Xavier hires Cataldo as new baseball coach

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Xavier announced Wednesday the hiring of Bob Cataldo as its new varsity baseball coach.

Cataldo replaces Dave Schemmel, who stepped down from the position in August. Schemmel won 431 games as the school's first baseball coach, including a state championship in 2006.

Caltado has served as a volunteer assistant coach for Xavier, as well as the school's Booster Club president. He has assistant coaching experience at West Des Moines Dowling, where he was a standout athlete.

Cataldo played baseball and football at Notre Dame.

'I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve as head baseball coach at Xavier High School, and am excited to begin my duties and build relationships with our outstanding student-athletes and their families,” Cataldo said in a release from the school. 'I sincerely thank Coach Dave Schemmel and Coach Jim Arp for their years of leadership in creating a baseball program with high expectations and a rich tradition. I look forward to continuing that success and building upon the foundation they created.”

'We are excited to welcome Coach Cataldo to our baseball program,” said Xavier High School principal, Tom Keating. 'His energy, passion and commitment to Catholic education are qualities that will serve him well as he leads our program. The experience he brings as a Division I athlete and a coach in a very successful program will allow him to challenge our student-athletes to perform at a very high level and to represent Xavier in a first-class manner.”