Chris Cafalone is in his sixth season as the Redhawks hitting instructor and infield/catchers coach.
Cafalone was hired as an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State on Aug. 29, 2006 after spending 11 years in various coaching roles.
The Redhawks offense was one of the most balanced in the nation in 2011 as Southeast ranked eighth in the country in home runs per game (1.02). The Redhawks also ranked eighth in the nation in slugging percentage at .474. Southeast’s offense was 10th in the country in batting average at .316, as well.
In 2011, Southeast ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference in fielding percentage at .966, a mark that ranks second all-time in the Redhawk’s record books. The Redhawks were also effective behind the plate throwing out 65% of would-be base stealers.
Southeast set school records in fielding percentage during Cafalone’s first two years as infield coach. The Redhawks finished the 2007 season with a .965 mark, before topping that with a .968 percentage in 2008. Southeast also ranked second (2008) and third (2007) in the OVC in fielding percentage those years.
In 2010, the Redhawks were one of the top offensive teams in the entire nation, holding the seventh-highest team batting average at .346. Southeast was 16th in Division I ranks in Slugging Percentage at .539. The Redhawks set new school records in team at-bats (1,973), runs (452), hits (683), doubles (134), RBI (429) and total bases (974). Since Cafalone took over as hitting coach, the Redhawks have improved their batting average by 43 points from .273 in 2007 to .316 in 2009, and even higher with a .346 clip last spring.
Prior to joining the Southeast staff, Cafalone spent five years as a head coach at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, N.Y., where he led the Lazers to the postseason three times. He coached the Central baseball team in the Empire State Games and mentored two draft picks in Pat Corbin (Supplemental pick of Philadelphia in 2009) and Philip Pohl (46th-round pick of Tampa Bay). Pohl was the 2008 New York High School Player-of-the-Year. Cafalone also lettered as a catcher at Onondaga in 1990.
Before that, Cafalone worked in the same capacity for six years at Barry University, an NCAA Division II institution located in Miami Shores, Fla. He compiled an overall
record of 179-144 en route to becoming the Buccaneers all-time winningest coach. Cafalone was named the Sunshine State Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1998 and 2001, and led Barry to its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament berth in 1998.
Cafalone was an assistant at Barry for two years before being promoted to head coach in 1995. As an assistant, he worked primarily with the catchers and infielders. Cafalone sculpted a defense which led the nation in double plays that year.
A native of Oswego, N.Y., Cafalone began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hardin-Simmons in 1992. He also spent time coaching in the NCAA-sanctioned summer wood bat Northeast Collegiate Baseball League.
Cafalone earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Hardin-Simmons in 1992 and an associate’s degree from Onondaga CC in 1990.
He played college baseball at both Onondaga and Utica (N.Y.) College before transferring to Hardin-Simmons, where he played catcher and was a designated hitter. Cafalone was the recipient of the HSU Coaches Award in 1991.
Cafalone has one son, Anthony, who is 14. Cafalone is engaged to Angela Herrera of Chandler, Ariz.
