Saint Joseph, after Coach John Gumpf stepped down, has named a new head baseball coach: John Smolinski.

Smolinski is a graduate of Saint Joe who went on to play four years at Manchester College. He was an outstanding catcher and an even better leader. After that, he served as an assistant under John Gumpf. During Gumpf’s tenure, the team won a state championship (2017), one semi-state, two regional, and seven sectional titles. Smolinski looks to build upon the success of his former coach and mentor.

In an interview, he touched on his excitement for the coming years, citing a great senior class. He believes that they will be “great leaders for the team. The squad has already begun pre-season workouts in preparation for the spring season.