1st-time head coach Perry intent on turning around St. Joseph baseball team

By: Giustino Racchini
Thursday, July 4, 2024 | 5:36 PM

After a 4-10 season this spring, the St. Joseph baseball team was in search of a new coach to lead the program. Athletic director Sally Ackerman and her staff believe they have found their man in Jordan Perry.

The opportunity to get his foot in the door and make a name for himself was appealing for Perry, who wants to make connections with all of his players for the upcoming season.

“This is my first opportunity to really lead a team,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to building as many positive relationships as I can with the student-athletes.”

Those relationships will be key for Perry, as the St. Joseph baseball team has struggled the past couple of seasons.

Ackerman said she is more than thrilled to appoint Perry as the new coach.

“His passion and dedication to the sport make him an ideal fit for our program,” she said. “We are confident that under his guidance, our student-athletes will not only excel on the field but also grow personally through the values and skills inherent in the game.”

Perry was hired June 28 to replace former coach Chuck Vocke, who did not return.

Perry, 25, has been around the game of baseball for a long time, both as a player at Burrell and an assistant coach in several stops throughout the A-K Valley.

He started at Penn State New Kensington in 2019, then had one-year stints at Springdale, Burrell, Kiski Area and Hampton. He was the assistant coach at Springdale, JV coach at Burrell, middle school coach at Kiski Area and was the Hampton middle school coach last season.

A behavioral specialist in Burrell School District, Perry is familiar with the area and is excited to help build the program at St. Joseph.

St. Joseph will be competing in Class A again for the upcoming season. The Spartans went 4-8 in section play this past season to finish fifth in the seven-team Section 2.

Perry’s ambitions of turning around the program start from the beginning, he said. Having the players learn the fundamentals of the game is key for an overall successful program.

Ackerman said Perry’s deep connection with baseball will be huge for their program and the trajectory the team will take.

“Coach Perry brings with him a deep-rooted passion for baseball, which has been a cornerstone of his life and family,” she said. “We look forward to an exciting and successful season ahead.”

Perry’s main goal at St. Joseph is to create a new identity for his team and players. That message can be summed up through the keyword “culture.”

“I really want to create a winning culture for this team,” he said, “and teach them life lessons through the game of baseball.”

Tags: St. Joseph