OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College head baseball coach Eric Horner announced the additions of Zach Baxley and Joe Costanzo to his coaching staff for 2023-24. Baxley will serve as the Cavaliers outfield and hitting coach and Costanzo will work with the infielders and hitters.
"Zach and Joe are two rising stars and their energy and passion for the game of baseball is what made them stand out," Horner said. "We are happy to have them in the program and our players will benefit greatly from their knowledge and playing experience."
Baxley joins the Cavaliers after serving as an assistant coach at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa for the 2023 season. During his season on staff, the Panthers recorded the most wins over the past 10 years, going 18-29, and broke the single season home run record blasting 60 over the wall. With ranked 19th in NJCAA Division II. He also helped coach All-American third team catcher Jose Valentin and five All-Region selections. Off the diamond, the Ellsworth baseball program produced 11 NJCAA All-Academic selections and the Panthers tied for 38th in NJCAAA Baseball with a grade point average of 3.36.
Prior to Ellsworth, Baxley began his coaching career with Iowa Sticks, one of Iowa's premier baseball programs.
A native of Wichita, Kan., Baxley graduated from Andale High School and went to play his freshman year at Hutchinson Community College. He hit at a .267 clip (54-for-201) with six doubles, a triple, five home runs, 34 runs scored and 34 driven in to help the Blue Dragons to a 44-21 mark and a West Jayhawk Conference championship and runner-up finish at the Region 6/Central District Playoffs.
Baxley transferred after the 2019 season to Southwestern Oklahoma State University. In his three seasons, he played in and started 82 games. He posted a career batting average of .361(112-for-310) with 23 doubles, five tripes, eight home runs, 70 run scored and 57 RBI. He also tallied 35 multiple-hit games, including three four-hit efforts, and 16 multiple-RBI games. His best season was in 2021 when he hit .362 (54-for-149) with a team high 14 doubles, four triples, four homers, 34 runs and 33 RBI. He was third on the team in runs, and fourth in both hits and RBI. His best game of the season was a 4-for-6 day with two doubles, a home run and four RBI at Southern Nazarene on March 13. That season, he was selected an All-Region and second-team All-Great American Conference second team utility player.
Costanzo comes to JCCC after a stellar four-year career at McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill, followed by a season at St. Louis University while enrolled in a Public Health Certificate program. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology at McKendree.
Over his four seasons, Costanzo played in 129 games posting a batting average of .246 (100-for-406) with 20 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 59 runs scored, 31 base-on-balls and 49 RBI. His best two seasons came in 2021 and 2022 during his junior and senior campaigns. As a junior he batted .242 (32-for-132) with six doubles, a home run, 17 runs and 14 driven in. He bumped his average to .299 (47-for-157) in 2022 with 10 doubles, two triples, two homers, 27 runs and 28 RBI.
In his final season at St. Louis, Costanzo made 13 plate appearances over 13 games, collecting a single and a double, three runs and two RBI.
In addition to his duties at JCCC, Costanzo serves as head coach of a 15U travel team with Building Champions Baseball Academy, a team he played for during his prep career at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City.