Central Michigan University Athletics
Villano Added To Baseball Staff
6/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 30, 2003
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan University baseball head coach Steve Jaksa has announced the addition of Mike Villano to the baseball coaching staff.
"Mike brings a great work ethic to our staff," Jaksa said. "As long as he has been involved with baseball, he has shown an incredible intuitiveness for the sport.
"He has earned a tremendous amount of respect from both athletes and coaches over the years and shares a similar philosophy with me on how baseball should be played. We are excited to have him on board"
Villano joins the Chippewas after spending the last season as an assistant coach with Oakland University. During his stint with the Golden Grizzlies, the pitching staff improved in nearly every category. Oakland's earned-run average fell from 7.00 to 4.90, opponents went from hitting .297 to .277, and the pitching staff cut its walks per nine innings in half.
Prior to Oakland, the Bay City native coached the Oakland Cubs, and was an assistant at Saginaw Valley and for the Bay City Public Schools.
Villano was an outstanding college and professional baseball player before joining the coaching ranks. He played his college ball at Saginaw Valley where he was named a four-time all-conference honoree and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference "Freshman of the Year."
He was drafted in the 24th round by the San Francisco Giant in 1994 and played pro baseball for nine seasons. Villano spent six years at the triple A level with various teams before cracking the Florida Marlins line-up in 1998.
