CINCINNATI - Xavier baseball head coach Billy O'Conner announced the promotion of two members of his coaching staff, with Joey Bellini being promoted to Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator and Zak Wasserman promoted to Assistant Coach.
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Joey Bellini
Bellini joined the Xavier program in Fall 2021 as a volunteer assistant and was promoted to assistant coach prior to the 2022 season. As part of the coaching staff, Bellini has helped Xavier to back-to-back 30-win seasons, as well as the program's fourth BIG EAST Championship and fifth NCAA bid in 2023, where the Musketeers advanced to the Nashville Regional Finals.
"Joey has done a great job spearheading our recruiting efforts over the past year, and he's very deserving of this recognition," said O'Conner. "I'm excited to watch him continue to grow in this new role."
Prior to joining Xavier's staff, Bellini was a standout at the University of Cincinnati, appearing in 116 games and starting in 114, primarily at shortstop. He finished his career with the Bearcats with a .305 batting average, collecting 145 hits and driving in 82 RBI. Bellini earned a spot on the 2021 All-American Athletic Conference Second Team, as well as the 2019 AAC All-Tournament Team after helping the Bearcats win the AAC Tournament Championship and earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
Prior to his time at UC, Bellini played at St. John's River State College in Florida, where he earned First Team Mid-Florida Conference and Second Team All-State as a part of the baseball program.
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Bellini, who is originally from Winter Park, Fla., is two-time graduate of the University of Cincinnati, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Entrepreneurship in 2020, then completing his Master's in Sport Administration in 2021. He also holds an Associate Arts Degree from St. John's River State.
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Zak Wasserman
Wasserman joined Xavier's program as a volunteer assistant prior to the 2022 season, helping lead the Musketeers to 72 wins over the past two seasons, as well to the 2023 BIG EAST Championship and an appearance in the Nashville Regional Finals in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
"Since he's been here, Zak has gone well above and beyond his responsibilities as volunteer assistant to contribute to the success of our program," said O'Conner. "I'm excited to be able to promote him to a full time assistant and for him to take on added responsibilities as we continue to pursue championships."
Prior to his time at Xavier, Wasserman served as head baseball coach at Lake Michigan College, taking over the program in 2018 and leading the Red Hawks to 29 wins in his final season at the helm in 2021. During his time at Lake Michigan, Wasserman coached the Conference Player of the Year in 2021 and led the seventh best NJCAA DII offense in the country.
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Prior to his coaching career, Wasserman played minor league ball in both the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations. His pro career followed a stand-out collegiate career at Louisville, where he was a four-year letter winner, playing primarily at first base. As a senior at UofL, Wasserman was the captain for the squad that advanced to the 2013 College World Series.
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Wasserman, who is originally from Stevensville, Mich., graduated from Louisville in 2013 with a Bachelors in Sports Administration and minor in History. He also earned a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Trine University in 2020.
