FIU’s baseball coach Rich Witten completes staff with two key hires

The remaking of the FIU baseball program’s young coaching staff is complete

Gone are Mervyl Melendez and his top two assistants, former Marlins star Jeff Conine and pitching coach Willie Collazo

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New coach Rich Witten, 34, has hired two new assistants

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He’s hired well-connected, former New York Yankees scout Brian Jeroloman, 37; and Sean Thompson

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a youthful pitching coach at age 26 who directed some big results at Monmouth last year

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Witten said his coaches have varied skills. Jeroloman, for example

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will be the hitting coach and lead recruiter, and he will work defensively with the catchers

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Thompson is well-versed in analytics. “Brian’s huge strengths are his evaluation skills and his connections in Florida,”

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“Sean has not recruited South Florida heavily in his previous stops, but he is a master developer of pitchers

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