Tom Lipari Added To Spartan Baseball Staff
9/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 19, 2007
Tom Lipari, who played in the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres organizations, has been named a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Michigan State University. Spartan head coach David Grewe made the announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 19.
Lipari's primary duties will be to serve as the pitching coach for the Spartans and handle all aspects of the day-to-day development of the MSU pitching staff, both on and off the field. Coach Lipari will also serve as the director of David Grewe's Top 9 Baseball Camps, which include the Fall Prospect Camp, the Winter Pro-Scout Development Camp and all summer camps.
Prior to arriving in East Lansing, he served as the pitching coach for the St. Cloud Riverbats, the 2007 Northwoods Collegiate Summer League Champions. Lipari was also the pitching coach for Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
An Omaha, Neb., native, Lipari attended Indian Hills Junior College in Centerville, Iowa. After his first season with the Falcons, Lipari was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round of the June amateur draft. Opting not to sign, Lipari attended the University of New Orleans under head coach Randy Bush. In his two years with the Privateers, he became the only pitcher in UNO history to throw a nine inning no-hitter in a start against 19th-ranked Southern Mississippi. He also became the fourth pitcher in New Orleans history to record over 100 strikeouts in a season.
Following his two years at UNO, Lipari signed as a free agent with the San Diego Padres, spending two seasons in the Padres farm system and one year with the Houston Astros. He also played two seasons with the Sioux City Explorers in the American Association Independent Baseball League.
Lipari graduated from the University of New Orleans with a general studies degree in the spring of 2007. Lipari married the former Rebecca Blackman, a native of Omaha, Neb., in the fall of 2006.