The Newark Pilots have announced a coaching change ahead of the 2017 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball (PGCBL) season. Juan Carlos “JC” Calderon, who was named head coach in September, has accepted a position with the Boston Red Sox’s international scouting department. In his wake, Pilots Owner Bob Ohmann has hired Hall of Famer John Mayotte to manage the team.
“First, we would like to congratulate JC and wish him the best with the Red Sox,” Ohmann said. “The Pilots and the PGCBL are all about helping baseball’s best reach the pros. We’d like to thank JC for all of his hard work in his short time with our organization.”
“As for Coach Mayotte, we hit a home run,” Ohmann continued. “His pedigree speaks for itself, and his presence in our clubhouse will only enhance the playing experience with the Pilots. Newark has always been a great place to send players, and now it’s even better because of Coach Mayotte.”
“I’m excited as can be,” said Mayotte when asked about returning to the PGCBL this summer with the Pilots. “College athletes are the best, in my opinion. You run into some of the finest young men in the world in our game.”
Originally from Hudson Falls, N.Y., Mayotte is no stranger to the PGCBL, as he served as head coach of the Glens Falls franchise – which formerly played under the Golden Eagles moniker – for 10 seasons from 2004-13. He guided Glens Falls to four regular season division titles, won 263 games, and received the 2004 and 2007 Coach of the Year Awards while in the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL).
“I coached in Glens Fall for 10 years and we played the Pilots every year in the PGCBL,” he said. “I thought it was a great ballpark, a great place to play, supported by a nice little community ideal for baseball. I have great respect for Bob and I think he’s doing a tremendous job in Newark.”
A veteran with over three decades of coaching experience, Mayotte is a legendary figure in the coaching ranks, and has been elected into several Halls of Fame in honor of his achievements. Most recently, his alma mater, Castleton University, enshrined him in 2015 for his contributions to the sport of baseball. He has also been inducted into the Glens Fall Area, New York State Baseball, Eckerd College, and Troy University Baseball Halls of Fame. Combined over his 35 years of coaching at the collegiate and summer ball levels, Mayotte accumulated nearly 1,200 wins and garnered seven Coach of the Year awards.
His NCAA coaching career began in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Mayotte oversaw the program at Division II Eckerd College for 13 seasons from 1978-90. He elevated the Tritons into a national contender and posted an outstanding 436-203 record in that time. From there, he moved on to Troy University, then known as Troy State. He won 386 games in 12 seasons with the Trojans, and helped the program transition from Division II to Division I. His 1993 Trojans advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II College World Series, and Troy reached the NCAA Regionals in two of its first three seasons at the Division I level under Mayotte’s tutelage.
Mayotte also secured 103 victories as head coach of the Chatham A’s in the prestigious Cape Cod League and earned Coach of the Year honors after winning a division crown in 1985.
Nearly 100 of Mayotte’s former players have been selected in the MLB Draft, including 2011 PGCBL Top Prospect Josh Anderson (Florida International), 2012 PGCBL Player of the Year Ross Kivett (Kansas State), and former MLB stars Jeff Bagwell and Albert Belle, whom he coached in Chatham.
“I think the league is gradually evolving into a top-play league,” Mayotte said about the PGCBL. “We had major leaguers and draft picks from Glens Falls, and I see no reason why this team and all of the franchises can’t continue to do so.”
The Newark Pilots are set to open their seventh season in the PGCBL on Thursday, June 1, when they host the Oneonta Outlaws at Colburn Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Season tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling (315) 576-6710 or emailing [email protected].
