FAITH, EDUCATION, TRADITION

ST. MARY'S PREPARATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nick Di Ponio (P’98) – New Head Baseball Coach

We’re so excited to welcome back Nick Di Ponio as St. Mary’s Preparatory Head Baseball Coach! The Prep Class of 1998 graduate helped lead the varsity baseball team to its first MHSAA state championship (1998) in school history. During his senior year, he was named to the All-State Dream Team and USA Today All-American honorable mention. “I played freshman and JV basketball, plus JV baseball in 9^th grade,” said Di Ponio, “and Varsity Coach John Willis asked my dad, Ben, if he’d be interested in the JV head coaching job. After I was asked to step into a few varsity games, I was moved up, and during my sophomore year, my dad moved into the varsity assistant coach position. I earned the privilege of being a two-year team captain my junior and senior years at OLSM.”

Di Ponio continued his baseball career at Oakland University where he finished with a career .339 batting average, and currently ranks in the top ten all-time in several offensive categories. During his college years, he pursued his degree in business and finance and met his wife, Lisa, who was pursuing a secondary education degree before going on to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching and Teaching English as a Second Language in subsequent years.

Following his collegiate career, he played overseas in the Italian Professional Baseball League for four seasons. In 2002, he was a member of the San Marino Baseball Club competing in the European Cup in Barcelona, Spain.

Nick and Lisa married in 2004. From 2005-2010, he served as OLSM’s varsity baseball head coach, bringing dad, Ben, back as an assistant coach along with 1984 World Series Championship team member Dan Petry as another assistant coach. “During these six years, I brought in several other assistant coaches, including OLSM alumnus Joe Zacharzewski, and former Oakland University teammates Tony Marulli and Dominic Carmosino.” Di Ponio helped lead the team to six district titles, three regional titles, and state runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2009. Several of his former players went on to college and professional baseball.

As their family grew, Di Ponio knew he had to move on with his family’s needs and career demands in his real estate, property management and building business while wife, Lisa, worked full-time teaching high school students in the Farmington Public Schools.

“In 2017, an opportunity arose to purchase an old driving range,” adds Di Ponio. “It gave us a blank slate – a place to build an athletic complex.” Today, Coach Di Ponio owns and operates the Huron Valley Athletic Complex (HVAC) in Milford, Michigan, as well as owning and operating the West Oakland Wings (WOW) amateur baseball and softball program, with 18 current travel teams from 8U-18U. He and Lisa have three children: Gaetano “Guy” (16) -- a sophomore at St. Mary’s Prep, Cecilia (13), and Angelo (11).

“For me, to really understand what it is to be a St. Mary’s student, you must experience it,” he adds. “Going through your formative years in high school, finding yourself, your faith, and the people you’ll share these memories with for the rest of your life, and finding out what that means to you and others are gifts OLSM gave me. Sports taught me many life lessons, but the Prep taught me how to take these values out into the world.”

Coach Di Ponio is so excited about returning to OLSM. “The students are thriving! The Girls Division is building on its legacy and drawing from the values and traditions of what has meant so much to the Boys Division. My family and I will be a part of the St. Mary’s family for years to come. I’m happy to be back! St. Mary’s Prep’s future depends on our students. You are the legacy that is growing our 139-year history.”