HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point University Athletic Director Dan Hauser announced the hiring of Joey Hammond as the head coach of High Point’s baseball program Thursday afternoon (June 17).
Hammond becomes the fourth head coach in HPU’s Division I era and the eighth skipper in program history.
“We are thrilled to announce Joey Hammond as the new baseball coach at High Point University,” Hauser said. “Joey has experienced and created success at every level of baseball. He is a coach with an extensive track record in player development. Joey has both regional and national recruiting connections that will elevate our HPU program to championship success. We welcome his wife Rebecca and three sons Caleb, Josh, and Mason to the High Point University family. This is a very exciting day for HPU baseball.”
Hammond spent the last seven seasons in the Triad as a volunteer assistant coach at Wake Forest where he worked with hitting and the outfielders. He guided 17 Demon Deacon hitters to All-ACC honors during his tenure and saw eight players recognized as All-Americans in his seven years.
“I am humbled and honored to be chosen to lead this program and be a part of the HPU community,” Hammond had to say. “I am also incredibly appreciative of President Qubein and Dan Hauser for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to execute the vision I have to lead this program.”
Hammond developed the Wake Forest offense into one of the nation’s best, culminating in a 43-20 season in 2017 where the Demon Deacons finished one game away from advancing to the College World Series. That season, Wake Forest ranked in the top 20 in the country in batting average, on base percentage, doubles, runs, runs per game, walks, hits, slugging percentage, and home runs after becoming the first Division I school in the country to hit 100 home runs in the BBCOR bat era with a nation-leading 106 homers.
Prior to joining Wake Forest, Hammond was the head coach at Westchester Country Day School here in High Point for five seasons. He led the Wildcats to the NCISAA 2A Final Four all five years and won three state championships. He compiled a 104-31-1 record at Westchester Country Day and had 14 graduates go on to play collegiate baseball.
Hammond played 11 years professionally before getting into coaching and was drafted in the 25th round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, spending eight seasons with the O’s organization and three in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. His final eight seasons of his playing career were spent at the AA and AAA levels and he played at least 100 games at each infield position and over 150 games in the outfield. Hammond ended his career with a .274 batting average with over 1,100 hits and was named to the Reading Phillies (AA) 2000s All-Decade Team.
No stranger to the Tar Heel State, Hammond earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Charlotte, where he was a shortstop on the 49ers from 1996-98. He was a two-time All-Conference USA All-Tournament Team member and was named First Team All-Conference USA in 1998 after batting .398 with 100 hits.
A native of Frederick, Maryland, he was inducted into the YMCA of Frederick County Hall of Fame in 2019. Hammond currently resides in Greensboro with his wife Rebecca and three sons, Caleb, Josh, and Mason.
What They’re Saying About Joey Hammond
“Joey Hammond and High Point University couldn’t be a better match. Joey exudes class, character, and energy. His ability to engage and inspire the student-athletes he works with is second to none. I have no doubt that he will bring the Panther baseball program to unprecedented levels of success. I am eternally grateful for everything he has done for Wake Forest baseball and very much look forward to watching him blossom as a head coach.”
– Tom Walter, Head Coach at Wake Forest
“Joey Hammond is an excellent baseball man who brings a high level of playing
experience to High Point University. Joey is a great communicator, a man of strong faith, and a fierce competitor. Joey is a winner and a tremendous hire for HPU!”
– Mike Shildt, Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals
“I am so excited for Joey to be named the High Point University head baseball coach. All of us who played for him during his time at Wake Forest know how well-deserved this opportunity is. The genuine passion he has for the game of baseball, along with his innate ability to mentor and develop young men on and off the field, make him an outstanding choice as the leader of HPU baseball. He is a tireless worker, an excellent communicator, and I am fortunate to have benefitted from Joey’s knowledge of the game. I’m looking forward to seeing the indelible impression that Joey and the Hammond Family will have on High Point University baseball.”
– Parker Dunshee, AAA player for the Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland Athletics farm system)
“Joey had a huge impact on my career and I don’t think I would be where I am now
without his guidance. His infectious energy and competitive spirit were something that I and every one of my teammates fed off of every single day. I am so excited to see the way he turns High Point into a powerhouse in college baseball, and I will continue to root for and support him through this whole journey. He is the right man for this job and I look forward to seeing the success that will follow.”
– Gavin Sheets, AAA player for the Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox farm system)
