Chris Rodriguez joins the Monarchs coaching staff this year after serving as an assistant coach at Lander University since 1997. He also served as the Head JV coach. Rodriguez will be the outfield, base running, hitting and third base coach for the Monarchs.
Prior to his stint at Lander, Rodriguez was the head coach with the Southern Maryland Battlecats in the Clark Griffith Summer League. During his three years at Lander, the school achieved national rankings of 20th among NCAA Division II schools in 1998 and 14th in 1999. The team recorded the second highest team batting average in the Peach Belt Athletic Conference of .324 in 1999.
Rodriguez was a standout performer at Appalachian State University. As a senior in 1996, the switch hitter was the second leading hitter on the team at .342 with 40 runs batted in and four home runs. He was 11th in the Southern Conference in hitting and earned first team All-Southern Conference honors. As a junior, Rodriguez ranked fourth in the Southern in bases on balls with 38.
Rodriguez is a 1996 graduate of Appalachian State University with a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice/Political Science. After college, Rodriguez played in the Cleveland Indians Organization in 1997-98.