Baseball
Hart, Chris
Chris Hart
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- cjhart@ncsu.edu
- Phone:
- (919) 515-3613
Tabbed as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches and recruiting coordinators, Chris Hart enters his 22nd season with the Wolfpack and 11th as associate head coach. He serves as the Wolfpack’s hitting coach in addition to his role as recruiting coordinator and is involved in all facets of the program.
In his first year with the Wolfpack, first basemen Chris McHugh was named to the All-ACC Second team and to the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings All-Atlantic Second Team making six straight year NC State has had a player make the ABCA Atlantic Region Team. In 2025, McHugh led NC State in most offensive categories. The Commack, NY. native, finished the year with a .365 average with a team-high 72 hits and 48 RBIs. In 197 at-bats, McHugh hit seven home runs and 12 doubles, with a .533 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage after transferring in from VCU.
Another Wolfpack standout in2025 from Hart's recruiting efforts came in the form of freshman Ty Head. Head had 48 walks on the season becoming the most walks by a freshman in a single season in program history as well as sixth most in single season by any Wolfpack Player. Not since 2012 and Trea Turner has a Wolfpack freshman had at least 40 walks in a season.
On their way to a berth in the 2024 College World Series, Hart oversaw Alex Makarewicz and Jacob Cozart receive All-American honors from numerous publications. Makarewicz, who was also tabbed a Second Team All-ACC honoree and was the NCAA Raleigh Regional's Most Outstanding Player. The Wolfpack third baseman led the Pack with a .378 batting average, 84 RBI, 24 home runs, 25 doubles, 195 total bases, and a .753 slugging percentage. Makarewicz rewrote the NC State record books and is now the single-season record holder with 195 total passes, surpassing Tony Ellison's previous record of 186. Makarewicz's 2024 numbers also finished inside the top 10 of NC State single-season history in the following categories – 84 RBI (2nd), 24 home runs (T-4th), 25 doubles (T-5th), a .753 slugging percentage (6th) and 98 hits (T-8th).
Cozart finished his junior campaign with a .305 batting average, 19 homers, 54 RBI, 60 runs scored, and a .437 on-base percentage. Cozart's 19 homers ranked second on the team. He also ranked first among all Pack9 players with 52 walks, which now ranks second in NC State's single-season history.
Defensively, Cozart has thrown out 14 of 42 runners attempting to steal this season and sported a .994 fielding percentage, recording 455 putouts and 40 assists. During the ACC regular season, Cozart ranked first among all ACC catchers, with 13 runners caught stealing.
After a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hart played an essential role in guiding the Wolfpack back to the College World Series in 2021, which was the third in program history and first since 2013. Thanks to his efforts in a historic season, Hart was named Baseball America's 2021 Assistant Coach of the Year.
He has been responsible for NC State's reputation as one of the top offensive and defensive teams year in and year out, as the Wolfpack finished third in the NCAA in fielding percentage (.982) and T-fifth in home runs (92) under his direction in 2021. In 2019, NC State finished first in the ACC and 13th in the NCAA with 130 doubles, and in 2018 it finished the season ranked fifth in the nation with 87 home runs and 10th with a .477 slugging percentage as a team.
In 2023, Hart helped guide a league-best three players to ACC All-Freshman Team honors (Dominic Fritton, Eli Serrano III and Cannon Peebles). Fritton and Peebles both also earned multiple Freshman All-American honors following their 2023 campaigns, while catcher Jacob Cozart and third baseman LuJames Groover III notched Second Team All-ACC and Third Team All-ACC accolades, respectively.
In 2022, he helped coach three position players to All-ACC honors. Tommy White earned First Team All-ACC honors at designated hitter and later earned three First Team All-America honors. White was also tabbed a National Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. LuJames Groover III (Second Team) and Devonte Brown (Third Team) also earned All-ACC recognition.
In 2019, four position players earned All-ACC and All-America honors. Will Wilson became NC State's first-ever ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first consensus All-American since 2012. Patrick Bailey, a Buster Posey Award semifinalist, and Wilson, a Brooks Wallace Award finalist, were additionally among the candidates for the Golden Spikes Award. In 2021, Hart saw outfielders Jonny Butler and Tyler McDonough rack up a combined five All-America honors and Austin Murr win the Gold Glove Award, while those three along with Terrell Tatum and Jose Torres earned All-ACC honors.
In the past four seasons (2020-24), a combined 14 position players have been selected in the MLB Draft, headlined by first rounders Will Wilson (2019, Los Angeles Angels) and Patrick Bailey (2020, San Francisco Giants). They are the first Wolfpack players to be drafted in the first round in back-to-back seasons. NC State had three position players drafted in the 2023 MLB Draft, headlined by second rounder LuJames Groover III, who went No. 48 overall to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2024, another trio of Wolfpack position players were selected led by Jacob Cozart in the second round, Eli Serrano in the fourth and Brandon Butterworth in the 12th.
Hart became the program's lead recruiter in 2010 and produced immediate results on the recruiting trail, signing one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Among the 13 heralded newcomers on the NC State roster that fall were Brett Austin, a supplemental first-round draft pick and the highest-drafted recruit to attend NC State in 31 years; Carlos Rodon, the 2011 North Carolina High School Player of the Year and a 16th-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers; and Trea Turner, a slick infield prospect who went in the 20th round to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baseball America ranked the Wolfpack's 2010-11 class No. 4 in the country.
Hart knows the Atlantic Coast Conference well. He was a four-year letterman for former head coach Mike Martin at Florida State from 1999-2003. He was a utilityman as a freshman, starting as the designated hitter against left-handed pitching and playing 50 games in all. He began his sophomore year as the Seminoles' starting catcher, but he fractured his tibia eight games into the season. He was granted a medical hardship by the NCAA, restoring a year of eligibility, and came back as a redshirt-sophomore a year later, in 2001.
Lingering problems from his rehab cost Hart playing time the next two seasons, but he blossomed as a senior, playing in 67 games and making 63 starts at second and third base. He batted .305 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 35 RBIs that season as FSU rolled to a 54-13 record and a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals. Hart saved his best for the end of his playing career. He batted .438 in the 2003 ACC Tournament in Salem, Va., then batted .350 with three doubles and four RBIs in the NCAA Regionals, including a four-hit game vs. Rutgers in the third round of the regional.
In all, Hart played 195 games for the Seminoles, starting 116 and batting .271 with 23 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 72 RBIs. Hart's four Florida State teams (1999, 2001-03) posted a combined record of 218-60 (.784) and appeared in the NCAA Super Regionals all four years. The Seminoles advanced to the College World Series in 1999 and 2000. During his career at Florida State, Hart played every position on the field except for pitcher and center field.
Upon graduation, Hart spent one year (2004) as an assistant coach at St. Petersburg (Fla.) College, where he served as hitting coach and third-base coach, and was involved in all aspects of the program. Hart coached all positions defensively, and was involved in the program's recruiting as well.
During the summer of 2004, Hart was head coach of the Loudoun Rangers of the Shennandoah Valley League. At Loudoun he coached players from seven different Division I Conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East and Conference USA.
Hart was a two-time all-state selection and a four-time all-county pick in four years at Clearwater Central Catholic High School. Twice he was named All-Suncoast, and was the county home run leader as a junior. He was selected to the Florida All-Star Team as a senior, was Florida's 1998 American Legion Player of the Year, and was taken in the 46th round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.
Hart graduated from Florida State in 2003 with a degree in sport management.
In his first year with the Wolfpack, first basemen Chris McHugh was named to the All-ACC Second team and to the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings All-Atlantic Second Team making six straight year NC State has had a player make the ABCA Atlantic Region Team. In 2025, McHugh led NC State in most offensive categories. The Commack, NY. native, finished the year with a .365 average with a team-high 72 hits and 48 RBIs. In 197 at-bats, McHugh hit seven home runs and 12 doubles, with a .533 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage after transferring in from VCU.
Another Wolfpack standout in2025 from Hart's recruiting efforts came in the form of freshman Ty Head. Head had 48 walks on the season becoming the most walks by a freshman in a single season in program history as well as sixth most in single season by any Wolfpack Player. Not since 2012 and Trea Turner has a Wolfpack freshman had at least 40 walks in a season.
On their way to a berth in the 2024 College World Series, Hart oversaw Alex Makarewicz and Jacob Cozart receive All-American honors from numerous publications. Makarewicz, who was also tabbed a Second Team All-ACC honoree and was the NCAA Raleigh Regional's Most Outstanding Player. The Wolfpack third baseman led the Pack with a .378 batting average, 84 RBI, 24 home runs, 25 doubles, 195 total bases, and a .753 slugging percentage. Makarewicz rewrote the NC State record books and is now the single-season record holder with 195 total passes, surpassing Tony Ellison's previous record of 186. Makarewicz's 2024 numbers also finished inside the top 10 of NC State single-season history in the following categories – 84 RBI (2nd), 24 home runs (T-4th), 25 doubles (T-5th), a .753 slugging percentage (6th) and 98 hits (T-8th).
Cozart finished his junior campaign with a .305 batting average, 19 homers, 54 RBI, 60 runs scored, and a .437 on-base percentage. Cozart's 19 homers ranked second on the team. He also ranked first among all Pack9 players with 52 walks, which now ranks second in NC State's single-season history.
Defensively, Cozart has thrown out 14 of 42 runners attempting to steal this season and sported a .994 fielding percentage, recording 455 putouts and 40 assists. During the ACC regular season, Cozart ranked first among all ACC catchers, with 13 runners caught stealing.
After a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hart played an essential role in guiding the Wolfpack back to the College World Series in 2021, which was the third in program history and first since 2013. Thanks to his efforts in a historic season, Hart was named Baseball America's 2021 Assistant Coach of the Year.
He has been responsible for NC State's reputation as one of the top offensive and defensive teams year in and year out, as the Wolfpack finished third in the NCAA in fielding percentage (.982) and T-fifth in home runs (92) under his direction in 2021. In 2019, NC State finished first in the ACC and 13th in the NCAA with 130 doubles, and in 2018 it finished the season ranked fifth in the nation with 87 home runs and 10th with a .477 slugging percentage as a team.
In 2023, Hart helped guide a league-best three players to ACC All-Freshman Team honors (Dominic Fritton, Eli Serrano III and Cannon Peebles). Fritton and Peebles both also earned multiple Freshman All-American honors following their 2023 campaigns, while catcher Jacob Cozart and third baseman LuJames Groover III notched Second Team All-ACC and Third Team All-ACC accolades, respectively.
In 2022, he helped coach three position players to All-ACC honors. Tommy White earned First Team All-ACC honors at designated hitter and later earned three First Team All-America honors. White was also tabbed a National Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. LuJames Groover III (Second Team) and Devonte Brown (Third Team) also earned All-ACC recognition.
In 2019, four position players earned All-ACC and All-America honors. Will Wilson became NC State's first-ever ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first consensus All-American since 2012. Patrick Bailey, a Buster Posey Award semifinalist, and Wilson, a Brooks Wallace Award finalist, were additionally among the candidates for the Golden Spikes Award. In 2021, Hart saw outfielders Jonny Butler and Tyler McDonough rack up a combined five All-America honors and Austin Murr win the Gold Glove Award, while those three along with Terrell Tatum and Jose Torres earned All-ACC honors.
In the past four seasons (2020-24), a combined 14 position players have been selected in the MLB Draft, headlined by first rounders Will Wilson (2019, Los Angeles Angels) and Patrick Bailey (2020, San Francisco Giants). They are the first Wolfpack players to be drafted in the first round in back-to-back seasons. NC State had three position players drafted in the 2023 MLB Draft, headlined by second rounder LuJames Groover III, who went No. 48 overall to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2024, another trio of Wolfpack position players were selected led by Jacob Cozart in the second round, Eli Serrano in the fourth and Brandon Butterworth in the 12th.
Hart became the program's lead recruiter in 2010 and produced immediate results on the recruiting trail, signing one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Among the 13 heralded newcomers on the NC State roster that fall were Brett Austin, a supplemental first-round draft pick and the highest-drafted recruit to attend NC State in 31 years; Carlos Rodon, the 2011 North Carolina High School Player of the Year and a 16th-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers; and Trea Turner, a slick infield prospect who went in the 20th round to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baseball America ranked the Wolfpack's 2010-11 class No. 4 in the country.
Hart knows the Atlantic Coast Conference well. He was a four-year letterman for former head coach Mike Martin at Florida State from 1999-2003. He was a utilityman as a freshman, starting as the designated hitter against left-handed pitching and playing 50 games in all. He began his sophomore year as the Seminoles' starting catcher, but he fractured his tibia eight games into the season. He was granted a medical hardship by the NCAA, restoring a year of eligibility, and came back as a redshirt-sophomore a year later, in 2001.
Lingering problems from his rehab cost Hart playing time the next two seasons, but he blossomed as a senior, playing in 67 games and making 63 starts at second and third base. He batted .305 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 35 RBIs that season as FSU rolled to a 54-13 record and a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals. Hart saved his best for the end of his playing career. He batted .438 in the 2003 ACC Tournament in Salem, Va., then batted .350 with three doubles and four RBIs in the NCAA Regionals, including a four-hit game vs. Rutgers in the third round of the regional.
In all, Hart played 195 games for the Seminoles, starting 116 and batting .271 with 23 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 72 RBIs. Hart's four Florida State teams (1999, 2001-03) posted a combined record of 218-60 (.784) and appeared in the NCAA Super Regionals all four years. The Seminoles advanced to the College World Series in 1999 and 2000. During his career at Florida State, Hart played every position on the field except for pitcher and center field.
Upon graduation, Hart spent one year (2004) as an assistant coach at St. Petersburg (Fla.) College, where he served as hitting coach and third-base coach, and was involved in all aspects of the program. Hart coached all positions defensively, and was involved in the program's recruiting as well.
During the summer of 2004, Hart was head coach of the Loudoun Rangers of the Shennandoah Valley League. At Loudoun he coached players from seven different Division I Conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East and Conference USA.
Hart was a two-time all-state selection and a four-time all-county pick in four years at Clearwater Central Catholic High School. Twice he was named All-Suncoast, and was the county home run leader as a junior. He was selected to the Florida All-Star Team as a senior, was Florida's 1998 American Legion Player of the Year, and was taken in the 46th round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.
Hart graduated from Florida State in 2003 with a degree in sport management.
Auburn Regional Preview: Elliott Avent on ACC PM
Thursday, May 29
Game Three Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Tuesday, June 11
Game Two Press Conference: Athens Super Regional
Sunday, June 09
Game One Press Conference - Athens Super Regional
Saturday, June 08
