Kellogg Joins 200-Victory Club In 10th Season

Kerry Kellogg calls his Jamestown Community College baseball team a “small market program.”

Quietly, though, he’s putting up some big numbers.

With a doubleheader sweep of Niagara County CC a few weeks ago, Kellogg recorded his 200th career victory as coach, a milestone that his assistant, Anthony Barone, had been tracking for some time.

“I wasn’t really too concerned about the wins,” Kellogg said. “I was more concerned about the playoffs and getting these kids the right fundamentals and the right procedures when they go off to a four-year program.” My goals aren’t necessarily the win column. Anthony is more into that stuff than I am.”

Still, in the 10 years since he took over the program, Kellogg has turned the Jayhawks into a NJCAA Region 3 Division III force. A year ago they claimed the regional title and played in the World Series for the first time. This year, despite returning just four sophomores, JCC won its first nine regional games for the first time in history and is now 12-5.

“Some of the players who were with me last year and who are now playing elsewhere are coming by and asking, ‘How are you guys doing better than we did last year?’” Kellogg said. “What happened is that we are getting the opponents’ No. 3 and No. 4 pitchers instead of the 1s and 2s.”

But that’s only part of it.

Thanks to strong efforts by sophomores Adam Donato and Zach Kane, the Jayhawks have followed their lead, and behind a pitcher-by-committee approach, they have thrived when few expected it.

“Last fall we split with Monroe, we split wit Alfred State, we split with Mercyhurst North East and then we won the third game of the playoffs and we finished at .500,” Kellogg said. “That was an excellent fall season for us because of the competition we play. We play three Division II schools in the fall and a powerhouse Erie CC, so when we got to 7-7 I was thinking that maybe we won’t be so bad after all.”

Trotting out three pitchers a game has helped, too.

“I talked to my pitchers about them throwing every game day,” Kellogg said. “It’s actually working to our benefit because the opposing team aren’t seeing the same pitcher over several at-bats. I’m very pleased.”

Added Barone, “I think it was a great idea. Donato is the only guy who can really go all seven innings. I think that’s been to our benefit. When a team sees a different pitcher every other inning, they can’t get into a groove.”

Getting into a groove early on wasn’t easy for Kellogg, who won a total of 26 games in the first three years, but the program’s recent success has erased the early memories.
“I would say the last three years have been very pleasing to me,” Kellogg said.

Relying primarily on players from Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, Kellogg has successfully held his own against the likes of Erie and Monroe, while routinely sending players on to four-year schools.

“Once you get the best players in the county, you can compete with anybody in the region,” Barone said. “Coach Kellogg is also very tactical in the games – he like to bunt, hit and run and be able to pressure on teams – and that’s been the difference. Back when I played, we didn’t have the players who could do that.”

But the talent continues to find the Falconer Street campus. This year Donato, Kane, Nate DeSantis, and Chad Perdue are all setting a good example on the field and in the classroom.

“All four are good students and plan on going on,” Kellogg said, “That’s what it’s all about.”