University of Pennsylvania Athletics

Mike Santello was promoted to the role of Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator in July of 2013.

Following two seasons cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn set a slew of program records in 2022 and 2023, most notably breaking the 30-win plateau for the first time in program history with 33 victories in 2022 and 34 in 2023. That included a program-record 17 wins in Ivy League play in 2022 and 16 more in 2023 as Penn won the Ivy League regular-season title both years and took 13 of 14 conference series across the two seasons. The Quakers also hosted and won the Ivy League Tournament in 2023, the first year the Ivy League conducted a four-team postseason, and advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 1995. At the Auburn regional, fourth-seeded Penn made more history by becoming the first Ivy League team to win its first two games since the NCAA went to four-team regional play in 1999 but dropped a pair of games to second-seeded Southern Miss which allowed the Golden Eagles to advance to the Super Regional.

Wyatt Henseler earned first-team All-Ivy after crushing a program-record 18 home runs and leading the Ancient Eight with 142 total bases and 63 RBI. He also was second among Ivy players with 69 hits and third with 48 runs scored overall, just behind teammate Jackson Appel who was second with 50. Appel also tied for the Ivy lead with five triples. In Ivy play, Penn led the league in doubles (49) and triples (12) and was third with 209 hits. Individually, Cole Palis and Appel tied for the league lead in triples (4) and were among four players who tied for the league lead in runs scored (23), and Palis led the way with 59 total bases followed by Henseler (57) and Appel (54) who were second and third. Palis also was second with 34 hits, while Henseler was second with nine homers and third with 24 RBI.  All three players were first-team All-Ivy selections by the coaches.
 
Under Santello’s guidance, the Quakers emerged as one of the nation’s top offensive powerhouses in 2019. Penn finished the season ranked within the top five of all Division I programs in many offensive categories. After the conclusion of the College World Series, Penn held the nation’s second-best batting average (.334), ranked second in doubles per game (2.66), and third in triples per game (.54). Practicing increased plate discipline and utilizing increased opportunities in the batting cages, Santello helped lead Penn to rank third in on-base percentage (.422) and scoring (8.6 runs per game). The Quakers looked primed to post similar numbers in 2020. Unfortunately, the opportunity was halted by the season's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through eight games in 2020, Penn had a .292 batting average with 82 hits and 42 runs scored. Comparatively, the 2019 Quakers posted a .273 batting average with 85 hits and 52 runs scored.
 
Santello managed one of Penn's most experienced offensive units to date in 2018, returning eight-of-nine starters from the 2017 batting order. Coincidentally enough, the group's top performer came from non-other than one of the new additions, as Eduardo Malinowski emerged as not only Penn's, by also the Ivy's, best bat. Under Santello's tutelage, the freshman led the league in batting average (.347) and total hits (59), eventually earning him Ivy League Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Ivy honors. Penn's other first-team All-Ivy selection -- Matt McGeagh -- also thrived under Santello, pacing the league in both RBIs (43) and slugging percentage (.508). As a unit, Santello's corps ranked second amongst Ivy programs in overall batting average (.268) while leading the conference in doubles (73).
 
In addition to helping lead Penn to its first Ivy League Championship Series since 2007, Santello oversaw an offense in 2017 that totaled a .282 average and 88 doubles - a mark that ranked second in the Ivies on the season. He was instrumental in helping catcher Matt O'Neill attain his second consecutive All-Ivy Honorable Mention distinction, as well as overseeing 2017 Ivy League batting champion Tim Graul reign in a unanimous First-Team selection. The sixth-year assistant worked primarily with the catching corps in addition to the hitters throughout the season, and oversaw O'Neill throw out 40 percent (14-35) of attempted base-stealers.
 
In 2016, Santello helped the Quakers to an Ivy League-best .282 average and 32 home runs. He also helped both catchers capture Ivy League honors with Tim Graul winning Ivy League Player of the Year and Matt O'Neill winning Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
 
In 2015, Santello assisted in guiding Penn to a 22-15 overall record, with a 16-4 Ivy League mark. The 16 wins in league play were the most in program history. The Quakers fell to Columbia, 4-2, in a playoff game to determine the Ivy League Gehrig Division title.
 
The Quakers were ninth in the nation in slugging percentage at .494 and seventh in doubles per game. Penn also led the Ivy League in earned run average on the mound and slugging percentage at the plate, while finishing second in batting average and home runs offensively. 
 
Senior catcher Austin Bossart was named Co-Ivy League Player of the Year, the first under Yurkow, and the fifth in program history. He was also a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award recognizing the nation's best catcher. Bossart was drafted in the 14th round by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015.
 
The Quakers had five players selected First-team All-Ivy, three Second-team All-Ivy, and two named All-Ivy Honorable mention. The 10 players recognized as All-Ivy is the most in program history, breaking last seasons mark of nine players earning All-Ivy recognition.
 
In 2014, Penn finished tied atop the Ivy League Gehrig Division at the end of the regular season and faced off against Columbia, falling 4-0, in a one game playoff for the right to play in the Ivy League Championship series.
 
A program record nine players were named All-Ivy at the end of the season, with four first-team selections, two second-team selections, and three named honorable mention. Throughout the course of the spring, the Quakers earned four Ivy League Player of the Week awards, also a program record.
 
Working with hitters and catchers, Santello has helped guide a Penn offense that has scored over 200 runs the past two seasons, and in 2014 the Quakers finished ranked 21st in the nation in slugging percentage (0.419), 10th in doubles per game, and 13th in home runs per game. He's also worked with catcher Austin Bossart, who was named to the Johnny Bench Award watch list the past two seasons. 
 
Prior to Penn, Santello previously served at his alma mater, Eastern, where he spent three seasons as the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach as well.
 
A four-year standout at Eastern on the field for the Eagles, Santello earned All-PAC honors in his senior season. A three-year captain of the Eagles, Santello was consistently at or near the top of his club's offensive categories while carrying a .980 fielding percentage at second base.
 
In addition to his stint coaching at Eastern, Santello has served as Camp Director for the Last Chance Camp at Eastern University and Swarthmore College, a camp he developed. During the offseasons, he has also worked as an instructor at the Triple Crown Academy in Limerick, Pa. while guest instructing at John Cole's Baseball Camps, the Best in Virginia Camp, the Naval Academy Baseball Camp, and the Top 96 Baseball Camp.
 
A native of Pottstown, Pa., Santello graduated from Eastern in 2008 with an undergraduate degree in history and earned his Masters of Education at Eastern in December of 2012. Mike is happily married to his wife, Nicole.