WILMINGTON — After five season as Wilmington College head baseball coach, Tony Vittorio has resigned from his position to pursue other professional opportunities.
Said Senior Director of Athletics Bill Wilson, “As much as we hate to see him go, we understand the desire to be closer to family. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Vittorio, formerly the head baseball coach at the University of Dayton, took over a Quaker program that had finished last in the Ohio Athletic Conference eight consecutive years beginning in 2019. In 2021, WC broke through with an eighth-place finish in a conference-only season in 2021. That campaign set the table for the 2022 season that was one of the best in the OAC era (2001-present) in program history.
The 2022 squad tallied a 21-19 overall record, marking the first time since 2005 WC achieved a winning season. The Quakers went 8-10 in league games and fell just short of an OAC tournament berth. In addition to a plethora of postseason recognition and records broken, WC finished in the top 10 in NCAA Division III in batting average. This past season, Vittorio guided the team to a 16-23 record against a schedule that featured over 40 percent of competition that appeared in the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament.
“I would like to thank former Director of Athletics Terry Rupert for giving me the opportunity and trust in building the baseball program at Wilmington College as well as (Wilson) for continuing that trust,” said Vittorio. “I would also like to thank Associate Athletic Director Stacey Conley for the guidance that she provided to me as well as the entire athletic department throughout my time at Wilmington College.”
A dozen individuals earned All-OAC recognition in Vittorio’s tenure including first-teamers Gage Bley (2019) and Tyler Shaneyfelt (2023). Additionally, many players Vittorio coached have their names etched in program’s single-season and career record books including, but not limited to, Shaneyfelt in runs scored and stolen bases this past season as well as Aaron Boster in strikeouts.
“I, along with my assistant coaches and players, took great pride in building a competitive program within the Ohio Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III baseball,” Vittorio continued. “This was accomplished through hard work, loyalty, hustle, intensity and sportsmanship by each and every member of our baseball program.”
