clinic every March to raise money for the Nashoba baseball program. It is mainly for kids in the Nashoba Regional school district. It also gives him a chance to see who is on the horizon.
During the past 21 summers he has held his annual baseball camp where it averages over 100 baseball and softball players of various ages.
Coach Schoolcraft is a constant fixture in the baseball community when not coaching his high school team. He created and has run for the past 10+ years a fall baseball league for ages 11-18 so kids have a place to get ready for their upcoming seasons in the spring.
In the summer he has coached various age groups in the New England AAU program where his teams have had tremendous success. This success includes 4 New England Championships, over 600 wins, and multiple trips to sanctioned national tournaments where his teams were invited to participate.
Coach Schoolcraft has been a pitching and hitting coach for over 25 years.
Adderling Ruiz, 13U Open Head Coach, Catching Instructor
Adderling Ruiz was born in the Dominican Republic and discovered his passion for baseball at a young age. With a clear dream—to become a professional baseball player—he worked tirelessly until, in 2010, he signed with the Washington Nationals, officially beginning his professional career.
Lonnie Quirion: 14u Head Coach / Private Instructor / Bromfield School Varsity Head Coach.
Quirion is a 1996 graduate of Hudson Catholic High School where he was a four-year starter in both baseball and football. He played one year of baseball and two years of football at Tufts University before graduating in 2000. Following graduation, Lonnie began his coaching career at Hudson Catholic High School where he served as head coach from 2001-2009. Lonnie went on to be an assistant coach at Worcester Technical High for two years before becoming the head coach at Marian High School from 2012-2015 and then head coach at The Bromfield School from 2016-present. Quirion has amassed over 200 wins in his seventeen years as a head coach and his teams have qualified for the MIAA playoffs in fifteen of those eighteen years. In Coach Quirion's third season, he led Bromfield to their first ever league title and their first playoff appearance in over 30 years. In addition to coaching at the high school level, Lonnie was head coach of Marlborough’s American Legion team from 2007-2012 and has coached AAU baseball since 2011 at the 10U, 11U, 12U, and 18U levels. Lonnie is also a private pitching, hitting, and fielding instructor.
Jim McGuire: 14u Assistant Coach, Bromfield School Assistant Varsity Coach
Jim brings a wealth of coaching experience at both the Collegiate and HS level. Jim is the former Head Football Coach At Fitchburg State University. Currently he is the Running Backs coach at Nichols College and the Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach at The Bromfield School. Jim's coaching career spans over a 35 yr period with stops at Assumption College, WPI, Algonquin Regional HS, Auburn HS and Hudson Catholic HS for football and Marian HS, Algonquin Regional HS, Marlborough HS, Marlborough American Legion and Triple Play AAU for baseball. As a player, Jim also participated in the 1983 National Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado as a member of the Quinsigamond Community College Baseball Team. Jim resides in Clinton with his wife Laurie and has two children Jim, 34 and Cassie 31
Nick Carlucci, 15U National Head Coach
Tim Person: Private Pitching Instructor
Tim is a 2023 graduate of Babson College where he was a 4 year member of the baseball team and a team captain in 2023. He served as a reliever in his first 3 seasons and transitioned to being the closer in his senior year. Tim finished with a career 3.50 ERA and led the team in relief appearances in 2023. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with concentrations in Business Analytics and Supply Chain Management. Tim was also a 2019 graduate of Hudson High School where he was a 4 year starter in both baseball and basketball. In baseball, he was a 2-time league all star, 2-time MetroWest Daily News all star, and a captain of the 2019 District Championship team. In basketball, he was a 2-time league MVP, 3-time MetroWest Daily News all star, member of the 1,000 point club, and a captain of the 2019 District Finalist team. Tim played for Coach DiPietro starting when he was 12 years old and continued playing for him until his Junior year at Babson, on both Brigade and the Littleton Mariners. He has coached both baseball and basketball for ages 6-18 and has a passion for coaching and player development.
Coach Person can be reached at 978.790.2153 or timperson14@gmail.com for pitching lesson
Silvio De La Rosa: Roaming Assistant Coach, Private Hitting/ Infield Instructor
Silvio De La Rosa spent more than 14 years playing high-caliber baseball in Santo Domingo, DR. Silvio coached baseball in the DR for the Dream Big Foundation – an academy that hosts high-caliber tournaments and works with MLB/Division 1 Baseball prospects. Silvio uses his vast experience interacting and practicing with professional players, collegiate players, professional scouts and collegiate coaches to provide a unique coaching perspective to young baseball players to maximize their training for hitters and position players. Silvio is currently a student of Sports Management with a concentration in Coaching and Fitness, while he is also currently an assistant coach for the Fisher College Baseball team.
Coach Silvio can be reached at 978-502-5402 or silvioalejandrob@gmail.com
Matt Pingitore: Roaming Assistant Coach, Catching Instructor
2016 graduate from Wachusett Regional High school where he played 3 years of varsity baseball and was the starting catcher for 2 years. As a mountaineer, Matt played in the Super 8 baseball tournament in 2015. In 2016, he served as the team captain for the Mountaineers and was named a T&G All-Star. He Moved on to play at Fitchburg State where he was a 3-year starter behind the dish. In 2020 Matt was named the recipient of the Sue Lauder Male Athlete Leadership award. He was also named a National Strength and Conditioning All American in 2020. He graduated in 2020 with a degree in Criminal Justice. Matt will be continuing his playing career in 2021 for Fitchburg State as he works towards his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
Matt’s Coaching career began in 2018, when he began giving private catching lessons with high school ages athletes. He also coaches for a 13u team in the Nor’Easter’s AAU Program, along with being the coach and general manager of the Fitchburg A’s, a team in the Central New England Baseball league. Matt has a great passion for passing on his knowledge and love for the game to anyone willing to listen. For private catching lessons, Matt can be reached at (508)-886-8893 or mpingo212@yahoo.comcond season as head coach of the 16U Brigade Baseball team.
Vinny Eramo: Roaming Assistant Coach, Private Hitting Instructor, Private Strength and Conditioning Coach
Vincent Eramo was born and raised in Shirley, MA. After graduating from Nashoba Technical High School in 2018, he pursued his Bachelors of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Strength & Conditioning from Fitchburg State University, graduating in 2022. For his graduate year, he transferred to Franklin Pierce University to compete in Division II baseball.
During his time at Fitchburg State University (DIII), he spent four years on the team, serving as captain for two. Vinny earned recognition with multiple accolades, including MASCAC All-Conference 2nd team in 2019, MASCAC All-Conference 1st team in 2022 and 2023, and D3 Baseball All-Region 1st Team in 2023. Vinny was also honored as an ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 1st Team member in 2023 and 3rd Team All-Region in 2022. Vinny holds many single season and career baseball records at FSU – HRs, RBIs and Total Bases. Vinny played for Coach DiPietro on the Littleton Mariners and was a member of the 2021 Championship Team. Vinny also played with the Worcester Bravehearts in 2023 earning the selection to the Futures League All-Star team.
Vinny's strong background in sports science along with strength and conditioning leads him in developing well-rounded athletes.
Vinny also enjoys quality family time, cooking, working out, golfing, fishing and camping.
For inquiries about baseball instruction and/or strength training, feel free to contact Vinny Eramo via email at vineramo@icloud.com or by phone at (978)-493-7266.
Justin DeFalco, Roaming Assistant Coach, Pitching Instructor
Coach DeFalco is an alumni of Brigade Baseball and was an original member of the program. Coach DeFalco began taking pitching lessons at the age of 8 years old with Coach DiPietro. Coach DeFalco is a resident of West Boylston and graduated from St. Paul's. Coach DeFalco is entering his sophmore sesaon at UMASS-Boston where he is currently pitching. Coach DeFalco just completed his freshman season compiling 16.1 ip, era 2.20, 13k's and held opponets to at .213BA. Coach DeFalco's goal is to teach a young pitcher more than the mechanics of pitching but to also help develop the mental part of the game.
To set up some time for lessons with Coach DeFalco, he can be reached at 774.261.0779