Anthony Goncalves enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Elmira College baseball program in the 2024-25 academic year. Goncalves was introduced as just the second head coach in Elmira College baseball history in June of 2021. He spent one season as an assistant coach for the Soaring Eagles in the spring of 2021 before earning the promotion.
Following his third season at the helm of the Elmira College Soaring Eagles Baseball program, Goncalves guided EC to 12 wins on the season and seven wins against Empire 8 Conference opponents. On the offensive side of the ball, the Soaring Eagles set several single-season program records, including slugging percentage (.406), on-base percentage (.404), home runs (23), and most times hit by pitch (75). On the defensive side of the ball, the Purple & Gold allowed the fewest hits for a single-season (287) and fewest walks allowed (182). Elmira also established a new single-game record after fanning 16 batters against Alfted (3/25/24).
Brett Warden '25 and Xander Canfield '26 were both named to the Empire 8 All-Conference Second Team, while Erik Charnetski '24 and Erik Berkan '27 were both named to the Empire 8 All-Conference Third Team. Warden was named to his third straight Empire 8 All-Conference squad after starting all 32 contests this season for the Soaring Eagles and extending his streak of consecutive starts for the Purple & Gold to 104 games. Canfield appeared in all 32 contests with nine appearances on the mound for Elmira as he batted .342 to go along with 27 hits, 17 RBIs, 16 runs scored, and 20 walks. Charnetski suited up in 31 games for EC and paced the team with a .385 batting average, .511 OBP, and .712 slugging percentage. He also set the program's single-season home run record after tallying seven, while also establishing new single-season marks for slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Berkan appeared in 12 contests with one start on the mound for the Purple & Gold and posted a 4.79 earned run average through 20.2 innings pitched to go along with 13 strikeouts.
Following the 2022-23 season, Goncalves would see fifth-year second baseman Jared Money '22 earn the inaugural Empire 8 Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors as he finished the season with a .983 fielding percentage and just two errors on 116 chances. As a team, the Soaring Eagles paced the Empire 8 in fewest fielding errors (35) and fielding percentage (.969) as both marks set new single-season program records. Elmira would also record the first no-hitter in program history on March 16, 2023 as seven Soaring Eagles combined to hold PSU Wilkes-Barre hit-less through nine innings in a 13-0 victory. Catcher Jourdan Plaisted '21 was named to the Empire 8 First Team, while outfielder Matteo Salvati '25 was named Empire 8 Second Team, and third baseman Brett Warden '25 Empire 8 Third Team.
In his first year, Goncalves led the Purple & Gold to a 13-24-1 overall record, the most regular season wins since the 2017 season, and the program’s first ever Empire 8 Conference Tournament victory when they defeated No.1 seed St. John Fisher College, 6-5 in game one of the semi-final round. It was just the second time ever that Elmira College baseball defeated the Cardinals and snapped a 23-game losing streak in the head-to-head series for the Soaring Eagles. Goncalves mentored multiple all-conference honorees, including David Kruis ‘23 who was voted Empire 8 First Team as a relief pitcher, while Brett Warden ‘25 was selected to the Empire 8 Second Team as a third baseman. Warden was also named conference Rookie of the Year, the first-ever in Elmira College baseball program history.
Goncalves began his coaching at his alma mater, Misericordia University, from 2011-13. Under the tutelage of renowned head coach Pete Egbert, he helped transform the Cougars into a regional powerhouse. Not only did Misericordia win three consecutive MAC Freedom championships, but the Cougars appeared in the national rankings for the first time in 2012. The following spring, they broke the program record for wins in a season with 39, a mark that still stands eight years later.
After his tenure with the Cougars, Goncalves assisted the staff at Arcadia University for two seasons. The Knights witnessed one of the biggest turnarounds in program history during those two years with Goncalves in the dugout, improving by 11 games in the win column in 2015.
As a student-athlete, Goncalves began his collegiate career at Union County College before transferring to Misericordia, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Sports Management. He received a master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2018.
