Fred Carella, assistant coach for the Mercer County Community College baseball team since 2003, has been named as the team’s new head coach, succeeding Kevin Kerins, who announced his resignation in June.
Carella, a Hamilton native, is a graduate of Nottingham High School and The College of New Jersey. During his tenure as an assistant on the Vikings baseball staff, Carella has coached third base and served as a hitting and outfielder coach. He has also headed up recruiting in Pennsylvania.
“Fred has served as an assistant coach for four previous head coaches, and has been an integral part of the team’s success through recruiting, skill teaching, and game strategy,” said MCCC athletics director John Simone. “He has a great reputation in the Mercer community and throughout the conference, and we are elated that he has chosen to accept the head coaching position.”
Carella is the tenth head coach in MCCC baseball history. He joined the program as an assistant coach for Randy Voorhees the year the Vikings earned a trip to the 2003 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series. He continued his tenure under head coaches Kip Harrison, Matt Wolski, and Kerins.
“I’m very appreciative of John Simone to have faith in me to continue the success of the Mercer baseball program,” Carella said. “Mercer has been my home for the last 15 years, and I want to make sure we do things the right way and present the college in a positive light.”
Carella has served as assistant coach for teams that have earned six Region 19 titles, four Northeast District titles, and four trips to the NJCAA World Series. During that time eight Mercer players were named as NJCAA All-Americans, and six were chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft. In 2018 alone, nine Viking baseball players were named to the Region 19 All-Academic Team.
“We have had a lot of success on and off the field,” Carella said. “I want to make sure our guys are doing well in the classroom, and continue their academic career after Mercer.”
Carella said he is bullish on the upcoming season, with 16 returning players and a solid recruiting class that includes two international students.
“We have a nice mix this year coming in,” Carella said. “It will be good to have a lot of returning players who will be able to hit the ground running, and I’m excited about the incoming class, which brings a lot of speed, power, and power arms as well. Our job is to keep it going, and move forward toward the common goal of returning to the World Series.”
