HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College baseball program announces the additions of three assistant coaches to its staff.
Former Red Hawk baseball standouts Chandler Jenkins, Randal Ortiz and Ryan Gant are joining Paul Rozzelle's staff in 2019-20.
"I am over the top excited to add these guys to our staff as they look to begin their coaching careers," Rozzelle said. "These guys know what our program stands for, and all three of them are winners. It will be nice to have these guys as a resource for our players, and I'm excited to watch them begin their coaching journeys here at a program they helped create."
The first-ever National Player of the Year at Catawba Valley, Jenkins will serve as an assistant volunteer coach working specifically with outfielders and also overseeing the team on offense.
Jenkins just completed his collegiate playing career this spring at East Carolina University, where he was part of a Pirates team that made an appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals and won 47 games — the second-most victories in a single season for ECU.
"I am extremely blessed, honored and excited to be joining the CVCC coaching staff," Jenkins said. "I cannot thank coach Rozzelle enough for allowing me to begin my coaching career at a place that I called home for two years. To be able to return to my roots and have the opportunity to learn from coach Rozzelle and coach (Kris) Harvey about the ins and outs of coaching, along with helping kids develop and reach the next level, means the world to me."
A catcher and third baseman on the Red Hawks' 2015 World Series team, Ortiz will serve as an assistant volunteer coach working primarily with catchers.
"I am excited to re-join CVCC as a coach," Ortiz said. "A big thank you goes out to coach Rozzelle for the opportunity. I am ready for this challenge. I am a little nervous since it will be my first year coaching, but I am just going to use all of my experience and years of playing baseball and transfer that to the all of the players. I'm definitely ready to help the team in every way that I can, and hopefully help them reach the goal of going back to the World Series and winning a national championship."
Gant, who was a member of the 2012 World Series team at Catawba Valley, will serve as the strength and conditioning coach.
"I am super excited," Gant said. "I've been personal training clients for a while now and have been out of baseball for five years now. Coach Rozzelle posted the job opening about four or five months ago. As soon as saw it, I knew I had to jump on it. I miss the game, and I'm very excited to get back and be involved in this program."
Jenkins, Ortiz and Gant join a CVCC baseball staff that already includes associate head coach Kris Harvey, who also serves as an academic advisor, and volunteer assistant coach Connor Dailey, who will return for his second season after joining the program this past spring.