Waves Announce 2014 Coaching Staff
The Ocean State Waves will start the upcoming season under a new coaching staff, led by new skipper Eric Cirella. Along side Cirella are assistant coaches James Sauro, Rian McCarthy, and Shaun McGraw.
Head Coach Eric Cirella is entering his second season as head coach at Salve Regina University. Eric Cirella was officially named the fifth head coach in the history of the Salve Regina baseball program in June of 2013, replacing his father Steve who will stay on staff as an assistant coach after his fourteen-year tenure as head coach of the Seahawks. In his first season, Cirella brought the Seahawks to CCC (Commonwealth Coast Conference) playoffs run and a 29-12 overall record.
James Sauro is a familiar name to many people in the South County area, serving as the South Kingstown High School head coach since 1997. Sauro also left his mark at the University of Rhode Island, as he remains in the top five all-time in career batting average. Sauro is returning to the Waves coaching staff again this year as an assistant coach. Sauro will join the Waves at the conclusion of the South Kingstown High School season, a team that shares Old Mountain Field as their home. “It is always very exciting to get to coach some of the best baseball players in the country!” Sauro said about the upcoming NECBL campaign. The Waves are excited to have his knowledge of the game and leadership skills back on the bench in 2014.
Rian McCarthy began his coaching career with the Salve Regina University Seahawks in 2005 where he served as assistant coach for 8 years. During his time at Salve, McCarthy was in charge of the defense and served as third base coach. With McCarthy at Salve, the Seahawks won a conference championship, and made an NCAA regional appearance and four appearances in the conference championship. Following the 2012 season coach McCarthy joined the coaching staff at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where the Corsairs lost in the Conference Championship game to eventual national runner-up University of Southern Maine. At UMASS-Dartmouth, McCarthy is in charge of the running game and the defense, while also working with hitters and serving as the team's bench coach.
McGraw, a senior at Binghamton University and captain for the Bearcats joins the Waves again for the second season in a row, and first as a coach. Shaun was named an NECBL all-star last season as a player in addition to being named an all-conference player at Binghamton. This is McGraw’s debut as a coach, but is excited to stay around the game at the conclusion of this collegiate career, and learn under Cirella, McCarthy, and Sauro.
