The 2011 season will be the ninth at Santa Clara for pitchingcoach and recruiting coordinator Mike Zirelli. The 2011 campaignwill mark Zirelli's seventh as the Broncos' pitching coach andthird directing all aspects of player recruitment.
Taking over as pitching coach midway through the 2004 season,Zirelli has been instrumental in developing four Santa Clarapitchers into All-Americans and recruiting and developing a numberof MLB Draft picks. A record-setting pitcher at Cal Poly, Zirelliwas originally hired as SCU's director of baseball operations in2002.
Zirelli has coached some of the nation's best young players in apair of prestigious wood bat summer leagues. He served as thepitching coach for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape CodLeague in 2004, helping lead the Red Sox to a league championship.During the summer of 2003, he mentored the pitchers for the Mat-SuMiners in the Alaska Baseball League.
A graduate of Cal Poly, Zirelli played for the Mustangs from1996-99. While on the San Luis Obispo campus, Zirelli establishedhimself as one of the best collegiate pitchers to ever wear a CalPoly uniform. He was an All-Big West Conference award-winner and afreshman All-American. He also earned 'Player of the Decade'recognition from Cal Poly in 1999.
Following his time with the Mustangs, the San Francisco Giantsselected Zirelli in the 23rd round of the 1999 MLB First YearPlayer Draft. During his time in the Giants minor league system heplayed for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, the Bakersfield Blaze andthe San Jose Giants.
Despite his professional commitments, Zirelli found time toreturn to Cal Poly and earn his Bachelor of Science degree inKinesiology in 2002.
A Bay Area native, Zirelli was selected as the Santa ClaraCounty player of the year while playing at St. Francis High School.He was named a prep All-American at the AAU Junior Olympics inKnoxville, Tenn., where his team claimed the bronze medal in 1993.He also earned 'Player of the Year' honors for both the CentralCoast Section and the Western Catholic Athletic League.
Zirelli is married to the former Amanda Martin, and the couplehas two young children, Zack and Rocco. The Zirelli family residesin San Carlos, Calif.
