With just one day until the start of another three-game series in the MAAC, Joe Sheridan was sharpening up the Siena College Saints.

“All right, outfielders you got (individual defense) for the next 30 minutes,” Sheridan told the players. “Position players, we’ll go 10 minutes. Group up with the pitchers and then run through team (defense).”

It wasn’t that long ago when Sheridan was on the other side taking instruction as a pitcher at Central Florida and Notre Dame.

“I think the only guy I would’ve faced is Bryce Mordecki, and I think I struck him out,” said Sheridan, regarding Siena players on the roster who he faced when he was pitching.

At 25, Sheridan is the youngest Division 1 head baseball coach in the country. It’s a role given to him after a curveball amid his second season with Siena.

“I think I told him that we was lying and I thought he was kidding,” Sheridan said. “But once we got down to the nitty gritty of it, and he told me he wasn’t kidding and that I would be taking over.”

Back in March, Tony Rossi stepped down after 54 seasons as the Saints skipper. And just like that, Siena went from having longest-tenured head coach to the youngest head coach.

“Coach Rossi really prepared me for this role and gave me a lot of freedom on the coaching side and gave me a lot of responsibilities in the office. So he just did an awesome job preparing me for this,” Sheridan said.

The change has expanded Sheridan’s duties from managing the pitchers to now running practice, handling recruits and replying emails from people around campus.

“Throw it to him, it’s a force,” said Sheridan, yelling out to a player during a defensive drill.

On the one hand, being closer in age with his players has allowed him to relate to them on a personal level. However, on the other hand, Sheridan acknowledges the disadvantage in the lack of experience. But he’s been getting help and soaking it all in.

“All the coaches we’ve played so far have been super helpful talking to me,” he said. “I can reach out to them throughout the week and ask them for advice, or circle back with them after the series.”

Plus, he’s still in contact with Rossi to get his insight and share ideas with him.

“He still got that inch in him and he still loves talking about recruits and the games and the different plays that happened,” Sheridan said. “But he’s been an awesome resource.”

Sheridan is unsure what this interim role will look once this season wraps up. But he wants to stay in Loudonville and continue coaching this team.

In the meantime, he’ll continue to grind away, polishing his players every day.