news-record.com

GREENSBORO -- N.C. A&T has hired Joel Sanchez as its new baseball coach.

Sanchez replaces Keith Shumate, the most successfull coach in the program's history with 304 victories, who resigned in July after 15 years with the Aggies.

Austin Love, the top assistant coach under Shumate, will remain with the Aggies in the same role. When he announced his resignation, Shumate had lobbied for Love to replace him.

Sanchez comes to A&T from Daytona State College, where he was an assistant coach last season. Before that he spent two years in the Washington Nationals organization, working as a pitching coach for the Gulf Coast Nationals and the Vermont Lake Monsters of the short-season New York-Penn League.

"I'm excited about getting to work, and getting back on the field," Sanchez said in a news release. "We've got a good group of players returning, and I think we've got some new guys that will also be contributors. Coach Shumate and coach Love have done an outstanding job with putting together quality teams in the past, and I think the same of this group. I know this group is ready to compete for the MEAC championship right away. It's time to implement the plan and get to work."

Most of Sanchez's coaching experience came at the MEAC's best baseball program. He was Mervyl Melendez's top assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman from 2001-'08. The Wildcats won seven MEAC championships in those eight year -- A&T won the other -- qualifying for the NCAA tournament each year.

"Coach Sanchez has what I call ‘championship experience,’" A&T athletics director Earl Hilton said. "He spent numerous years learning what it takes to win championships on a consistent basis. We are excited about blending his winning knowhow with what we believe is already an outstanding baseball program."

Sanchez was a two-year letterman at New Mexico State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1998. He also played professionally with the Ciudad Juarez of Chihuahua, Mexico.

The Aggies finished 21-34 last year, 10-8 in the MEAC. They've reached the championship game of the MEAC tournament four of the last seven seasons.

Sanchez should start with a strong group. Last season's top two starting pitchers -- Esterlin Paulino and Nick Oelker -- were juniors. Offensively, the Aggies lost slugger Xavier Macklin, who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics. But infielder Luke Tendler (.380, 53 RBIs), second baseman Marquis Riley (.353, 4 strikeouts in 207 at-bats) and first baseman Kelvin Freeman (.335) all have eligibility remaining.