About AJ Battisto
A.J. Battisto is an accomplished pitching coach and former professional baseball player
with over a decade of experience developing elite-level pitching talent. He has coached
or recruited 17 MLB Draft Picks. Across 12 seasons at DI, he coached at three different
universities, University of New Orleans, North Carolina Central, and Georgia Southern
University. Battisto brings a winning mindset, data-driven instruction, and a deep
passion for player development.
A standout pitcher at Georgia Southern, Battisto posted an undefeated 12–0 record and
is in the top 10 in winning percentage, pickoffs, and appearances. He was drafted by the
Florida Marlins in the 30th round of the 2007 MLB Draft and went on to enjoy a seven-
year career in professional baseball, including stints at AAA with the New Orleans
Zephyrs. His minor league accolades include being named a South Atlantic League All-
Star and compiling a career 3.62 ERA with an overall record of 21-10 and nine saves.
Following his playing career, Battisto transitioned into coaching, making an immediate
impact at all three programs he coached at. In 2023, he served as Pitching Coordinator
for USA Baseball’s 13U/14U Athlete Development Program, and has since worked with
both USA NDTP and NTIS further cementing his role as a leader in national player
development.
Battisto holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Georgia Southern and a
master’s degree in Secondary Education. He was inducted into the Tri-County (PA)
Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of The National Society of Leadership and
Success, Sigma Alpha Pi. When he’s not coaching, Battisto enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandy, and their daughter, Maebry Hope.
About Justin Roberts
Justin Roberts joined Ave Maria University as the Pitching Coach in August 2025 after four seasons at Georgia Southern (Student Assistant 2021–2024; Graduate Assistant 2024–2025).
At Georgia Southern, Roberts worked closely with A.J. Battisto as his player development assistant. Together, Roberts and Battisto worked together to create detailed plans for their pitchers based on data and video. Roberts created and utilized a player development dashboard that generated Trackman reports that he used to communicate data to the pitchers. Roberts also assisted in building advanced scouting reports to help with in-game decision-making like pitch calling and attacking hitters. During their time together, the Eagles hosted the 2022 NCAA Statesboro Regional and reached the 2022 and 2024 Sun Belt Tournament championship games.
Roberts was also a data intern with Tread Athletics (Summer 2023) and served as the Pitching Coach for the Greenville Yard Gnomes (Coastal Plain League, Summer 2024).
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Roberts holds a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Georgia Southern and is currently working towards his master's degree in Sport Management.
