FARMVILLE, Va. – Set to enter his fifth season at the helm, head coach Ryan Mau has announced the addition of eight-year collegiate coaching veteran C.J. Rhodes to the baseball coaching staff.
Rhodes joins Longwood from Randolph-Macon College, where he was an assistant for six seasons and was named the Associate Head Coach prior to the 2018 campaign. Rhodes also spent two years at VCU as an assistant on Paul Keyes’ staff.
“We are very excited to have Coach Rhodes joining the Lancer family,” said Mau of his new assistant. “He brings with him a plan that has produced some of the nation’s leading offensive numbers over the last six seasons. He has been instrumental in the success of Randolph-Macon baseball and also has deep recruiting connections all over the state of Virginia.”
The Williamsburg, Va., native spent the last eight seasons in Richmond, Va., between his time at VCU and Randolph-Macon. During his six seasons at Randolph-Macon Rhodes was a part of 172 victories – the most in a six-year span for the program — including a program-record 38 wins for a Yellow Jackets team that advanced to the Division III College World Series.
Rhodes led all recruiting efforts at Randolph-Macon, assisting in all phases of the program, which included field instruction, strength and conditioning, academic affairs, and camps. The offense thrived under Rhodes’ guidance in 2018 as Randolph-Macon led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in runs scored (438), hits (547), home runs (54), RBI (380), walks drawn (253), slugging percentage (.491), and team OPS (.912).
Several Randolph-Macon players thrived in 2018 under Rhodes’ guidance as seven players were selected to the VaSID College Division first team, including All-American pitcher Colin Selby, who was drafted in the 16th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In Rhodes’ first year as associate head coach the 2018 campaign for Randolph-Macon saw a huge jump in power, while sustaining consistent offense. The squad crushed 54 home runs, 29 more than the previous season and 24 more than the next closest team in the ODAC, while also improving a .318 team average to .323 in 2018. Seven players who appeared in at least half of the team’s games hit better than .300 and six players hit five or more home runs, led by Joseph Tuzzolo’s 11 home runs and .374 average as the senior posted a 1.104 OPS under Rhodes’ tutelage.
In his two seasons at VCU Rhodes primarily focused on coaching the team’s hitters and catchers, while also assisting with daily administrative duties. While at VCU Rhodes mentored second baseman Vimael Machin, who is currently in Double-A in the Chicago Cubs system.
A native of Williamsburg, Va., Rhodes played four seasons at Division III Virginia Wesleyan College, where he was an all-conference, all-region, and all-state performer, hitting .331 with 48 doubles, 14 home runs, and 125 RBI in 152 career games. Rhodes was as reliable as they came behind the plate and at the dish as he was the first team all-conference catcher in 2009 and was second team All-South Region after leading his team with a .383 average and .453 on-base percentage. As a junior Rhodes earned second team all-ODAC honors and honorable mention All-South Region accolades by maintaining a .367 average with 23 extra-base hits. Rhodes earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan in 2009.
