Angel L. Lugo

Director of Player Development

Coach Lugo, drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1988 as a shortstop, transitioned to pitching with the Marlins and Blue Jays. A three-time All-City player from Grady High School in Brooklyn, he later founded the Cadets Player Development Academy. Certified by Brent Pourciau in the Top Velocity Pitching Program, he became a leading instructor and developed several specialized programs, including the Elite Player Development Academy and Top Gun Pitching Program, producing top local players and MLB prospects.

Diego Gonzalez

Assistant Director of Player Development

Diego led Baruch College Campus HS to its first playoff appearance and later captained Benjamin N. Cardozo HS to a 35-2 record. A New York City Mayor’s Cup All-Star in 2012, he played at Hofstra and Queens College, earning NACBL All-Star honors in 2015. Currently coaching for 5 Star National Metro and serving as Assistant Director of Player Development for CPDA, he holds a USA Baseball Coaches Certification and is a member of the ABCA. Diego is dedicated to developing young talent in baseball.

Mark Bonilla

Mark, a Bronx native, graduated from St. Raymond's HS and played college baseball at Dominican University, where he earned a spot in the Athletic Hall of Fame, before finishing at Hofstra. He transitioned to coaching, developing players who have gone on to compete at professional and major college levels. Currently, he is the Director of Athletics at All Hallows HS and coaches with 5 Star National Metro in the summer, dedicated to nurturing young talent.

Nick Scuderi

Nick played four years of high school baseball for the John Jay Senior HS Patriots as a pitcher and outfielder. He has since played in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association (HVNABA) for six years.

Passionate about teaching fundamentals, Nick leads our year-round Rookie Classes and has been with our team for over five years, contributing to both administrative operations and player development.

Isidoros "Ross" Bartziokas

Originally from Middletown, NY, Ross is a graduate of Minisink Valley High School.  He attended the College of Mount Saint Vincent (CMSV) and was an integral part of the Dolphins Baseball team from 2017-2022.  He was a five-year starter as well as one of the  Team Captains for three years.   As an infielder he was selected to the Skyline's Second-Team All Conference in 2021.  

Ross currently serves as the hitting and infield coach at the Stevens Institute of Technology.  He is also a Head Coach for 5Star National Metro travel baseball.

Stephen Cabarcas

Coach Cabarcas has led NJCAA DII SUNY Orange for seven seasons, previously assisting at Mt. Saint Mary's College and serving as recruiting coordinator at SUNY Orange. He guided the Colts to the 2021 Sub-District Regionals and their second district win.

As a player, he boasted a .330 batting average and earned All-Conference honors twice, starting at SUNY Orange before finishing at Mt. Saint Mary's, where he hit .325 and was named to the All-Skyline Team. He has helped numerous student-athletes transfer to four-year universities to continue their education and baseball careers.

Missy Sadler

Missy joins the CPDA staff after a successful collegiate career at St. Thomas Aquinas College, where she played both softball and basketball. A Marlboro High School graduate, she achieved a .310 batting average over her last three seasons and was recently appointed Assistant Coach for the STAC softball program.

Her senior season helped the Lady Spartans to a 24-12 record and their first East Coast Conference championship appearance. Sadler finished her basketball career with a 93-28 record, earning All-ECC and All-Met honors, and scored 844 points. She offers private instruction in hitting and fielding fundamentals for softball players.

Liz Crawford

Liz has a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Connecticut State University and is the head softball trainer and Director of Classes at Frozen Ropes in Garden City, NY. Her experience includes:

• Former Head Coach at Nassau Community College
• Head Softball Trainer at East Meadow Little League and Batting 1000
• Personal Trainer at XSport Garden City and Equinox Roslyn
• NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Precision Nutrition Coach
• Junior Varsity and Assistant Varsity Coach at Carey High School
• Head Coach for Long Island Thunder and NY Jaguars

Liz offers private instruction for softball players.

Skyler Ohrvall

A native of Fishkill, Skylar graduated from nearby John Jay Senior HS before playing collegiately at SUNY Brockport, obtaining a degree in Physical Education. Skylar is currently a physical education teacher and continues to coach at the high school and travel level.

Albert Avila

First-time instructor Albert Avila joins us from his hometown of La Romana, Dominican Republic, where he was signed to a professional contract in July 2017 with the Oakland Athletics. Making his Dominican Summer League debut at the young age of 16, the left-handed outfielder played three seasons with the DSL Athletics. His time with the Athletics was highlighted by a 2021 season in which he posted a .378 OBP, while stealing 12 bases over 110 professional games. He is currently a free agent, and is available for hitting and fielding instruction..

Stevie Branche

A graduate of New Paltz High School, Stevie played baseball, basketball, and football at New Paltz High School before beginning his college baseball career as a pitcher at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Stevie compiled 180 strikeouts in 163.2 innings pitched at RIT, turning in an impressive 3.35 ERA as a Tiger. Stevie earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology before signing as a free agent with the Cincinnati Reds in June of 2020.

Eliakim Stowe

Eli (Poughkeepsie, NY) recently graduated from nearby Millbrook School, where he was a two-way talent for the Mustangs. A NEPSAC Pitcher of the Year Award winner, Eli's experience includes multiple invite-only national events as a high school prospect, including the MLB Player Development Pipeline, Area Code Games, East Coast Pro, and PBR Super60. He is currently in his first year competing for the University of Maryland Terrapins in the Big Ten Conference.

Ryan Murphy

A graduate of Roy C. Ketcham High School in 2017, Ryan was a 3 year starter at Le Moyne College, earning the 2018 Freshman Pitcher of the Year in the NE10. Ryan then was drafted 144th overall to the San Francisco Giants in the 5th round of the 2020 MLB Draft, and in 2021, was the San Francisco Giants MiLB Pitcher of the Year.

Jonnathan Cepeda

Jonnathan Cepeda joins our coaching staff with 15 years of baseball experience. A Queens native who played in Dutchess County, he excelled at Roy C. Ketcham High School, earning multiple accolades, including 1st Team All-State honors. After one year at Bergen Community College, he received a scholarship to St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he had standout moments, like turning a triple play and hitting a grand slam. He graduated in Spring 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management.

Jonathan Caceres

Jonathan joins us from his hometown of San Juan, PR with an abundance of experience in the game, ranging from coaching youth travel baseball to coaching and playing in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association. Jonathan holds a Coaches Certification with USA Baseball, and is a member of the Hudson Valley Amateur Baseball Umpire Association. In the spring of 2022, Jonathan was also an assistant baseball coach for the Wappingers Middle School modified team that went undefeated.

Nelson Figueroa

Nelson, a Brooklyn native, was drafted in the 30th round of the 1995 MLB June Amateur Draft after attending Brandeis University. He had a 19-year professional career as a pitcher, including 11 years in the majors with teams like the Diamondbacks, Phillies, and Mets, winning nine championships. He also played for Puerto Rico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, earning All-World honors.

After retiring, Nelson was a pitching coach for the Uni-President Lions and now serves as an analyst for SNY, MLB Network, and DAZN. He’s excited to join the Cadets Baseball Academy, where he aims to help players maximize their potential both on and off the field.

George Psarakis, LAT, ATC

George, from Monroe, is a certified athletic trainer passionate about baseball and sports medicine. He graduated from Monroe-Woodbury High School in 2016 and earned a degree in athletic training from Dominican University, where he interned with the New York Jets. After graduating with honors in May 2020, he worked at SUNY New Paltz before joining Mount Saint Mary College to support NCAA Division III teams. George specializes in injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation and will oversee our player recovery program, "Recover Like A Pro."

Advisory Staff

Liz Torres

Founder and Owner, Mindful Yoga with Liz (Poughkeepsie, NY)

Chris Reyes

Founder, Catchermtrx & Athelite Player Development

Jason Ferber

Head Coach, Real Ballers

Dan Pirillo

Head Baseball Coach, Long Island University

Jeff Schaefer

Regional Director, USA Baseball

Hector Morales-Negron

Director, Cultural Readiness and Peak Performance Coach, Pittsburgh Pirates

Steve Springer

Former Professional Player, MLB Mental Skills Coach & Scout

Steve Sosler

Head Baseball Coach, Mount Saint Mary College

Steve Sosler became the Head Coach of the Mount baseball program in 2010 after six seasons as an assistant. Over 13 seasons, he has achieved 171 victories, including a 94-85 Skyline Conference record, and was named Coach of the Year in 2018. His tenure includes two 20-win seasons and a championship round appearance in 2017.

As a player for the Blue Knights (1996-99), he contributed to two NCAA Division III Championship teams and secured the program's first NCAA tournament win. Sosler holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from MSMC and is pursuing his Master's. He has also coached at S.S. Seward Institute and American Legion Baseball with the Monroe Cannons. Sosler resides in New Windsor, NY, with his wife, Nicole, and son, Carmelo.

Joe Nigro

Former Professional/Free Agent Scout

Following a stint with the Wytheville Senators, the Rookie affiliate of the Washington Senators, Joe went on to become a professional and free agent scout for over 38 years, spending time with the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers. Before entering professional baseball, Joe served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant as well as the New York Police Department as a police officer. He is a member of both the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is now retired and lives in Staten Island, NY.