Camp Director

     With thirteen years of collegiate coaching and professional scouting experience, Don Fontana is the owner and director of Gold Glove Baseball Camp. A native of the Washington D.C area, Fontana played his high school baseball at St. John's College HS in the District of Columbia and continued his playing career at Duquesne University (PA), lettering at catcher from 1991-94.
     Fontana began his coaching career at The Catholic University of America in 1994, coaching the Cardinal hitters and serving as First Base Coach. He assisted in the organization and administration of the summer/winter baseball camps at CUA, assisted with recruiting, and the daily administration of the program. During Fontana's tenure at Catholic, the Cardinals posted a 25-15 record which is program's best since 1980. In the summer of 1995, Fontana served as an assistant coach with the Vienna Mavericks in the Clark Griffith Summer Collegiate Baseball League.

     From 1995-1997, Fontana served as the Pitching Coach at the University of Maryland. Responsible for a 13-man Terp pitching staff, the 1996 staff set a new school strikeout record, won seven ACC games (the program's best since 1981) and featured current Cincinnati Reds LHP Eric Milton. The 1997 staff had two ACC Pitchers of the week and highlighted RHP Brandon Agammenone, a Montreal Expos draftee, and LHP Tom Curtiss, drafted by the Atlanta Braves. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Fontana assisted with recruiting and was responsible for alumni and booster club activities. In the fall of 1997 Fontana moved to Georgetown University to work with the Hoya catchers and hitters along with serving as Third Base Coach. The Hoyas 22-34 record during the 1998 season was the program's best since 1986.

     Following the 1998 season, Fontana joined the baseball staff at Niagara University, serving as the hitting and catching coach for the 1998-99 season. The 1999 season saw CF Aaron Mindel and 3B Geoff Hoover lead the MAAC conference in batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, and slugging percentage. Fontana assumed the duties of pitching and catching coach for the Purple Eagles in the fall of 1999. Niagara pitchers set three school records and improved is six statistical categories during the 2000 season. Two members, RHP Chris Begg (San Francisco Giants Organization) and RHP Aaron Mierzwa (Richmond Roosters - Frontier League)of the 2000 staff went on to professional careers.

     Fontana joined the Pittsburgh Pirates Scouting staff as an Associate Scout in the winter of 2001 and assisted Pirates Scouting Supervisor Charlie Sullivan, Coordinator of Baseball Operations John Mercurio, and Scouting Crosschecker Steve Fleming in scouting the western New York and Pennsylvania regions as well as parts of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Along with assisting with pre-draft and free-agent workouts in these areas, Fontana also worked as an instructor at Rick Lancellotti's Buffalo School of Baseball (2000-01) and the Bianco School of Baseball (2002). Currently in his fourth year as a Scout with the Milwaukee Brewers, Fontana assists northeast scouting supervisor Ed Fastaia in scouting western New York, and midwestern scouting supervisor Mike Farrell in covering eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

     Fontana holds a B.A. in Print Journalism from Duquesne University, an M.S. in Secondary Education from Niagara University, Pennsylvania and New York teaching certificates, and has begun coursework toward an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University. He has worked as a camp instructor at the Old Dominion University Invitational Camps (96-99), Princeton University/Babe Ruth Baseball Camps (96), Home Run Baseball Camp (96-05), Best in Virginia Showcase Camp (00-01) and taught 7th & 8th Grade U.S. History at the Catholic Academy of West Buffalo (2000-02).

   Presently employed as the Coordinator of Religious Education at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Fontana resides in Ross Township, PA with his wife and three children.

2008
Events Schedule

February 23
HS/Youth
Catcher’s Clinic
Cardinal O’Hara


June 23-27
9AM-3PM
Youth Camp
Our Lady of Grace


July 14-18
9AM-3PM
Youth Camp
Cardinal O’Hara

 

Sponsored by:

Official Camp Store

Milwaukee Brewers Website

Site Updated: 6/29/08