June 27, 2016
USA Baseball has announced the additions of San Diego State Baseball Coaches Joe Oliveira and Joey Centanni as coaches for its summer youth team programs. Oliveira will be taking the 14u Southern California team to Cary, NC in August while Centanni will be taking the 13u Southern California Team.
"We are very privileged to have both Coach Oliveira and Coach Centanni on staff," says General Manager of Southern California National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Jim Sammons, "We truly enjoy when our younger players have the opportunity to play for coaches with their passion and knowledge. It is going to be a great experience for everyone involved."
The NTIS is the first opportunity for young players to be selected for any of the USA National Teams. The top players from 16 different regions across the U.S. compete in games and go through skill testing for the chance to be identified for the U.S. National Team.
The teams are coached by various collegiate coaches, former professional players and professional scouts. Coaching alongside Centanni will be Vince Lendzion, the Director of Operations at Nor Cal Travel Ball (NCTB) and former coach at the Academy of Art University as well as Minot State University.
Coaching with Oliveira is University of California Santa Barbara Director of Operations Casey Harms and the Director of Operations at Cal State Fullerton Cory Vanderhook. The players for the team are selected from tryouts conducted throughout the Spring & Summer throughout the region.
Oliveira just completed his third year at SDSU where they have had two 40-win seasons over the past three years. He was an all-Big West selection as a catcher at Pacific before spending three years in the Baltimore Oriole organization as a player. Prior to his arrival at SDSU he served as a coach at Battle Creek (Mich.) in the Northwoods League during the summer of 2013.
Centanni finished up his first year at SDSU this past season after having served as an assistant coach at the University of the Pacific in 2015. His previous experience includes head coaching duties at The Bishop's School in San Diego. A former collegiate pitcher, Centanni earned all-Big West honors twice during this playing days at Pacific before being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and playing in that club's system for one season.