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Legends Coaches

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Chris DeBoo

Head Coach

This 2024 season will be DeBoo’s first as a Head Coach and third as a collegiate coach. Last season, DeBoo coached the Kokomo Jackrabbits of the prestigious Northwoods League. Prior to that he was the pitching coach for the OC Riptide in the California Collegiate League. DeBoo has also coached for Whittier College, Irvine Valley College and is currently the Director of Analytics and Pitching Development for the University of San Francisco.

With the Riptide, DeBoo led the pitching staff to a top 3 finish in multiple pitching categories and a CCL playoff appearance. DeBoo has also worked as a certified sports performance trainer for the past eight years working with numerous professional and collegiate players in the off-season focusing on strength and conditioning. He has experience in Trackman, Synergy and has years of player development experience at the Youth, High School, and College levels.

DeBoo played 5 seasons professionally in the MLB partnered Frontier League. He played college baseball at Cal State Northridge and Valparaiso University.

As a professional, Deboo pitched in over 180 games in a five year pro career spanning from 2013 through 2017. While playing professionally, DeBoo pitched for the Joliet Slammers (2013), Gateway Grizzlies (2014), Windy City ThunderBolts (2015, 2017), and Southern Illinois Miners (2016). Over the course of the 180 games, DeBoo struck out 128 batters in 176 innings pitched.

Collegiately, DeBoo was inducted into the Humboldt Crabs Summer Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, after posting a 20-1 record with a 1.68 earned run average in three summers with the Crabs. He also competed in the 2013 College World

Series Regionals, making a start in an elimination game vs. Florida Gators. DeBoo received his BS in Business Management from Cal State Northridge and his MBA from Valparaiso University. In 2017 he trained at Driveline Baseball in Seattle, WA with MLB and MiLB players and has used that experience to help develop his players.

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Legends fans can follow Chris DeBoo on multiple social media channels including Instagram (@chrisrd702) and Twitter (Chrisd18xx).

 

College Coaching Experience:

Director of Pitching Development – University of San Francisco

Assistant Coach – Kokomo Jackrabbits (Northwoods)

Assistant Coach – Irvine Valley College

Assistant Coach – OC Riptide (CCL)

Assistant Coach – Whittier College

 

Playing Experience: 

Professional Baseball – 

Joliet Slammers (2013)

Gateway Grizzlies (2014)

Windy City Thunderbolts (2015)

Southern Illinois Miners (2016-2017)

 

College Baseball – 

Valparaiso University (2013)

California State University, Northridge (2009-2012)

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Marcelo Saldana

Pitching Coach

Marcelo Saldana is set to make his mark as the Pitching Coach for the Menlo Park Legends in the upcoming 2024 season, making his debut in the coaching realm. While this may be his first venture into coaching, Saldana is no stranger to the California Collegiate League (CCL). He brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent last summer as a player for the San Luis Obispo Blues, and prior to that, showcasing his talents with the Humboldt Crabs where he was named Pitcher of the Year (POY) and the New Market Rebels in the Valley Baseball League.

Saldana’s journey into baseball excellence began at Fresno City College under the tutelage of Ron Scott, where he emerged as a standout Left-Handed Pitcher. His stellar performance earned him Freshman All-America honors in 2020, boasting an impressive 0.78 ERA and striking out 30 batters in 34.2 innings pitched. He continued to hone his skills at Cal State Bakersfield under Jeremy Beard, where he made significant contributions as a key reliever, tallying 29 strikeouts and maintaining a .285 batting average against him. Saldana culminated his collegiate career at the University of San Francisco under the guidance of Rob Ditoma and Eric Suplee , further solidifying his prowess on the mound and on the field. 

Beyond the diamond, Saldana remains accessible to Legends fans through his social media channels:

  • Instagram: M.s10
  • Twitter: Marcelosaldana1
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Josh Nicoloff

Assistant Coach

Nicoloff is currently in his second year as the program hitting coordinator at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Orange County, California. In 2023, his first year as the hitting coach, Santa Margarita won its first ever Trinity League championship with a League Record tying 14-1 record. He helped lead Santa Margarita to 29 wins (most in school history) on the way to their first ever CIF Division 1 Southern Regional Championship. In 2024, after the program graduated 15 seniors, Josh helped lead the Santa Margarita offense to their best offensive season in school history. 177 runs scored to go along with a .303/.433/.811 team slash line was the best among the other 5 teams in the prestigious Trinity League.

In the summer of 2023, Josh served as the team hitting coach and 1st base coach for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in the Northwoods League. During this role, he gained valuable experience working with some of the top college hitters and infielders in the country.

Nicoloff was a career .293 hitter for Columbia University, where he played three seasons and helped the Lions to the 2018 Ivy League championship as a freshman. He was All-Ivy League as a sophomore, when he was among the team’s leaders with a .313 batting average, .374 on-base percentage, 50 hits, 10 doubles, 67 total bases and eight stolen bases. After that 2019 season, he played in the Northwoods Summer Collegiate League and was a Major League Dreams Top Prospect invitee. As a junior at Columbia, in the COVID shortened 2020 season, he led the Lions with a .394 batting average.

The Lions’ 2021 season was canceled because of COVID, but Nicoloff graduated from Columbia with a degree in Political Science. He played the 2022 season at Kansas State, starting all 58 games for the Wildcats and finishing with seven home runs, 27 runs batted in, 12 multiple-hit games, a 13-game hitting streak and a team-leading 19-game on-base streak. He also earned Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week and was a finalist for the American Baseball Coaches’ Assn./Rawlings Gold Glove Award as a second baseman.

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Frank Matthews 

Assistant Coach

Frank is currently an Assistant Coach at Chabot CC, and helped lead the team to a Coast- North Championship and a 3C2A Super Regional berth in 2024. He is also the Assistant Director of Baseball and Head Coach at Top Tier Baseball Northern California. He orchestrates individualized player development plans, aiming to elevate overall performance. His coaching tenure at Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ, boasted a GPA of 3.5/4.0, showcasing academic dedication alongside his baseball commitments. With a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Educational Psychology, majoring in Social Work and minoring in Psychology/Neuroscience, Frank merges academic insight with a passion for baseball.

He has honed his coaching skills through various roles, including serving as a Volunteer Coach at George Washington University, specializing in outfield and offensive strategies. Additionally, his time with the Alexandria Aces, a collegiate summer team, further fortified his coaching prowess. At Prime Time Aces in Alexandria, VA, he served as the Director of Youth Development and 2024-2026 Head Coach, spearheading offensive practices and game strategies while nurturing players to excel academically and athletically.

During his stint as Varsity Assistant Head Coach at Yorktown High School, Arlington VA, he provided comprehensive support to the coaching staff, particularly in outfield training and hitting fundamentals. Moreover, his efforts at Rose L Hardy Middle School, Washington D.C., resulted in a remarkable 55-10 record, with every player transitioning successfully to varsity baseball teams, underscoring my commitment to holistic player development.