Gianna De Cesare was a 4-year starting pitcher and infielder on JV and Varsity for the CHSAA powerhouse Moore Catholic High School in Staten Island from 2008-2012. She was elected team captain and won the MVP for three consecutive years (2010, 2011, and 2012). The team captured city and state recognition in 2010, winning the CHSAA city championship, and was the 2012 runner-up in the state championships in 2012.
She played travel softball for the Staten Island Panthers and the Staten Island Saints throughout her adolescence and high school years. In her post-collegiate career, she continues to play in multiple sandlot leagues in Staten Island, as well as WFSA-New York. In 2018, she was playing for the women’s fast pitch organization, the HAVOC! She was heavily recruited for college in her junior year of high school. She committed to begin her collegiate softball career in September of 2012 at Kean University in New Jersey. She was a member of the Kean University Regional NJAC championship conference team. She concluded her collegiate career at the College of Staten Island (CSI) under head coach Stella Porto from 2015-2017. As a starting infielder, she was a part of the City University of New York (CUNY) Championship team 3 years in a row, each year earning a spot in the NCAA Division III regionals and semi-regionals. In her senior, she incurred a knee injury that tabled her for the remainder of her senior year.
Her first coaching experience began during her college playing years as a coach for Westerleigh Little League in Staten Island, NY. From 2014-2016, she was the Assistant Head Coach and Head Pitching Coach for New Dorp High School in Staten Island, NY. She also volunteered to coach at The College of Staten Island from 2017-2018.
In 2017, she was selected to be the Head JV Coach for Xaverian. During the first year, she helped rebuild and restructure the program through player development and conditioning. In 2019, the team won the CHSAA Annual Easter Tournament in Queens, NY. In 2019, the team was the runners-up in the CHSAA championship. In 2021, the team won the Joan A. Walsh Memorial Softball Tournament Championship and placed second place in the CHSAA and in 2022, they placed third. We are looking to come out on top for the year of 2024.
De Cesare’s passion and love for the game has never stopped; it continues to grow every day.
“Anything is possible for the person who refuses to give up. One day this won’t be your life anymore, and when that day comes, make sure you wouldn’t change a thing.” - Coach G
