Barone Named Head Baseball Coach At JCC

One of Jamestown Community College’s top-50 athletes will become the head coach of its baseball team beginning Jan. 1.

Anthony Barone, a 1999 graduate, will take over the program from Kerry Kellogg as part of a reorganization plan. Barone, who served as an assistant coach for the past four seasons, will still rely on Kellogg, who will take on assistant coaching and administrative responsibilities for the team.

“It means everything to me,” Barone said. “This is something I couldn’t be more happy with and it’s everything I could have wanted.

“I hope to continue the Jayhawks baseball program the way Coach Kellogg has built it up.”

Barone, a 1997 graduate of Jamestown High School where he was an all-Erie County Interscholastic Conference choice. At JCC, he was a two-time scholar-athlete award winner, an all-conference shortstop and a member of the Jayhawk basketball team that won the district and participated in the 1999 NJCAA national championship tournament. Barone still holds the career record for hits as a JCC baseball player.

His efforts earned him a place on the school’s 50 greatest athletes list which was selected to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the school in 2000.

“I learned baseball (at JCC),” Barone said. “I became more knowledgeable of the game, I got extensive playing experience and many at bats. I was more ready to step in and play at a four-year school.

“Academically, I took the courses I was going to take at a four-year school, I got my grade point average up and I was easier to recruit. I could go anywhere I basically wanted because my grades weren’t going to hold me back.”

After graduating from JCC with a 3.6 grade point average, Barone received an athletic scholarship to Felician College in New Jersey an NCAA Division II school, and graduated cum laude with a degree in education. He was named an Academic All-American in 2000, and ranks in the top 15 in that school’s record book for runs scored, on-base percentage, RBIs, and stolen bases, As a starting shortstop his junior and senior years, Barone’s double-play partner at second base was Andre Randolph the son of Willie Randolph who is now the manager of the New York Mets. In his junior year Barone batted .388 which in among the top-five batting averages in school history.

Since joining JCC’s baseball coaching staff in the spring of 2002, Barone has helped lead the team to four consecutive regional tournaments, a regional title, and a trip to the NJCAA national championships in 2004, the first in the school’s history.

“We look forward to implementing this reorganization of the Jayhawk baseball team and believe it is a fantastic opportunity for our department and student athletes,” said Bill Burk, JCC’s director of athletics, in a statement released by the school. Anthony brings tremendous strengths to the program with his extensive baseball background and his familiarity and dedication to Jayhawk athletics. We couldn’t have a more quality person as part of this change.”

Barone and his wife, Susan live in Jamestown with their seven-month-old son Nathaniel.

Kellogg meanwhile departs as the winningest coach in JCC history.

“I personally want to thank Coach Kellogg for his 10 years of service to Jayhawk baseball, and his eagerness to remain part of the quality program he has developed over the years” Burk said.