NEWARK, N.Y. – Former Newark Pilot and two-time Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) All-Star Justin D’Amato has begun the next phase of his baseball career.

D’Amato, a standout pitcher during his four years at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., has been named an assistant pitching coach at Finger Lakes Community College and the greater Rochester area regional director for Prep Baseball Report.

According to D’Amato, who had hopes of playing professionally after graduation, accepting his first coaching job was bittersweet.

“I definitely miss playing but coaching keeps me in the game,” he said. “Sharing my knowledge with the players and relating to them is why I enjoy it.”

Prep Baseball Report, or PBR, is an independent scouting service. According to its website, PBR’s mission is to “promote high school baseball and, ultimately, help prep athletes achieve their dreams of playing baseball at the next level.” As a regional director, D’Amato helps organize various combines, clinics, showcases and tournaments throughout the greater Rochester area.

The Pilots will host a portion of PBR’s New York Games at Colburn Park in July of 2015.

“I wanted to get back into high school baseball for a couple of reasons,” D’Amato said. “It helps me for recruiting at FLCC and because I never had anything like this to help me when I was in high school. It allows me to give back to Rochester area players by getting them noticed.”

The southpaw hurler graduated as one of the best pitchers in NCAA Division III history. His 36 wins are tied for the ninth most all-time in and his 329 strikeouts allowed him to pass seven-time MLB All-Star Billy Wagner for 19th all-time. D’Amato earned D3Baseball.com All-American honors three times, American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-American Second Team honors in 2012, and was named to the 2013 D3baseball.com Preseason All-America First Team. He is the all-time leader in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched (276.2), ERA (2.11) and games started (46) at St. John Fisher.