John Jay College Men's Baseball

Clemente Sosa is set to embark on his second full season as head coach of the John Jay baseball program, after taking over program midway through the 2024 season, with the Bloodhounds posting a 10-8 record down the stretch, which included winning the program’s eighth CUNYAC title and first since 2007. In 2025, Sosa was named CUNYAC Baseball Coach of the Year, the fourth Bloodhound bench boss to win the award joining former head coaches Joe Mandile (2018), Dan Palumbo (2006, 2007), Lou DeMartino (1996, 1998, 1999). The Bloodhounds were pitted in a three-way tied for first in the conference standing at 8-4 and earned the No. 2 seed in the CUNYAC Baseball championships. The Bloodhounds concluded the year with 15 overall victories and ranked first in the league in doubles (71), and hits (322) while placing second in runs scored. Sosa mentored Axel Kappes III to Pitcher of the Year of the honors, as he became just the fifth Bloodhound to win the award and first since 2009. Additionally, Sosa oversaw the development of Sebastian Sanchez, who garnered Rookie of the Year honors, marking the third straight year under Sosa’s watch that a Bloodhound earned the honor – joining Jaxen Gangwish (2024) and John Spallin (2023). Coach Sosa has over 25 years of baseball experience, as he first embarked on his collegiate journey at Division I member, Iona University, while also having opportunities in his native country of the Dominican Republic. Sosa graduated with a degree from Iona in Criminal Justice and used that degree to spearhead a career, by first enlisting in the US Navy, in which he served 21 years as an Investigator with the Naval Criminal Investigative Services before joining the New York Police Department (NYPD) as a Homicide Detective, a position he dedicated to for 21 years. Sosa was a member of the New York’s Finest Baseball Club, where he was part of two United States Police and Fire Championships (2012, 2013) and four NABA NYCMBL Championship-winning teams (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011). In his final season in 2013, Sosa’s team was named Best Police/Fire team in the country. Following retirement from the force, Sosa moved to Texas and enrolled in the 8-week online Baseball GM and Management course with Sports Management Worldwide. Studying with former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Dan Evans, where he learned front office and scouting skills, Sosa accepted a position as Youth Academy Coach for the Texas Rangers organization. In early 2019, Sosa added another role to his baseball resume, serving as head coach of Forth Worth Christian School. In 2020, Sosa’s club went 5-4-1 and 3-0 in TAPPS Division 2. The following season, the team went 19-10-1 and 9-1 in District play, ranking seventh in Section Division and sixth in State Division. Coach Sosa, his wife, MJ, who is an adjunct professor at John Jay College in Anthropology and full-time lecturer and faculty coordinator of Criminal Justice at Bronx Community College, and children reside in New Jersey.  

Siddeeq Ali was named acting head coach of the John Jay baseball team on January 15, 2026 while head coach Clemenete Sosa steps away from the program during the year.  Coach Ali brings an extensive knowledge of the sport. Ali has spent several years focusing on player development through his organizations, Empty the Tank Athletics and Power Baseball NY. Through these platforms, Coach Ali has worked closely with athletes, their families, college recruiters, and collegiate coaches to understand better what it takes to help players reach their goal of competing at the collegiate level while finding the academic and athletic environment that best suits them. His 2026 graduating class has already committed five athletes to play college baseball, with the number expected to grow before the fall of 2026.   Before founding Empty The Tank Athletics, he served as the Business Development Office for the Baseball Center NYC, gathering and analyzing technical data while managing over multiple, high-volume accounts.   Additionally, Ali spent a season as the Promotions and Marketing Intern at the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Single-A minor league affiliate of the New York Mets, where he helped develop innovative marketing campaigns to drive fan engagement and boost ticket sales. During the season, he was part of the staff that received the Larry MacPhail Award, named in honor of the Hall of Famer, who was a baseball executive considered an innovator in the sport in the areas of marketing and promotion.   Ali attended the College of Mount Saint Vincent, where he was captain of the baseball team and a four-year officer of the Sports Business Club. As a member of the Dolphins, he made 53 appearances in relief while garnering four starts. He struck 66 batters in his four-year career and recorded a career-best five punchouts against Lehman back on April 18, 2017. Ali graduated with a degree in Sports Management from Mount Saint Vincent in May of 2018.