ITHACA, N.Y. -- John Toppa, who served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Big Red during the 2022 season, will take over as a full-time assistant coach it was announced today by Dan Pepicelli, the Ted Thoren Head Coach of Cornell Baseball.

"I could not be more grateful for the opportunity that Coach Pepicelli has given me at Cornell," Toppa said. "Being able to represent a world-class institution and be surrounded by so many exceptional student-athletes on a daily basis is something that I take a lot of pride in, and I cannot wait to begin working towards bringing the Ivy League baseball championship back to Ithaca."

The Big Red had a pair of 2022 returners garner All-Ivy honors as the Big Red finished 11-25 in its final season on Hoy Field. Rising sophomore Max Jensen and junior outfielder Sam Kaplan both were second-team picks after pacing the offense. Jensen ranked in the top 20 nationally in doubles per game and ranked in the top 10 in the Ivy League in batting average and doubles. Kaplan paced the Ancient Eight in slugging percentage in league games and his six home runs ranked fourth. 

A two-year captain at UConn, Toppa played in three NCAA Tournaments and appeared in 222 games with 211 starts as a Husky. He graduated sixth in program history in hits (237) and earned NCAA All-Oklahoma City Regional team honors as a senior after capping his final season with a career-high .326 average with career highs in runs (50), hits (76), doubles (14), home runs (4), RBI (35), walks (41), stolen bases (15), on-base percentage (.433) and slugging percentage (.438) en route to second-teal All-American Athletic Conference accolades. He earned a spot on the AAC All-Tournament team as a freshman in 2016. Toppa played for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League during the summer of 2017 and earned CCBL All-Star honors.

Toppa graduated from UConn in 2019 with a degree in Political Science and Economics. He then spent two years as an Investment Sales Associate at Ariel Property Advisors in New York City, before returning to the diamond as a coach for the Big Red.