Jake Vitale joined the Dakota State University Trojan Baseball coaching staff in June of 2026 after serving as the hitting coach at Lackawanna College (Pa.), one of the top junior college baseball programs in the country. During the 2026 season, he coached six hitters who earned NJCAA Division II All-Region honors while helping lead an explosive offensive unit that posted a .917 OPS, 262 extra-base hits, and 113 stolen bases in 128 attempts.
“We are excited to welcome Jake to our staff,” said Hardie. “The rubric I had for our next hitting coach consisted of a relationship builder, cage rat focused on individual development, someone who uses technology and data to help make informed decisions, but also knows how to help hitters outside of tech and data, develops competitive hitters, and teaches an approach and plan that aligns to our dynamic offensive identity. We found these things in Jake.”
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Vitale was involved in summer baseball, serving as the hitting coach for the Fulton Railroaders in the Ohio Valley League. In that role, he oversaw the team’s hitters, managed lineups, led individual development plans, implemented the sign system, and coordinated game planning.
Vitale has also gained valuable experience working alongside professional hitting coach Trey Hannam as part of the American Baseball Camps staff, further sharpening his ability to develop hitters at all levels of the game.
A native of St. Louis, Mo., Vitale played collegiately at NJCAA’s Parkland College (Ill.) before continuing his career at NCAA Division II Quincy University (Ill.). He graduated from Quincy with a degree in communications.
