By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The reigning Ohio Valley Conference champion Tennessee Tech baseball has rounded out its coaching staff as head coach Matt Bragga has announced the additions of Mitchell Wright and Jimmy Redovian for the 2018 season and beyond.
Wright joins the Golden Eagle staff as an assistant coach after serving as a student and then volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for the past two and a half years.
"We had a huge pool of applicants, but Mitchell just stood above the rest as the best fit for Tennessee Tech baseball," Bragga said. "During his interview process, I just knew more and more that he was the choice to serve as our next assistant coach. He will be a strong addition to our staff with his knowledge and background in pitching, as well as his attitude and energy level. He's a perfect complement for what I think we need to take that next step as a program and I'm elated to have him on staff."
For Wright, it wasn't a difficult decision to continue his young coaching career in Cookeville.
"Good coaches and the history of the program; that's what drew me to Tennessee Tech," Wright said. "Coach Bragga is awesome and [Assistant] Coach [Justin] Holmes is an A-plus guy. The fact that this program continues to win and get better and better and better; it was just an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
"I'm hoping to add a little bit of youth and a passion for pitching," Wright added. "I think just the manner of going about business in a different way and provide a little bit of a different perspective in the pitching aspect of the game are things that I can offer the best for this program."
While in Huntsville, Wright served as a student coach for the 2016 season and then as a volunteer assistant for the 2017 season. He also served as an athletic administration assistant for UAH during his three years as the university, covering an array of responsibilities with game management and staff coordination.
Wright was a member of the Chargers' baseball team as a left-handed pitcher from 2014-15, completing his senior season with All-Gulf South Conference Honorable Mention honors. He struck out 60 batters in just over 50 innings of work on the mound, highlighted with a career-high 10 punchouts at North Alabama.
Prior to his arrival at UAH, Wright played for one season at the University of West Alabama in 2012, eventually transferring to Calhoun Community College for the 2013 season. In 2013, he earned ACCC North Division First Team honors.
A left-handed pitcher for four years, Wright comes from a family of baseball players and coaches. His father, Roger, served as the head baseball coach at Buckhorn High School in New Market, Ala. for 17 years before stepping down in 2014 to watch his sons play. A 2016 inductee into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame, he returned to Buckhorn as a head coach in March of 2017.
The Huntsville, Ala. native also has two younger brothers immersed in the baseball world. His middle brother, Kyle, was a star for Vanderbilt from 2015-17 and was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. His youngest brother, Trey, is set return to Buckhorn High School for his sophomore season and play for their father, Roger.
Wright graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in December 2016, earning degrees in both history and secondary education.
Redovian joins the Golden Eagle staff as a volunteer assistant after serving as an assistant coach and JV coach at Florida Southern during the 2017 season.
"Just speaking with Jimmy for a few minutes was enough to convince me we had to bring him in," Bragga explained. "He is such a high-energy guy who has experience in the sport from the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) to a Division II national powerhouse. He is going to be a perfect fit to our staff from a philosophical level and will be a huge boon to our operations as well. I'm thrilled to bring him aboard and round out an outstanding staff."
Two key factors made the decision a win-win and no-brainer for Redovian.
"Program tradition," he said. "Tech baseball has been outstanding the last 10-14 years, essentially since Coach Bragga has been here. Also, I was down in Florida coaching and I wanted to move a little closer to home. It's good to be home and part of a very good program at the Division I level.
"I'm hoping to just bring a bunch of energy," Redovian explained. "I know Coach Bragga is a very energetic and enthusiastic guy, and that breeds right into how I was raised in the game and in the coaching world. I'm excited to join and bring that energy and sense of attitude. I'm pumped to join a winning staff that's full of great guys and a team that has a ton of great players."
Redovian joined the Florida Southern College staff in the fall of 2016 following a four-year collegiate baseball career that began at Wake Forest University and ended at the University of West Florida.
The Nashville native helped lead West Florida to the 2016 NCAA Division II South Regional in Tampa, Fla., batting .312 with three homers and 27 RBI as the team's primary designated hitter. During the 2016 NCAA postseason, Redovian batted .407 with six runs batted in and a team-best .448 on-base percentage.
In two seasons with the Argonauts, Redovian played in 93 games with 89 games at third base, shortstop, and as the DH, and compiled a .282 batting average with four home runs, 46 runs batted in and a .380 on-base percentage.
Prior to joining West Florida's baseball program, Redovian played two years in the ACC for Wake Forest University and showed his versatility as a defender having started 25 games with a combined 40 appearances at second base, shortstop and third base. As a Demon Deacon he had two home runs and 10 RBI's over his two seasons.
Redovian attended high school at Battle Ground Academy from 2009-2012, where he played for highly-acclaimed head coach, Brad Myers, and was both an all-region baseball and football player. In 2012, he was named to the All Mid-State team after helping lead BGA to the school's first ever baseball state championship. Redovian signed with Wake Forest while a junior in high school. He also played summer baseball with the acclaimed Middle TN Outlaws, returning as an assistant coach for the 16U team during the summers of 2015 and 2016.
He graduated from the University of West Florida in the spring of 2016 with a bachelor's degree in sports management.
