FIELD MANAGER
Noto has guided the Rafters on the field as the team’s skipper since the 2015 season, accumulating a 134-78 regular season record and .632 winning percentage during his three years at the helm.
The 2017 season saw the Rafters tie or break 35 team and league records en route to a Northwoods League record 52 regular season wins, finishing with a 52-20 record. Noto’s team also won both the First and Second Half South Division titles for a second consecutive season. The Rafters finished the 2016 season with 49 regular season wins and went a perfect 4-0 during the playoffs. Noto guided the team to winning both the South Division First and
CRAIG NOTO
Noto is currently an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Wagner College, in Staten Island, New York. Prior to Wagner, he spent nine seasons as the Head Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator and Pitching Coach at LIU-Brooklyn. While at LIU Coach Noto recruited and coached five different players that have gone off to various levels of Professional Baseball, including the first Big League player in LIU history, James Jones of the Texas Rangers. He has also coached 14 NEC All-Conference selections, two NEC Players of the Year and a Rawlings Gold Glove Winner.
Coach Noto was an All-City player at St. Peters Boys HS and then went on to play for legendary New York City coach Louie De Martino at John Jay College. He was an all CUNY and ECAC Selection as a middle infielder for the Bloodhounds. Noto, who resides in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, NY, is a member of the American Baseball Coaches’ Association (ABCA) and also a member of the NYC MLB Scouts Association. He recently served as the Vice President of the Brooklyn Baseball Association from 2014-2016 where he oversaw all baseball operations for over 300 youth baseball and softball players from Brooklyn & Queens.
Second Half, culminating with the Rafters first Northwoods League Championship. Under his leadership, he and his coaching staff led the Rafters to tie or break 21 club records during the 2016 regular season, including posting a scoring average of 5.7 runs per game. The pitching staff posted an ERA of 3.41 while allowing the fewest walks and hits per innings pitched in the entire Northwoods League (1.29 WHIP). The team also posted a collective batting average of .369 during postseason play. In his tenure as Rafters’ Manager, Noto has seen 12 of his players become Northwoods League All-Stars, five Rawlings “Finest in the Field” Gold Glove winners, and has helped develop 20 players that have gone on to play professional baseball. Including postseason play, Noto holds a career record of 139-79 (.638 winning percentage) in his first three seasons.