Coaching Staff

2023

Denis Bailey

18u Head Coach

Denis Bailey is the Head Coach of the Titans 18U Baseball team. He also serves as the organization’s College Placement Coordinator and its Hitting Coordinator. Significantly, Denis was instrumental in placing 13 Titans student-athletes in US Colleges from the Class of 2022 before Christmas 2021. His organization of the Fall College Trip in October 2021 spurred a number of Titans College commitments, notably to excursion stops at the University of Rio Grande (Ohio), Genessee Community College (New York), Salem International University (West Virginia), and Garrett College (Maryland).

Denis joined the Titans Baseball Club as the Associate Head Coach of the 17U squad and imported a wealth of CPBL and IBL coaching experience to our organization. Based on his experience as a PBR Ontario Scout and his hand in developing MLB draft picks over the course of his coaching career, Denis assisted Director of Baseball Operations Lawrence Vera with the placement of College players. Denis’s work with the CPBL Toronto Mets was wide-ranging, including his role as 14U Toronto Mets Field Manager and Program Catching Instructor in 2019. He also attended the Mets’ Fall College Trip as the Third Base Coach in 2019. In 2020, he was the 18U Mets Assistant Coach, 3rd Base Coach, and Program Catching Instructor. Prior to his work with the Toronto Mets, he was the 10U Fieldhouse Pirates Field Manager and worked extensively with this CPBL organization’s development program.

From 2015 to 2017, he coached Third Base and was the bench coach for the Kitchener Panthers of the Intercounty Baseball League. While with the IBL Panthers, he coached Frank Camillo Morejon, Yorbis Borroto, Noelvis Entenza, and Yulexis La Rosa (Cuban National Team Members) as well as Daniel Procopio who was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels. While in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, Denis also served at the 3rd Base Coach and Catching Instructor in 2015 and 2016 with the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks of the OUA.

In 2014, Denis served the Burlington Bandits Intercounty Baseball League organization as their 3rd Base Coach and Bench Coach where he coached JD Osborne who was drafted by the Miami Marlins. In 2012 and 2013 with the North York Blues, he was the team’s 21U Field Manager and coached Jordan Romano of the MLB Toronto Blue Jays. Denis also coached the East York Bulldogs 21U club from 2008-2011 where he coached Jeff Gibbs who was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Denis played his US College baseball for the Genesee Community College Cougars in Batavia, New York where he was a catcher.

Denis’s rich coaching history, his development of MLB and College draft picks, and his US College catching experiences make him a valuable resource for the Titans Baseball Club.

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Al Bailey

18u Assistant Coach

Allan Bailey joins the Titans Baseball Club as an 18U Assistant Coach and brings with him decades of coaching experiences in both baseball and hockey. Coach Allan Bailey, father of 18U Field Manager Denis Bailey, was a coach and executive for East York Bulldogs for fifteen years. After a very successful run with the Bulldogs, the Baileys—both Allan and Denis-- moved their formidable father-son coaching tandem to North York where they coached the Blues from 2010 to 2013. One of the most prominent graduates from the Blues program under their tutelage was current Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano. Both Allan Bailey and Denis Bailey made a successful transition to the Canadian Premier Baseball League with the Toronto Mets where father and son served as assistant coach and head coach, respectively, for the 14U Mets.

In addition to his baseball coaching talents and experiences in Ontario’s top leagues, Allan Bailey has flourished as a successful AA and AAA hockey coach in the GTHL (Greater Toronto Hockey League) where he has led such programs as the York Toros, Vaughan Rangers, and the Don Mills Flyers. He also coached exhibition teams in the summer and organized off-season leagues for Junior hockey players from across Ontario.

Before coaching both baseball and hockey, Allan Bailey was the starting shortstop for the highly-regarded High Park Braves of the Toronto Baseball Association.

Welcome to the Titans, Coach Allan Bailey. We are so pleased we were able to lure you out of retirement and add your veteran savvy to our Titans 18U Baseball Club. It’s great to see the formidable father-son coaching duo of Allan Bailey and Denis Bailey reunited in the Titans dugout-- with former Mets coaching partner Andrew Graham-- for the 2022 season. A terrific Titans triumvirate, indeed!

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Jesse Barker

18u Assistant Coach

Jesse Barker has been the Head Coach of the 16U Titans for the last two seasons. In 2022, he will bring his coaching and playing experience to Lawrence Vera’s 17U staff as an Assistant Coach. Jesse’s versatility as a player was evident in that he pitched, caught, and played infield for the Newmarket Hawks AAA and Aurora Jays AAA YSBA championship teams; he was an Ontario Eliminations Silver Medalist and a two- time YSBA All Star with the Hawks and Jays. He also played for the Newmarket Express of the OSBA. Jesse was the MVP of the Varsity Baseball team in his Junior and Senior year for Cardinal Carter Catholic High School in Aurora—one of the top high school teams in the YRAA. He was offered scholarships to multiple junior colleges in the United States, the University of Guelph, and Fanshawe College.

Currently, Coach Barker is the owner of JPB Landscaping. As one of the four pioneer Titans coaches, he continues to devote his talents to the Titans organization and share his knowledge of the game with our student-athletes.

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EDDIE MCKIERNAN

17u Head Coach

Eddie McKiernan serves the Titans Baseball Club in a significant dual capacity: as the Head Coach of the 16U Titans and as the organization’s Pitching Coordinator. Coach McKiernan was born and raised in Southern California. He is a distinguished 2007 graduate of Monrovia High School where he won a State title in 2006 and was named State player of the year. After a fine high school career, McKiernan committed to the University of Nevada Las Vegas as a pitcher and infielder. In 2007, he was also drafted in the 17th round of the MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as a pitcher. He pitched 6 seasons with the Angels organization, spending parts of 3 years in Triple A. In 2013, he spent the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. After Spring Training in 2014, he retired to pursue his career as a coach.

Coach McKiernan’s transition from player to coach started at Monrovia High School, where he served as an assistant from 2014-2016. He was promoted to Head Coach at La Salle High School in Pasadena, California where, in his first season, he managed his team to the State title game in 2017. Eddie also ran an indoor baseball facility and club teams from 2008-2017, where he coached over 100 college and pro baseball players. He also was part of the SGV Arsenal program, one of the top club programs in the USA, with Garrett Cole, Aaron Hicks, Aaron Sanchez, and Lucas Giolito among its many distinguished alumni. In 2020, Eddie moved to Newmarket to be with his wife Natalee and two boys, Owen and Miller.

Maximizing the potential of each of the Titans pitchers is the goal for the former Los Angeles Angels’ product. Eddie’s high performance experiences as California Athlete of the Year and his mound appearances in College, AAA, and Major League baseball is the basis to improve Titans pitchers: “I’ve been lucky enough to have some amazing pitching coaches in my career. I will take everything I have learned and pass the knowledge along to the boys. The boys will be on a tightly-watched program. I will help them really understand their craft, and maximize each player’s potential.” Maximizing his own potential led Eddie to many highlights in his playing career, but one was most special: “My first big league camp invite in 2009. I was 20 years old in a clubhouse with guys I looked up to growing up. I pitched well, got invited to be part of the freeway series. Pitched against the San Diego Padres at Angel Stadium in relief: 3 up, 3 down!”

Eddie McKiernan is open about his best assets as the Head Coach of the 16U Titans: “I think my best skill as a coach is getting the most out of each athlete. I build relationships with players, earn trust, and push them to the limits.”

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Andrew Graham

17u Assistant Coach

Andrew Graham joins the Titans Baseball Club as an 18U Assistant Coach and brings with him an extensive range of baseball experiences both as a US College player and coach in the CPBL. Coach Graham was a Canadian National Team Invitee in 2003 when he pitched for the East York Bulldogs; however, he had to decline due to a shoulder injury. After a period of rest and rehabilitation, he played NJCAA Baseball for the Genesee Community College Cougars. He majored in Sports Management at the Batavia, New York community college for two years. In 2007, Andrew received an offer to play Division 1 Baseball for the Canisius College Golden Griffins in Buffalo, New York; however, he re-injured his shoulder and had to stop playing baseball in the USA.

Andrew switched his baseball priorities to coaching and volunteered with the East York Bulldogs to help develop the pitchers on their younger teams. He has coached for the CPBL Toronto Mets for the past 3 years which he described as “an excellent learning opportunity”. With the Mets, he started his coaching career with the 14U team and its Head Coach Denis Bailey—the current 18U Head Coach of the Titans Baseball Club. Coach Graham and Coach Bailey moved on to coach the Mets 18U team the following year. This past Season, he coached the Mets 16U team that finished second overall in the 2021 CPBL championships.

Andrew Graham’s coaching philosophy reflects his wide range of baseball experiences with the East York Bulldogs and the Toronto Mets. He is “a strong believer in the Team First Mentality. Team comes before individual Performance.” He also expects “each athlete to have a strong work ethic and to compete day in and day out.” Coach Graham does not take the role of coach lightly as he believes they “need to be Role Models for kids, and set good examples for them. They see how we handle ourselves in situations on the Field, so it's important we take note of that. I believe we just can't get on them when they are doing something wrong. We also need to give a shoulder pat when they do good things.” This “praise loudly, criticize softly” is a philosophy that the Titans Baseball Club espouses as a key coaching approach.

Welcome to the Titans, Coach Graham. We’re so pleased you are joining your former Mets dugout partners Coach Denis Bailey and Coach Allan Bailey to develop our 18U Titans student-athletes!

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Kirby Smith

17u Assistant Coach

Nick Dimpfel

16u Head Coach

Nick Dimpfel is the Head Coach of the Titans 15U squad. He served one season on John Bethune’s staff as 15U assistant coach in the team’s inaugural season in the CPBL. Nick had a stellar playing career. He was Baseball Ontario’s Junior Player of the Year in 2009; additionally, he earned the YSBA’s Player of the Year award as a hard-hitting catcher for the Richmond Hill Phoenix. Nick’s Richmond Hill team won the YSBA championship three times and the OBA Championship once.

After his successful rep AAA career with the Phoenix, Nick attended Northeastern Junior College, a Division 1 school in Sterling, Colorado where he was a two-year starter and hit for power and average as Northeastern’s everyday catcher. One of his college highlights at Northeastern was hitting a walk-off home run to help his team capture the Division 9 title. While representing Canada as one the team’s catchers, Nick was named to the Oklahoma Sunbelt National Team. As an underage 16U catcher, Nick represented Ontario in the 18U Canada Cup in 2010. Nick fared well in the national tournament as he won Game MVP versus British Columbia and Ontario captured the gold medal. Nick completed his playing career after college by playing Junior Ball for the Richmond Hill Phoenix and transitioned to coaching with the Richmond Hill Phoenix Peewee AAA team.

After two years of coaching the Phoenix’s AAA Peewee squad, Nick was hired to pilot Team Ontario’s first 14U team in the CPBL. He believes that player development is critical to the Titans Baseball Club’s success as an organization and enjoys molding the 14U players, especially their approaches at the plate and behind the plate. Nick’s catching prowess and exemplary power hitting are two assets for the Titans Baseball Club’s expanding growing program as it joins the CPBL.

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Alex Crocco

Alex Crocco joins the Titans 15U staff as an assistant coach after serving on the 18U Titans staff as an assistant coach in the team’s inaugural season in the CPBL.

Coach Crocco was a Canadian championship catcher with the Vaughan Vikings in 2010. Alex’s York-Simcoe playing career featured three years with Vaughan AAA where he won the Canadian national championship in 2010; he was an outstanding catcher with the Richmond Hill AAA Phoenix for five years. Alex also captained the St Michael’s College School’s senior varsity team in the CISAA high school baseball league. He was an excellent-student athlete as St. Michael's College School, where he achieved Ontario Scholar status in 2013.

Alex earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts at University of Toronto (2018) and is currently completing his teaching degree at Nipissing University where he earned his Bachelor of Education in 2020. Alex’s aspirations to be a high school teacher have a sound foundation in that he has four years of teaching/tutoring experience as well as four years of coaching experience. Alex has run 1-on-1 instruction, skill-specific clinics, team workouts, and camps while coaching the Thornhill AAA Peewee Reds and the Newmarket 15U Elite Hawks.

Alex’s coaching specialties include catching, hitting, and flexibility. He shares a special relationship with his cousin-- national baseball hero Pete Orr who has 8 years of major league experience. Alex is a student of the game and has learned very much from Orr about hitting and the baseball life. Alex’s interpersonal skills are excellent as his patient and compassionate approach to coaching will yield terrific results from our Titans players. Ever the teacher, Alex has the great ability to differentiate his instruction according to the player's specific needs and learning style—a tried and true twenty-first century approach to teaching and coaching.

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Mike Rondeau

16u Assistant

Mike Rondeau joins the Titans Baseball Club as a 16U Assistant Coach. He will lend a veteran and winning presence to the squad with thirty years of baseball coaching experience in and out of the dugout. Mike coached the Thornhill Reds to three AAA Ontario Baseball Association championships. He was honored with the designation “Ontario Youth Baseball Coach of the Year” by Baseball Ontario in 2000. In addition to his championship-laden coaching career, Mike has also served as College Liaison with the Durham Bulls from 2003 to 2005. He has coached at all levels in Ontario. He served as Head Coach of the Ontario Athletics of the Fergie Jenkins Showcase League for eight seasons from 2006-2013. Mike was also the Head Coach of the Halton Badgers for two seasons in 2018 and 2019.

Welcome to the Titans, Coach Rondeau. We are so pleased to add your three decades of coaching experiences to our 16U Baseball Club.

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Lawrence Vera

15u Head Coach

Phone(705) 791-5504

Emailinfo@titansbaseball.ca

As the Head Coach of the 17U Titans-- as well as the Baseball Club’s Director of Player Development and Baseball Operations--Lawrence Vera guides the organization’s student-athletes to their post-secondary goals. In 2021 and 2022, Coach Vera and his College Placement Administrative team placed 34 graduating players at post-secondary destinations, including 26 U.S. College commitments in thirteen American states: North Carolina, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Kansas, Maryland, and Michigan. Coach Vera’s extensive network of US College contacts and his in-game coaching skills make him an invaluable resource and presence, respectively, for our prospective graduating players in the crucial 17U recruiting year.

Lawrence has taken his passion for baseball to the next level by founding the Titans Baseball Club and moving them into the CPBL—the top youth baseball league in Ontario. His fifteen years of coaching experience have been varied and successful. Previous to setting the foundations for the Titans as an administrator and coach, he dedicated 5 years to the Ontario Athletics of the Fergie Jenkins Showcase League, which included a 2018 FJSL Championship. Prior to coaching in the CPBL and FJSL, Lawrence coached with the AAA Barrie Minor Baseball Baycats for five years; in all three leagues, Lawrence has been insistent on his players’ development to ensure success at the post-secondary level.

Coach Vera’s playing career with filled with titles. After winning the Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association championship four times with Innisdale High School, Lawrence was recruited by Niagara County Community College, but injuries curtailed his U.S. playing career. Setting his sights on his own post-secondary goals back home in Ontario, Lawrence graduated from Fanshawe College in London in the Police Foundations Program. Coach Vera applies his own post-secondary education knowledge to his vision for the Titans. He believes that the organization is a stepping stone for its student-athletes towards positions of adult leadership and positive influence: “Playing for the Titans shouldn’t be an athlete’s end game. I want it to be the beginning of their successful career.”

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Josh Taylor

15u Assistant Coach

Josh Gosselin joins the Titans Baseball Club as a 17U Assistant Coach on Head Coach Lawrence Vera’s staff. Josh coached actively with the Barrie Minor Baseball Association for five-plus years. His breadth of coaching experience is evident in that he has taught the game to players ranging from the 10U division to the 18U division. His Baycats teams won multiple York Simcoe Baseball Association championships.

Coach Gosselin also believes in the transformative nature of coaching; in his last year serving the BMBA, he took over a 2-win team and steered them into the YSBA finals. His Baycats squad finished with 21 wins in that remarkable turnaround season.

In addition to his work with the BMBA, Josh has coached varsity baseball at Innisfil SS for 3 years. As a multi-sport coach, Josh continues to serve as the Innisfil SS offensive coordinator for the high school’s varsity football team—a post he has held for past 3 years.

Coach Gosselin’s evaluative skills are evident in that he has “developed numerous US College-bound baseball players to achieve higher levels of play” and takes “pride in his capacity as a development coach”.

Josh played baseball at the AAA level with the Barrie Baycats and won the Georgian Bay Secondary School Association baseball championship twice while playing for Innisdale High School.

Welcome to the Titans Baseball Club, Coach Gosselin.

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Matt Brandt

15u Assistant Coach

John Bethune

14u Head Coach

Coach John Bethune moves from Titans 15U Head Coach to the Head Coach of the 14U Titans to oversee the teaching of foundational skills to our players as they enter their first season in the CPBL. This is John’s third season as a Head Coach with the Titans and he brings with him an array of baseball experiences both as a coach and a player.

After a successful, award-winning career as a student-athlete at Seneca College for the Sting Baseball Program from 2016-2018, John secured a Coaching and Recruiting position with Seneca upon graduation. He is currently the Sting’s outfield coach. John has also served as the Assistant Coach for the Newmarket Hawks AAA Bantam, North York Blues AAA, Keswick HS of the YRAA, Mississauga Twins AAA Bantam, and the Owner/Head Coach of Baseball North Academy.

As a player, John’s season with the Toronto Mets Elite Baseball Organization (RF/RHP) led to athletic scholarship offers to Midland College (Texas), Husson University (Maine), Prince George’s Community College (Largo, Maryland), and St. Clair College (Windsor, ON) as an outfielder. John was an outstanding, versatile player—outfielder, infielder, and pitcher-- for the AAA Newmarket Hawks, AAA Aurora Jays, and AAA East York Bulldogs prior to playing for the Mets.

John was also offered a semi-pro contract from the Hoofddorp Pioniers of the Netherlands Professional Baseball League, where he was scouted as a third baseman and shortstop.

Currently, John is a Child and Youth Care Practitioner with the YRDSB and brings his collegial, supportive, and community-building employment experiences to the Titans Baseball Club.

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Jeff King

14u Assistant Coach

Jeff King joins the Titans Baseball Club on a full-time basis as a 14U Assistant Coach after serving as a 17U Titans Assistant Coach in 2022. Coach King brings nationwide coaching and scouting experiences in both Alberta and Ontario.

Prior to his integration into the core Titans coaching staff, Jeff served as Head Coach of the 16U Vaughan Vikings Elite team in 2020 and Head Coach of the 15U AAA Fort McMurray Oil Giants in 2019. He has coached at a National Level as a 17U Special Instructor for the Ontario Youth Team in 2017 and 2018. In addition to his roles on these Provincial teams, Coach King has served as a hitting coach and hitting clinic leader for a number of organizations in a variety of divisions including the 18U Vaughan Vikings in 2018, the 16U Ontario Yankees in 2016 and 2017, the 15U AAA Fort McMurray Oil Giants in 2019, and the 15U Team Alberta Prospects in 2015. His coaching achievements include a PBLO League Championship as Interim Head Coach of the 16U Ontario Yankees in 2017; the team accrued a 30-10 Overall Record and won the 6th Annual City Classic Tournament Championship. With the 15U Team Alberta Prospects, his squad garnered a 5-1 national tournament record.

Coach King’s scouting experiences are equally varied and national in scope and level, including the Provincial Alberta Tournament 2015, the Provincial Talent ID Camp 2015 Selection Committee, the 15U Team Alberta Prospects 2015 , and the 17U Ontario Youth Team 2016 and 2017. He is a graduate of Humber College in Recreation & Leisure and Sport Management. His coaching approach at the 14U level “is to focus on the development of each member of the youngest Titans team to reach their fullest potential as student-athletes, teammates, and quality people on and off the field. Providing solid leadership and training methods to the 14U Titans will give them the confidence and team-related skills to have success at the next level.” As a full-time member of the Titans coaching staff, Coach King explained that what he is looking forward to the most is “sharing ideas and collaborating with the entire staff to develop our players’ skill sets. There is a vast amount of knowledge throughout our organization, and we’ll be relentless in providing players with every tool to develop and find success throughout all our Titans age groups.”

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Jake Mueller

14u Assistant Coach