Virginia Baseball Names Joe Hastings Assistant Coach
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Sept. 9, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University of Virginia head baseball coach Brian O’Connor announced another key addition to his coaching staff. O’Connor has named Joe Hastings as his volunteer assistant coach. Hastings joins current UVa assistant coaches Kevin McMullan and Karl Kuhn on the Virginia coaching staff and replaces former UVa volunteer assistant coach JJ.Brock.
“Our coaching staff and players are looking forward to having Joe Hastings join our staff,” said O’Connor. “Joe will bring a wealth of baseball knowledge to the UVa baseball program. He has had a lot of success as a player in college and professional baseball and I am excited to watch him work with our players. Joe will assist with the day to day development of our position players and will be heavily involved in administrative duties. I know Joe is looking forward to getting started with his coaching career and I am happy he is starting his career at UVa.”
Hastings comes to Virginia with playing experience at both the collegiate and professional levels. He played in the San Diego Padres organization from 2001-2004 and spent the 2003 season with the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League before finishing the year with the Mobile Baybears of the Southern League. In 2002, he set a team single-season record for most doubles in a season while playing for the Fort Wayne Wizards. Hastings was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the 24th round of the 2001 MLB Draft.
A 2001 graduate of East Carolina University, Hastings enjoyed a superb playing career at ECU from 1997-2001. At East Carolina, he played under current UVa assistant coach Kevin McMullan who was both an assistant and acting head coach on the Pirates’ staff.
“I am excited about joining the staff at UVa,” said Hastings. “Having played for Coach McMullan and getting to know Coach O’Connor, I know what they expect from our players. This is a program that is on the rise to being one of the elite in the nation. I look forward to getting to Charlottesville and beginning the journey of helping the program reach our goal of getting to Omaha and competing for a national championship.”
Hastings earned four letters with the Pirates (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001) and established himself as one of the top players in the Colonial Athletic Associations (ECU, now a member of Conference USA, was then a member of the CAA). Hastings helped guide East Carolina to three NCAA Regional appearances (1999, 2000 and 2001) and one NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2001. The Pirates were the No. 1 seed in each of the three NCAA Regional appearances it made while he was on the team.
Hastings led East Carolina in batting average (.352), RBI (60) and home runs (13) in 2000 and also recorded a team-leading 62 RBI in 2001. He ranks 10th all-time at ECU for most RBI in a career with 136 and also ranks sixth in most at bats (245), seventh in most hits (83) and runs scored (61), and ninth in RBI (60) in a single season at ECU.
Hastings was named a Third Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), chosen to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-East Region Team and was picked as a First Team All-CAA choice in 2001 while at East Carolina. In 2002, he was named a Second Team Summer League All-American by Baseball America while playing for the Staunton Braves and was also named the Valley League Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Hastings is married to the former Laura Welch of Richmond, Va.
— UVa —