ZT NEW YORK COACHES

Jonathan Caceres

Assistant Coach

Jonathan joins us from his hometown of San Juan, PR with an abundance of experience in the game, ranging from coaching youth travel baseball to coaching and playing in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association. Jonathan holds a Coaches Certification with USA Baseball, and is a member of the Hudson Valley Amateur Baseball Umpire Association. In the spring of 2022, Jonathan was also an assistant baseball coach for the Wappingers Middle School modified team that went undefeated.

Angel L. Lugo

ZT NEW YORK - 2027 Coach

Coach Lugo, drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1988 as a shortstop, transitioned to pitching with the Marlins and Blue Jays. A three-time All-City player from Grady High School in Brooklyn, he later founded the Cadets Player Development Academy. Certified by Brent Pourciau in the Top Velocity Pitching Program, he became a leading instructor and developed several specialized programs, including the Elite Player Development Academy and Trugo16 Athletics Pitching Program, producing top local players and MLB prospects.

Mark Bonilla

ZT New York Coach

Mark, a Bronx native, graduated from St. Raymond's HS and played college baseball at Dominican University, where he earned a spot in the Athletic Hall of Fame, before finishing at Hofstra. He transitioned to coaching, developing players who have gone on to compete at professional and major college levels. Currently, he is the Director of Athletics at All Hallows HS and coaches with ZT New York in the summer, dedicated to nurturing young talent.

Franklin Mundo

ZT New York Coach

Coach Franklin is a former Division II middle infielder who brings a unique blend of energy, expertise, and enthusiasm to ZT New York. With years of experience at a high level, Franklin understands the demands of the game and knows how to help athletes develop the right approach and mentality to succeed.

What sets Franklin apart is his ability to simplify the mechanical side of hitting and fielding, making it easier for players to make adjustments and find consistency in their game. He specializes in developing a strong offensive approach, refining defensive skills, and building a mindset that breeds confidence and success.

Coach Franklin’s lighthearted energy and passion for teaching create a fun, competitive, and engaging training environment where athletes are constantly pushed to take their game to the next level. His focus is not just on skill development, but also on helping players enjoy the process, stay motivated, and embrace the challenges that come with growth.

Coach Franklin is dedicated to helping athletes compete with confidence, play with purpose, and train with a smile—because when you love the game, improvement comes naturally.

Ben Avila

ZT New York Coach

Coach Ben brings high-level catching experience to ZT New York offering elite instruction in throwing, blocking, receiving, and pitch calling. A former Division I catcher, Ben developed the skills, leadership, and knowledge necessary to excel behind the plate.

With years of experience handling elite pitching staffs and controlling the game from behind the dish, Ben understands that a great catcher is more than just a defender—it’s about commanding the field, managing pitchers, and making game-changing plays. His instruction focuses on refining mechanics, improving pop times, enhancing defensive efficiency, and mastering the mental side of pitch calling.

Coach Ben is dedicated to helping catchers reach their full potential, whether they are refining fundamentals or preparing for the next level. His hands-on, detailed coaching style ensures that every athlete receives personalized instruction, helping them become leaders on the field and difference-makers behind the plate.

Paul Robledo

ZT New York - 15U Coach

Coach Robledo is a NYC native and a graduate of Dominican University NY.  As a player, he was a two-time conference champion, team captain, all-conference selection, a Dominican University Hall of Fame inductee, and a member of the “Team of the ‘80s”.

With 3 stints as an Assistant Coach at Dominican, Paul was part of two CACC championship teams.  After Dominican, Coach Paul continued his college coaching career as an Assistant Coach under Coach Muller at the University of Mount Saint Vincent.  There Coach Paul was part of two 20-plus winning seasons, both of which resulted in playoff appearances.

In addition to ZT New York, Coach Paul serves as an instructor in the Trugo16 Athletics Hitting Program, and will be working with the Youth Development Program.

John Barone

ZT New York 14U Coach

Coach Barone is an Iona University graduate, where he was a four-year starter and two-year captain, earning MAAC All-Conference honors. After playing professionally for three years in the Frontier and Northern Leagues, he became an assistant coach at Iona, focusing on pitching and helping six players, including three pitchers, advance to professional baseball.

With nearly a decade of youth coaching experience, he has worked with the Town of Poughkeepsie Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth Baseball League and the Poughkeepsie Lightning travel team, and he serves on the league's Board of Directors.

Isidoros "Ross" Bartziokas

Assistant Coach

Originally from Middletown, NY, Ross is a graduate of Minisink Valley High School.  He attended the College of Mount Saint Vincent (CMSV) and was an integral part of the Dolphins Baseball team from 2017-2022.  He was a five-year starter as well as one of the  Team Captains for three years.   As an infielder he was selected to the Skyline's Second-Team All Conference in 2021.  

Ross currently serves as an Assistant Coach at St. Thomas Aquinas College.

Skyler Ohrvall

Assistant Coach

A native of Fishkill, Skylar graduated from nearby John Jay Senior HS before playing collegiately at SUNY Brockport, obtaining a degree in Physical Education. Skylar is currently a physical education teacher and continues to coach at the high school and travel level

Scott Scheppy

ZT New York Coach

Originally from Newburgh, NY, Scott is a graduate of Newburgh Free Academy, where he was a standout pitcher and helped lead the team to the 2021 Section 9 Class AA Championship. During his time at NFA, he set both the program’s career ERA record (1.38) and the single-season strikeout record (65).

Scott continued his playing career at the collegiate level, spending three seasons at Mercy University (NCAA Division II) and one season at SUNY New Paltz (NCAA Division III). At Mercy, he emerged as the ace of the pitching staff, taking on the program’s top starting role and consistently competing against the strongest lineups in the conference. Across his four collegiate seasons, he earned significant innings as both a starter and reliever, reaching a major career milestone with 100 collegiate strikeouts.

Scott currently serves as a baseball coach specializing in pitching development. He brings a strong background in pitching mechanics, arm-care programming, and modern player-development technology. With experience competing at both the Division II and Division III levels, he works closely with pitchers to enhance command, velocity, efficiency, and competitive mentality on the mound.