Zack Zulli's first season as a member of the Southeastern Louisiana baseball staff coincided with the Lions' return to NCAA Regional play for the first time in 20 years. He instructs the infielders, assists with the hitters and serves as the Lions' recruiting coordinator.
Southeastern finished the 2014 season with a 38-25 record, winning the Southland Conference Tournament to advance to NCAA Regional play and knocking off Bryant University, 2-1, for the school's first NCAA postseason victory since 1992. Along the way, the Lions produced the top hitter in the conference, arguably the top pitcher and the conference's newcomer of the year.
Jameson Fisher led the Southland with a .389 batting average, .481 on-base percentage and 93 hits. His 17 doubles fell one shy of the conference lead and he was fourth in runs scored (53). The sophomore from Zachary, Louisiana (Zachary H.S.), was equally impressive in Southland competition, posting a .396 batting average and .478 on-base percentage. Nationally, Fisher was 15th in batting average and 12th in hits.
Andrew Godbold hit .349 with 10 doubles, nine home runs and a conference-leading 58 RBI. Named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, Godbold was also a first team selection on the All-Louisiana squad and an ABCA All-Region selection. He finished 16th nationally in RBI.
Coming on strong down the stretch, the 2014 Lions finished the season as the top hitting team in the Southland – compiling a conference-best .292 batting average, 356 runs scored, 616 hits, .385 on-base percentage, 101 HBPs, 32 sacrifice flies and 78 stolen bases.
Southeastern ranked among the best in the nation in batting average (35th), runs scored (34th), hits (20th), HBPs (9th), on-base percentage (17th) and sac flies (23rd).
Zulli spent 2013 as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Mississippi Delta Community College. In his lone season at Mississippi Delta, the Trojans finished third in the MACJC North Division, earning a playoff spot, and compiled the school's best record (24-21) in 10 years. He also served as an associate scout for the Toronto Blue Jays (2011-13).
Prior to Mississippi Delta, Zulli spent three seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Pearl River CC. Responsible for hitters, infielders, field maintenance, camp coordination as well as strength and conditioning, the Wildcat offense thrived under Zulli's tutelage. In his first stint at the school (2008), Pearl River set school records for doubles, home runs, RBIs and stolen bases. Fielding percentage also improved from .910 to .960 while more than 30 players moved on to four-year universities.
Between stops at Pearl River, Zulli spent the 2010 season at West Alabama (NCAA Division II) where he was responsible for the hitters, infielders, recruiting and field maintenance. The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 15 in the country and finished with a 26-17 record while turning the sixth-most double plays per game in the nation.
In 2009, Zulli led Morgan City's Central Catholic HS to the LHSAA playoffs in his only season as head coach. In between Central Catholic and a two-year stint as an assistant at Saint Stanislaus HS, he coached the Bama Bombers Select Team. Zulli has also worked camps at Auburn, Louisiana-Monroe, Memphis, Nicholls State, Pearl River, South Alabama, Southeastern, Southern Miss, Troy and West Alabama.
A graduate of Hancock HS in Kiln, Miss., the Gulf Coast native played baseball at Middle Georgia College (2002-03) where he was a second baseman for the No. 5-ranked team in the nation. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science, with a concentration in Advertising, from Tulane (2008) and a Masters of Arts in Physical Education from West Alabama (2011).
Zulli is married to the former Danielle Phillips of Savannah, Tenn. The couple, who reside in Hammond, welcomed newborn daughter Chloe to Lion Nation in November 2013.
