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Coaching Staff:
Harold
Hanford
Head Coach, Junior High
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Donald
Nania - Varsity
Head Coach
coach@gatewaybaseballhome.com
Don Nania is entering
his second season wtih Gateway High School and leaving behind
a strong presence in the WPIAL by placing second in the
section and appearing in playoffs last year. He is
actively involved in AAU Baseball managing a 5 district travel
team. In addition, he has been selected to coach the 14-15
year old USA STARRS TEAM in the Dominican Republic next year..
As a junior
college transfer student from neighboring Boyce campus, Don
was recognized as an all Skyline Conference player providing
him with scholarship opportunities at the University of
Pittsburgh. Coach Nania returned to Boyce campus where he
coached the school’s baseball team from 1979-1980. He has
been recently inducted into the University of Pittsburgh’s
Varsity Letterman’s Hall of Fame.
Beyond the
game of baseball, Don has served as a teacher with the City of
Pittsburgh Public Schools for greater than 30 years.
He obtained his teaching degree from the University of
Pittsburgh and is currently serving as Department Chairman of
Health and Physical Education at Allderdice High School.
Don has been
instrumental in the development of many college baseball
players in the past years and plans on increasing that number
here at Gateway. A
strong believer in discipline and fundamental baseball, Coach
Nania believes the Gateway program will be a force in WPIAL
baseball. Coach Nania resides in neighboring Murrysville with
his three children Jordan, Brandon and Lauryn, along with his
lovely wife Denise.
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Mark
Wardzinski - Varsity
Assistant Coach
Mark
Wardzinski is returning to the varsity coaching staff
for his second year with Gateway.
The Gators are coming off a very impressive
year. The
Gators finished as the section runner up only missing
section champs by a game.
The team this year will be mostly made up of
the players that he coached in 8th grade.
Coach Wardzinski is excited to see the
development of this graduating class and the classes
to follow. Before
moving up to the Varsity staff, Coach Wardzinski had
coached the Junior High team for three seasons at
Gateway.
Mark
played for Gateway Baseball from 1994 to 1998.
He was named team captain in 1998.
He also played for Pitcairn Baseball and
Monroeville Legion.
Mark also helped coach Pitcairn Pony League
Baseball the past 7 years.
Mark
attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania for his
degree in Health and Physical Education.
He also received his Masters degree from Gannon
University in Curriculum and Instruction.
Mark currently resides in Monroeville with his wife
Elizabeth and daughter, Diem.
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Paul
Kochka, Jr. - Varsity
Assistant Coach
Coach Kochka graduated from South Side High School in
1975 where he lettered in baseball, basketball
football and track.
He served as a pitcher/outfielder of the
baseball team, co-captain of the basketball team and
was the starting quarterback on the football team.
In 1980, Coach Kochka graduated from the University of
Pittsburgh where he lettered
in both basketball and baseball.
He played basketball for Tim Grgurich for three
years before a knee injury and also played his junior
and senior years on Bobby Lewis’ baseball team.
For ten years, Coach Kochka played for Pittsburgh’s
semi-pro Federation League as a pitcher, outfielder
and first baseman.
He has coached for the Serbian National
Federation Tournaments in the United States for boys
and girls ages 8 through 17.
For the past ten years, he has coached youth
baseball and basketball teams in the Monroeville area.
Coach
Kochka currently works for Philips-Respironics in
Murrysville, and lives in Monroeville with his wife,
Melissa, and two children, Luke and Danielle.
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| Harold
Hanford - Junior High Head Coach
This is Coach
Hanford’s first year with the Junior High Baseball
program at Gateway.
He has played baseball for Allegheny Township
Athletic Association from age eight to eighteen.
Coach Hanford had his High School career cut
short at Kiski Area due to injuries and illness, but
he continued to remain active in baseball through
coaching and umpiring with
Allegheny
Township
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Coach Hanford
has been a Special Education Teacher and
seventh/eighth grade assistant football coach since
2006 at
Gateway
School District
. He
received a Bachelors degree in Communications from
Duquesne
University
and a Masters in Special Education from
Seton
Hill
University
.
Coach Hanford
continues to reside in
Allegheny
Township
with his wife Andrea.
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