| 8/4/2025 | Baseball BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic Head Baseball Coach John McCormack has announced three changes to the coaching staff for the 2026 season. Hunter Cooley has been promoted to Pitching Coach, Joey Bellini will join the Owls as Hitting Coach, and Braden Ostrander will step into Cooley’s previous role as Director of Pitching Development.Cooley has spent the last two seasons as a special assistant after a five-year playing career with the Owls from 2019-23. The Vero Beach native totaled 312 innings and a 4.58 career ERA in 70 total appearances on the mound. McCormack on Cooley “I feel very confident turning the staff over to Hunter. He has passion and knowledge, and with that, you can accomplish a lot. He earned this promotion, and I look forward to coaching with him.”Bellini will make the move to Paradise after two seasons as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Xavier. Prior to joining Xavier’s staff, Bellini was a standout at Cincinnati for three seasons from 2019-21. He appeared in 116 games, primarily at shortstop. Originally from Winter Park, Florida, Bellini hit .305 as a Bearcat, finishing his career with 145 hits, including 31 doubles, and drove in 82 RBI. McCormack on Bellini “Joey is an accomplished coach, and I look forward to working with him. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our team’s offensive and defensive approach. His state ties, born and raised in Winter Park, will also help our recruiting efforts. We’re excited he’s joining our Owl family.”Ostrander will assist Cooley with the pitching staff after completing his five-year career in 2025. The native of Melbourne, Florida, appeared in 67 games, racking up 93 strikeouts in 88 innings. McCormack on Ostrander “Braden is a very smart guy who will help Hunter with the day-to-day of the pitching staff. He has always displayed a coach’s mentality with his willingness to help and mentor the young guys. We’re excited that he will be starting his coaching career with us.” |
