Marietta College Athletics

Jay Coakley, a four-year letterman as a catcher, played baseball for the Etta Express from 1999-2002. During his career at Marietta, the Pioneers captured four Ohio Athletic Conference championships, made four trips to the NCAA Mideast Regional winning three times, and placed fifth in the Division III World Series in 1999 and were national runners-up in 2001 and 2002. Coakley had one of the greatest three-year stretches in program history earning first team All-OAC, All-Mideast Region and All-American honors in 2000, 2001 and 2002. He was named the OAC Jack Rafeld Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 as well as the National Defensive Player of the Year and the National Position Player of the Year in 2001. He served as a team captain in 2002 and shared the Way-Weigelt Award that year with fellow inductee Jesse DuPerow. Coakley still holds numerous school records including the career marks for batting average (.436), home runs (58), runs batted in (265) and total bases (497).

Coakley, who graduated with a degree in allied health, went on to become a registered nurse and is currently employed at Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark, Ohio. After finishing his career in the pinstripes, Coakley signed professionally with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League and played for three seasons. He finished with a career batting average of .286 and his 16 home runs in 2003 were third best in the league. Coakley lives in Newark and is engaged to Stephanie Hundley.