Clint Chrysler - Pitching Coach - Baseball Coaches

Clint Chrysler

Title:
Pitching Coach
Email:
rcchrysl@ncsu.edu
Phone:
(919) 515-3613

Clint Chrysler enters his eighth season as NC State baseball's pitching coach after joining the program in July of 2018.

He came to NC State after eight seasons on Winthrop's staff as the assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator, and pitching coach.

"Clint has built a strong reputation in this region and nationally amongst the baseball community as one of the best pitching coaches in the country," said Avent upon his hiring. "During his collegiate career at Stetson University and a nine-year professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners organizations, he was known for his competitive nature and his strong work ethic. He's done an excellent job of translating that into his coaching style.

Leading a pitching staff that constantly produces talent, 2025 was another strong year for Chrysler and NC State pitching. Freshman Anderson Nance was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and a NCBWA Freshman All-American. Leading the Wolfpack bullpen, Nance tied for the team lead with eight wins this season, one save, and a 3.50 ERA. Nance had 53 strikeouts over 54.0 innings of work and held opposing batters to a .256 average. It is the most by a Wolfpack freshman since Sam Highfill won nine games in 2021. Highfill shares the record with Carlos Rodon, who went 9-0 in 2012 during his freshman campaign.

Dominic Fritton and Ryan Marohn were named to the All-ACC Third team in 2025. Marohn led the Wolfpack pitching core with an 8-3 record and 3.38 ERA in 14 starts this past season. The southpaw totaled 91 strikeouts with just 19 walks in 85.1 innings pitched, with opposing batters hitting just .248. He finished in the top 10 in the ACC in both innings pitched and strikeouts, throwing two complete games. Fritton became the first Wolfpack pitcher since Carlos Rodon to have 100 strikeouts in a season.

Jacob Dudan, Ryan Marohn, and Anderson Nance were all invited to participate in USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team Training Camp following the 2025 season. It was the second straight year Dudan has been invited to training camp with the national team. In 2025, the Huntersville, N.C. native made 22 appearances, finishing with a 2-2 record, 3.90 ERA, and 41 strikeouts over 30 innings pitched and finished with five saves. He was named to the 2025 NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year Watchlist.

In 2024, Chrysler oversaw a Wolfpack pitching staff that helped NC State reach the College World Series. NC State freshman relief pitcher Jacob Dudan was named a D1Baseball and Baseball America Freshman All-American. Dudan, who also earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors, led the Wolfpack with 27 pitching appearances, all of which came out of the bullpen. Dudan's six saves ranked second on the team as the freshman did not allow an earned run in his first eight collegiate appearances. Dudan joined pitchers Derrick Smith and Cooper Consiglio at the 2024 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

Sam Highfill a Third Team All-ACC honoree in 2024, became the first Wolfpack pitcher to throw in multiple Men's College World Series in the 2024 postseason run. Highfill's historic collegiate career ended in an outstanding start in Omaha, tossing seven innings while allowing just three runs with seven strikeouts against No. 2 Kentucky on June 15. In 2024, Highfill started all 17 games in his final season in a Wolfpack uniform, leading all NC State pitchers with 87.0 innings pitched, 82 strikeouts and seven pitching victories.

Highfill finished with a 7-2 record in 2024, limiting opposing batters to a .226 batting average against him. The Wolfpack went 14-3 in games Highfill started, winning eight straight games from March 22 to May 16 in games he toed the rubber. He concluded his Wolfpack career with 26 career pitching victories, a mark that ranks tied for fifth in program history.

After a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chrysler managed to help develop what proved to be one of the top starting rotations in the ACC in 2021, as veteran Reid Johnston and second-year freshmen Sam Highfill and Matt Willadsen combined for 23 wins in 41 appearances with 252 strikeouts, throwing a bulk of the team's innings that season and leading the Pack to the College World Series. He additionally saw Evan Justice have a breakout season on the mound as one of the top closers in the NCAA, as he finished second in the nation with 13 saves, which ranks third all-time at NC State for a single season. Out of the bullpen, Justice compiled a 1.85 ERA and earned a decision in 17 of his 20 relief appearances. Johnston and Justice both earned Third Team All-ACC honors and were selected in the 2021 MLB Draft, while Justice picked up All-America honors from two publications. Additionally, Chrysler saw second-year freshman Chris Villaman along with Johnston and Willadsen each throw a complete game during the season. NC State was the only school in the ACC to have three players throw a complete game, as Villaman and Willadsen's were in shutout fashion to earn ACC Pitcher of the Week honors.

During Chrysler’s tenure, 12 Wolfpack pitchers have been selected in the MLB Draft, including two in the 15^th round of the 2023 MLB Draft (Rio Britton and Justin Lawson). In 2024 Logan Whitaker was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 19 round.

In 2023, Chrysler helped develop freshman left-handed pitcher Dominic Fritton into one of the best freshman pitchers in the country. Fritton earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team and notched Freshman All-America honors from four publications, highlighted by First Team honors from D1Baseball, Baseball America and Perfect Game. Chrysler’s pitching staff ranked inside the top 40 in the nation and top five in the ACC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.63), strikeouts per nine innings (9.8) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.75).

In 2022, Chrysler helped guide reliever Chris Villaman to Third Team All-ACC honors. Senior left-handed pitcher Canaan Silver also thrived in his final season with the Pack, ranking fourth in the ACC with a 3.21 ERA and tied for fifth in the league with eight pitching victories. Silver ranked first among all qualified ACC pitchers with just 25 earned runs allowed.

In his first season at NC State (2019), the Wolfpack’s pitching staff led the ACC with a 4.21 earned-run average against conference opponents and finished second in overall ERA (3.86) in the regular season. Additionally, he saw Reid Johnston earn ACC Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing a complete game shutout on March 30 vs. Virginia. It was the first of Johnston’s career and first for a Wolfpack pitcher since Carlos Rodon in June 2013.

At Winthrop, Chrysler helped guide the Eagles to five consecutive winning seasons in conference play, including the 2017 season when Winthrop won its first outright regular season Big South title since 2003.

Chrysler brought in high-caliber recruiting classes during his tenure at Winthrop. The 2013 class was ranked No. 1 in the Big South Conference and No. 63 nationally. The 2014 class was rated No. 2 in the Big South and top-100 nationally, while the 2015 class was likewise ranked among the nation's top 100. Winthrop's 2017 recruiting class again led the Big South and was ranked in the top-100 nationally.

Chrysler was instrumental in developing the Eagles' pitching staff as five Winthrop pitchers have gone on to sign professional contracts during Chrysler's tenure. Winthrop's pitching staff has ranked among the top 50 nationally in strikeouts/base on ball ratio and fewest base on balls per nine innings from 2012-2016.

Chrysler coached three All-Big South Performers as well as numerous Big South Pitcher of the Week recipients.

Chrysler came to the Eagles after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Stetson University. During his time with the Hatters, Chrysler was in charge of the outfielders, assisted with the hitters and pitchers, as well as serving as the first-base coach and baseball camp coordinator.

A native of Clear Lake, Texas, Chrysler played collegiately at Stetson University from 1995-97. He played three seasons as a two-way player for the Hatters and accumulated a 14-10 record on the mound with a 3.80 ERA. As a hitter, Chrysler had a career average of .309, including a career-high .344 average as a junior. He helped lead Stetson to two NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons and currently holds the single-game pitching record by throwing 11 innings against Florida International on May 15, 1997.

Chrysler was named the 1996 Cape Cod League Reliever of the Year playing for the Wareham Gatemen. He also set the Cape Cod League save record that season and still holds the Gatemen team saves record. Chrysler was named to the Mid-Season All-Star Team during the season as well.

Chrysler left the Hatter baseball program after his junior season when he was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 17^th round of the 1997 Major League Draft. He spent nine years playing professional baseball with the Mariners (1997-99) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2000-04) and reached as high as the AAA level playing for the Pirates (Nashville Sounds). During his professional career, Chrysler was named to two minor league All-Star teams.

In 2010, he spent this summer as the head coach of the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. The Diamond Dawgs won a league-record 31 games and the 2010 Florida League Championship, which was played at the Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field. Chrysler was also recognized as Manager of the Year.

He graduated from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Florida, in 1994. As a player at Boca Ciega, Chrysler earned First Team All-Suncoast and All-State honors. He was drafted in the 47^th round of the 1994 Major League Draft by the New York Yankees, but instead chose to attend Stetson.

Chrysler earned his bachelor's degree in Supervision and Management from Daytona State College in December of 2009.

"He's a hands-on teacher known best for his ability to develop players through relationship building and designing individualized plans to help them grow, adjust and reach their full potential as baseball players, and as men. Everyone I spoke to during this process had high praise on his approach and demeanor, and we're happy to have Clint and his fiancé (now wife) Christy join our family here at NC State."