North Carolina State University Athletics
Brian Ward Joins Baseball Coaching Staff
10/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. Brian Ward, one of the best hitters in NC State history, has joined the NC State baseball coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach..
“Everyone who knows me knows that Brian Ward was one of my favorite players ever,” Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent said. “He was a tremendous player, a great hitter, and one of the smartest and hardest-working players I’ve ever been around. It’s that intelligence, his work ethic and his understanding of the game that will make him an outstanding coach. He’s worked camps for us ever since he was a player here, and he’s a natural at relating to young players and teaching the game. You always look for the right fit when you hire a coach, and Brian Ward is a perfect fit for our staff.”
Ward came to NC State as a player following two all-star seasons at Brevard Community College in Orlando, Fla. At Brevard, Ward won back-to-back Florida juco batting championships, hitting .434 with 10 homers and 45 RBIs as a freshman in 1996, and .471 with 12 doubles, three triples, four homers and 45 RBIs as a sophomore in 1997. He was conference player of the year and first-team all-state both years.
The move to the ACC didn’t prove too difficult for Ward, who batted .393 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs as a junior in 1998 to earn second-team all-conference honors. He set school records that year with 31 doubles and 105 base hits. A year later, he batted .367 with 18 doubles, 16 home runs and 73 RBIs, leading the ’99 Wolfpack in homers and RBIs. He left NC State as the school’s career leader in batting average with a .380 mark, which has since been eclipsed by Aaron Bates, who batted .387 in 2005-06.
The San Diego Padres selected Ward in the 12th round of the 1999 MLB June draft, and he went on to a seven-year career in professional baseball. He played two years in the San Diego organization and one for the Minnesota Twins, advancing as far as the advanced Class A Florida State League in 2001. He was named second baseman for the Pioneer League All-Star team in 1999 after batting .317 with 23 doubles, seven home runs and 60 RBIs in 68 games at Idaho Falls. Following the ’01 season, Ward spent four seasons playing in the independent Northern League and had his best professional season in 2003, hitting .305 with 27 doubles, 11 home runs and 64 RBIs in 83 games for Fargo-Moorhead and earning a spot on the league’s All-Star team.
Ward’s hiring concludes a shuffling of the Wolfpack coaching staff. Associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Tom Holliday now assumes the role of pitching coach, a job left vacant when Chris Roberts left the staff in June. Former volunteer coach Chris Hart, hired to a full-time position in August, is the new batting instructor and will work with the infielders and catchers. Ward will assist Hart with the hitters and infielders, and will be the Wolfpack’s baserunning coach.
Ward played on two USA Baseball tournament teams that played in Mexico and Cuba in 2003 and 2004.
The 30-year-old Ward is married to former NC State gymnast Monica Berry. They live in Holly Springs, N.C.
