Interim Head Baseball Coach Blayne Fuke has announced the hiring of new interim assistant baseball coach Zack Landy for the 2024 season. Landy joins the Vassar College Baseball staff following a three-year stint as the pitching coach at Utica University. Landy will also have the title of facilities assistant at Vassar.
"I would like to thank Director of Athletics and Physical Education Michelle Walsh, Interim Head Coach Blayne Fuke, and the rest of the committee for selecting me as the next Assistant Coach at Vassar College" stated Landy. "I am extremely excited to join such a tremendous community within the Vassar athletic department and contribute to the overall student-athlete experience."
Landy joined the Utica University baseball program in the winter of 2021 as an athletic assistant. He will primarily work with the team as a pitching coach, while also assisting head coach Joe Milazzo with all facets of the program.
"I'm extremely excited for the addition of Coach Zack Landy to the Brewers Baseball family" , said Fuke. "His knowledge of the game, passion for coaching and overall character will help guide student-athletes on and off the field. We are all looking forward to working with him and we welcome him to the Vassar community."
In 2023, Utica's pitchers set a program record for strikeouts and had the second most wins in program history. The staff was second in wins, saves, fewest walks allowed, and runs scored while also being top three in ERA, strikeouts and batting average in the Empire 8. Landy helped freshman pitcher Kooper Knabe to win Utica Baseball's first ever league award as E8 Rookie of the Year. Knabe was also named to three All-Region Teams (D3Baseball.com, ABCA/Rawlings, and ECAC). Knabe finished with the best ERA in the Empire 8.
Brendan May, the closer for the Pioneers signed a professional contract with the Alpine Cowboys (TX) of the Pecos League after setting the career saves record at Utica. May was also named to two All-Region teams. Three pitchers were named to the Empire 8 All-Conference team and one was selected as All-Tournament team. Members of the pitching staff were awarded E8 weekly honors seven times throughout the 2023 season.
In 2022, the Utica staff ranked first in the Empire 8 in strikeouts with 257, second in ERA, B/AVG, and runs allowed. He helped Ryan Cardone earn an ABCA/Rawlings All-Region selection; the first for a pitcher in school history. The staff was awarded three all-conference selections with one member named to the all-tournament team.
In his first season as Utica's pitching coach in 2021, Landy led the Pioneers pitching staff to the program's first-ever Empire 8 Conference Championship Series. The Utica pitching staff ranked in the top-three in the Empire 8 Conference in ERA, strikeouts, and runs allowed. In 2021, Landy's pitching staff included two Empire 8 All-Conference selections and one member was named to the Empire 8 Conference All-Tournament Team. His staff was also awarded conference pitcher of the week three times during the 2021 season. Under Landy, Grad-Student Griffin Baur set the single season school record for strikeouts (75) and set program records in appearances, games started, innings pitched, wins and strikeouts.
In the summer of 2023, Landy served as the Head Coach of the Hitter's Club Hawkeyes in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) and had three players selected to the All Star Game.
Landy enjoyed a decorated four-year baseball career at Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania. The right hander finished with a 13-4 record and five saves in 54 total appearances with the Crusaders/Golden Wolves. He logged a 3.38 ERA and 107 career strikeouts. The team made three NCAA regional appearances and also won the 2019 MAC Commonwealth Conference Tournament title with Landy on the roster. He threw 11 innings in that tournament and recorded the win in the championship clincher. Also in 2019, he was named MAC Pitcher of the Week and to the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week for a complete game one-hit shutout against Albright College.
He graduated from Alvernia in May 2019 with his four-year degree in Sports Management and Economics. He completed his Master's Degree in Business Adminstration from Utica in 2023.
