CADETS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY
Angel L. Lugo
Coach Lugo was drafted in 1988 by the Minnesota Twins as a shortstop, later transitioning to a pitcher with the Marlins and the Blue Jays. He played for Grady High School in Brooklyn and was a three year consecutive All-City shortstop. Once completing his professional career, he took his passion for the game and opened the Cadets Player Development Academy.
In 2012, he was certified by Brent Pourciau for the Top Velocity Pitching Program and is now known as Brent's top instructor for the 3x Top Velocity Program. In 2013, he began the Elite Player Development Academy, Top Gun Pitching Program, D2 Catching Program, D467 Fielding Program and the Zone it Up Hitting Program at CPDA. These programs have produced some of the area's best players and top MLB prospects.
In 2014, Coach Lugo decided to bring his knowledge of player development to the field and created his travel baseball college prep teams, the Cadets Baseball Academy.
In 2016, Coach Lugo was named New York State Coordinator for USA Baseball's North Atlantic NTIS. In 2017, he opened the Hudson Valley RBI program, which is dedicated to getting inner-city players back on the softball and baseball fields.
Diego Gonzalez
Diego led the Baruch College Campus HS Blue Devils (New York, NY) to its first playoff appearance in school history during his sophomore season before transferring to Benjamin N. Cardozo HS in Queens, where he captained the Judges to a 35-2 combined record during his junior and senior seasons.
Selected as a New York City Mayor’s Cup All-Star in 2012 prior to his collegiate career, Diego went on to play first base and outfield for the Hofstra University Pride and the Queens College Knights. Serving as team captain during his tenure at Queens, Diego was selected as a North Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (NACBL) All-Star in 2015, the same season he led the Knights in extra-base hits and RBI.
Currently coaching for the Cadets, Diego also serves as the Assistant Director of Player Development for the CPDA. Diego holds a Coaches Certification with USA Baseball, and is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).
Nelson Muñoz
A native of Puerto Rico, Nelson comes to the Cadets Player Development Academy after a professional playing career for his hometown of Humacao. Nelson started his career off with a bang for the Orientales de Humacao, leading La Liga de Béisbol Doble A Juvenil de Puerto Rico (LBDAJPR) with a .394 batting average in 2015. Nelson received a promotion to play for the Grises de Humacao the following year, where he was primarily utilized as a catcher in Liga de Béisbol Superior Doble A de Puerto Rico (LBSDAPR). Nelson also saw time at 1st base, 2nd base, and 3rd base during his professional career.
Nelson currently coaches for the Cadets Baseball Academy.
Chris Hayes
Chris Hayes brings 15 years of playing and training experience to the Cadets Player Development Academy. He played baseball at Roy C. Ketcham High School where he earned All League, All County and Poughkeepsie Journal 1st team All Section. Hayes went on to play college ball at St Thomas Aquinas College receiving All-Conference and All-Tournament Team in the NCAA World Series.
Trevor Purcell
A native of Walden, NY, Trevor Purcell joins us while currently serving as the Assistant Athletic Director at Mount Saint Mary College. He was the assistant baseball coach from 2010-2018, and he played at The Mount from 1999-2003. Purcell was named the player of the year in his conference both junior and senior seasons. He also holds Mount Saint Mary College school records in the following categories: hits, triples, runs, RBI, slugging percentage, wins, ERA, and complete games. He was inducted into the MSMC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
Nelson Figueroa
A native of Brooklyn, Nelson was drafted out of Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) in the 30th round of the 1995 MLB June Amateur Draft before beginning a 19-year professional career as a pitcher, including 11 years in the big leagues. Nelson pitched in the majors for the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Brewers, Pirates, Mets, and Astros, and throughout his career was a part of nine championship teams.
Nelson helped pitch Puerto Rico to a second-place finish in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, an effort rewarded with a selection to the All-World Baseball Classic team alongside such household names as David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Yadier Molina.
After his playing career, Nelson was hired as a pitching coach for the Uni-President Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League for 2013 and 2014. Nelson currently serves as an analyst for SNY, MLB Network, and DAZN.
From Coach Figueroa:
"Excited to join the Cadets Baseball Academy to help enhance an already tremendous program. Using both my vast playing experience and the technology available at the facility, I know I can help each and every player reach their maximum potential. I have a multifaceted approach to help guide your athlete from training, to competing, to excelling both on and off the field"
Anthony Cervone
A product of nearby Beacon, Anthony joins our staff years after he first started attending the Cadets Player Development Academy as a player. After achieving All-State honors as a member of the baseball and football teams at Beacon High School, Anthony would pack his bags and head to Queens to begin his collegiate career at St. John’s University. Pitching for the Red Storm, Anthony would finish his career as a three-time Big East champion, having subsequently participated in three NCAA Tournaments. Anthony would return to his hometown to serve as the varsity pitching coach for the Beacon Bulldogs for two seasons.
Stevie Branche
Jimmy Filingeri
Jimmy brings 30 years of coaching experience to the Cadets Player Development Academy, from T-ball to high school varsity baseball.
Jimmy now coaches for the Cadets Baseball Academy, while also serving as the head coach for the junior varsity baseball team at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains. Jimmy holds a Coaches Certification with USA Baseball, and is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).
Alyssa Oliva
After graduating from John Jay Senior HS in East Fishkill where she played 1st base, Alyssa would begin her career as a pitcher at SUNY New Paltz. Her sophomore season as a Hawk was electric, chucking a one-hitter against SUNY Potsdam and earning Athlete of the Week honors in 2010. That same season, she led the team in wins (10), ERA (2.31), complete games (10), solo shutouts (2), shared shutouts (3), innings pitched (112) and strikeouts (77), and finished with a 10-5 record overall.
Alyssa currently serves as the pitching coach & an assistant coach for the Dominican College Chargers.
Alex Lowden
Following a brief career as a pitcher for the John Jay Senior HS Patriots, Alex would enroll at the University of South Florida, where he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Sports Business, as well as a Master of Science (MS) degree in Sport and Entertainment Management from the University of South Florida.
Alex is a Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and currently coaches for the Cadets Baseball Academy.
Jonathan Brezac
Jonathan pitched for the John Jay Senior HS Patriots before enrolling at Dutchess Community College where he studied exercise science. He joins the staff at CPDA as an alumni of the Cadets Baseball Academy.
Danny Di Marzo
A native of Fishkill, Danny played at John Jay Senior HS before beginning his collegiate career at Post University (Waterbury, CT), highlighted by a sophomore season in which Danny turned in a .289 batting average and a .375 on-base percentage for the Eagles.
Danny spent the 2019 summer playing for the Watertown Rapids of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) before transferring to St. Thomas Aquinas, where he currently plays shortstop for the Spartans and majors in Sports Management.
Nick Scuderi
Nick played four years of high school baseball for the John Jay Senior HS Patriots as both a pitcher and outfielder. Nick then began playing in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association (HVNABA), where he has played for six years.
Passionate about teaching the fundamentals of the game to youth players, Nick currently helps run our fielding/throwing and pitching Rookie Classes.
He has been a member of the Cadets Player Development Academy staff for four years, and occasionally assists with practices for the Cadets Baseball travel teams as well.
Oscar Colon
Originally from Brooklyn, Oscar played for Wallkill Senior HS, where he pitched, played shortstop, and earned team MVP honors during his sophomore season. Oscar later enrolled at SUNY Delhi, where he helped organize the school’s first recreational baseball team.
Oscar has amassed over 35 years of experience in baseball, including 11 years volunteering for the City of Newburgh and Cal Ripken Baseball. Oscar continues to play today, competing in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association (HVNABA) and the Hudson Valley Men’s Adult Baseball League (HVMABL), while also serving as a coach for the Cadets Baseball Academy.
Jesse Marsh
A Hudson Valley native, Jesse joins us while currently serving as an assistant coach & strength and conditioning coordinator at Bard College. Before Bard, Jesse made stints as an assistant coach at Marist College and LIU Brooklyn. Before coaching, Jesse was the lead assistant at his alma mater, SUNY New Paltz, where he ranks second all-time in single-season assists.
Dan Schweitzer
A native of Poughquag, Dan played for the Arlington HS Admirals in LaGrangeville, serving as the team captain for the school’s baseball and basketball teams. He continued to pursue his athletic career in both sports at SUNY Cortland for the Red Dragons.
Dan spent his collegiate baseball career playing for highly decorated head coach Joe Brown, who currently owns the best winning percentage of any active coach in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) having at least ten years experience.
Turning in a remarkable senior season in which he captained the Red Dragons to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) regular-season title - fueled by an 18-0 conference record that made SUNY Cortland the only school in the NCAA to go undefeated during conference play in 2019 - Dan helped the Red Dragons finish the season tied for ninth place across all of NCAA Division III baseball.
Playing in each of the team’s 48 games as the starting shortstop, Dan tied for the team lead in hits with 61, sporting a hefty .379 batting average. His efforts on the field were rewarded, as Dan was selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region Third Team, as well as the D3baseball.com All-Region Third Team.
Dan now coaches for the Cadets Baseball Academy, while also serving as an assistant coach for the varsity baseball team at Arlington HS.
Steve Elting
Steve attended nearby John Jay Senior HS in East Fishkill, where he earned the team’s Most Improved Player award, helping the Patriots to secure the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section 1 League C Championship in 2008. Primarily utilized as a pitcher, Steve would go on to enjoy a collegiate career taking the mound for the Mercy College Mavericks.
Steve now coaches for the Cadets Baseball Academy, while also serving as an assistant coach for the varsity baseball team at John Jay Senior HS.
Reinaldo Lopez
Reinaldo has played eight years with the Tampa Bay Rays up to double A and three years playing independent ball. Throughout his career, he has received pitcher of the week, played in two championships and earned a spot on the All-Star team.