University of North Carolina - Wilmington Men's Baseball

Hood has made an impact since he first stepped foot on the UNCW campus in 2001 and he continues to keep the Seahawks among the national leaders offensively as he enters his 15th season with the program in 2015-16. The Seahawks captured their fourth conference tournament title and advanced to their seventh NCAA regional appearance. Hood, who runs the UNCW offense and serves as the programs recruiting coordinator, fashioned a UNCW offense that ranked in the nations top-20 in four categories, including batting average (.303, 13th), scoring (seven runs per game, 16th), runs (412, 20th) and hits (627, 17th). The Seahawk lineup boasted eight players who hit above .280 and three players ranked in the Colonial Athletic Conferences top-10 in batting average. UNCW landed six offensive players on the All-CAA squads, including first-team selections Steven Linkous and Zach Shields. The duo powered the potent Seahawk offense, combining to score 106 runs and steal 47 bases. Shields was one of five Seahawks to be selected in the 2015 MLB draft when he went in the 10th round to Cincinnati. While UNCW had five selected in the draft, two signed players also heard their names called and chose to sign. Eric Jenkins was picked in the second round with the 45th pick overall by Texas and Joe Peeler was selected by Seattle in the 25th round. Corey Dick won the Seahawks Triple Crown in 2014, leading the team in batting average (.315), home runs (six) and runs batted in (39). Casey Golden excelled in his first season with the club, hitting .269 with 19 extra base hits and nine stolen bases. Golden participated in workouts with Team USA during the summer of 2014.   All-America infielder Michael Bass thrived as a senior in 2013, ranking among the nations leaders in seven offensive categories including batting average (.380, 29th), on base average (.479, 21st) and runs scored (62, 10th).   The Seahawks featured two first-team All-CAA players in Bass and third baseman Ryan LaGrange. LaGrange was a finalist for the Gregg Olsen Award, which goes to the breakout player of the year. LaGrange hit .370 with 14 doubles and five home runs, all career highs. He also scored 41 runs and knocked in 38.   UNCW had two players selected in the 2013 MLB draft with pitcher Justin Livengood going to the Padres in the 10th round and Bass also being taken by San Diego in the 27th round.      UNCW continued to be an offensive leader in the CAA, and nationally in 2012, Hoods 11th season with the program. The Seahawks ranked in the nations top-30 in eight categories, including batting average (22nd), runs (27th), hits (12th), doubles (23rd), home runs (11th) and stolen bases (12th).   The 2012 Seahawks also proved to be one of the programs top offensive clubs in the programs history as they ranked fourth all-time in hits, fifth in batting average and total bases, seventh in home runs and eighth in doubles. With 105 stolen bases, the Seahawks passed the 100-mark for the first time since 2006. UNCW was successful in 78.4% of its attempts, also ranking in UNCWs top-10 all-time. Andrew Cain, who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 24th round, and Michael Bass led the way with 23 and 20 stolen bases, respectively, while UNCW had five players steal at least 10 bases in 2012.   Cain, along with Thomas Pope and Tyler McSwain were named first-team All-CAA. For Pope, who finished with a team-leading .372 batting average, it was the second time he was named first-team. UNCWs entire infield of Matt Campbell, Jake Koenig, Bass and Hunter Ridge comprised the leagues second-team infield.   In 2011, the Seahawks ranked among the national leaders in batting average and doubles and narrowly missed stealing 100 bases for the first time since 2006. Cain, a second-team All-CAA selection, was picked by Milwaukee in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball draft after a breakout year, but chose to return to UNCW for his senior season.   Pope became the first Seahawk since the 1989 season to lead the CAA in hitting when he compiled a .396 average and was named ABCA All-East first-team. Joining Pope on the all-region teams were second-team honorees, Matt Campbell, Hunter Ridge and Cain.   In 2010, Hood helped the Seahawks back to the finals of the CAA tournament for the second straight year and saw five more Seahawks go on to play professional baseball. During Hoods stretch with the Seahawks, over 30 players have gone on to play professionally. Robbie Monday, currently an assistant with the Seahawks,  flourished under the direction of Hood as he became the first Seahawk since Bryan Britt in 1996 to outright lead the CAA in homers with 20. Monday also concluded his two-year career with the Seahawks as the programs all-time leader in slugging percentage.   Also finding success at the plate in 2010 were freshmen Hunter Ridge and Michael Bass. Both were named to the CAA All-Rookie squad with Ridge also earning third-team all-conference honors. Ridge continued to parlay his team-leading .348 batting average into a pair of Freshman All-America honors. He also set a school record for hits by a freshman with 77.   In the summer of 2008, Hood was elevated to the position of Associate Head Coach after wrapping up in his seventh season with the Seahawks. He coordinates the Seahawks recruiting, as well as oversees the hitters and outfielders. During his tenure, UNCW has made four NCAA tournament appearances, won four regular season Colonial Athletic Association titles and two CAA tournament titles.   In 2008, the Seahawk lineup slammed its way to a school-record 44 wins and a school-record 91 homers. UNCW broke five single-season records as four positional players earned All-Colonial honors and Mark Carver was named CAA Player-of-the-Year while also earning three All-America honors. Jason Appel, Daniel Hargrave and Carver were selected in the Major League Baseball draft, bringing the total of players drafted or signed as free agents during Hoods tenure to 25. UNCW was ranked in the top 50 nationally in 12 offensive categories, including home runs, on base average and slugging percentage. The Seahawks finished 19th in scoring, 14th in runs scored and 14th in home runs.   In 2007, the Seahawks were nationally ranked in the top 50 in doubles with 142 and had three players rank nationally in that category.   In 2006, UNCW continued its offensive prowess, leading the nation in scoring for nearly a month. The Seahawks tied or set eight offensive standards, finished fifth in scoring (8.8 runs per game) and in the top 10 in doubles per game and slugging percentage.   In 2005, UNCW set new school standards in six offensive categories, including batting average, runs and runs batted in. Tim Preston became the first Seahawk since 1982 to hit above .400 (.406) as well as setting school/conference records with 102 hits. The Seahawks finished seventh nationally in runs scored (8.4 per game) and hit .323 as a team to rank 11th. UNCWs then school-record 140 doubles checked in at 13th nationally and its .487 slugging percentage was 23rd.   In addition to Preston, several Seahawks have enjoyed breakout seasons under Hoods guidance. Preston and John Raynor were ranked, 21st and 33rd respectively, among the national leaders in batting average. Matt Poulk broke the UNCW mark with 73 RBI as well as the doubles mark with 24 two-baggers.   The 2004 season for the Seahawks was again one of tremendous offensive production as they almost equaled their record-setting output from the prior season en route to their second consecutive 40-win season. Seven Seahawks hit .310 or better as five school records were broken or tied. Chip Grawey became the first Seahawk to collect 101 hits and broke the conference record of 100. The 2004 Seahawks topped the CAA in conference play with a .317 batting average and 45 stolen bases.   In 2003, the Seahawks doubled their home run total, posted their highest slugging percentage since 1999 and enjoyed their highest batting average since 1997.   Hood played at Campbell from 1987-90 and led the Camels to their first NCAA Regional appearance in his senior season. In his final campaign, Hood paced the Big South Conference in batting (.366) and finished second in stolen bases with a school-record 26 thefts. In his playing career, the Goldsboro native compiled a .320 batting average with 209 hits, 35 doubles, 14 home runs, 86 RBI and set 13 school records. He was an All-Big South choice in 1989 and an All-Big South Tournament selection in 1990.   Following graduation, Hood played five full seasons of professional baseball. His pro highlights include a Single-A championship with the Helena (Mont.) Brewers in 1990 and a Double-A crown with the 1993 Birmingham (Ala.) Barons in the White Sox chain.   Hood batted .315 with Helena in 1990 and was the July Player of the Month for the Barons in 1994. After spending spring training with the California Angels in 1995, Hood turned his attention from playing to coaching.   Hood, who graduated as a sports fitness/administration major, was a teammate of NBA great Michael Jordan at Birmingham in 1994.   He also has administrative and coaching experience as CUs director of athletics operations and strength coach (1994-95).      Hood earned his M.Ed. in exercise science at Campbell in 1999. The 46-year-old Hood and his wife, Patricia, reside in Wilmington with their daughter, Mackenzie Elise (15).