Pellissippi State Hires First Head Baseball Coach

Knoxville, TN - Pellissippi State Athletics has hired Shawn Hughes of Knoxville-based BC Athletics as the college's first head baseball coach.

Hughes spent 18 years coaching college baseball at the NCAA Division I and NJCAA Division I levels. He was a founding member of the Cisco College baseball program in Cisco, Texas, and was there for 11 years as the assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator. Under his leadership, the Cisco team finished in the top 15 nationally in batting four times, earned one NJCAA Division I World Series appearance in 2012, and advanced 40 athletes to Division I schools after graduation.

Pellissippi State Athletics Director Brock Evans said Hughes is a promising addition to the program.

"Shawn has a vast knowledge of the game of baseball and brings decades of coaching experience to Pellissippi State," Evans said. "Having been a part of building a junior college baseball program from scratch, Coach Hughes has what it takes to build Pellissippi State Baseball into a contender."

Before coaching at Cisco, Hughes was the assistant baseball coach at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, for six years, and the pitching coach at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, for one year.

Hughes played seven seasons of minor league ball and was a member of league championship teams. He was elected to three all-star teams, won the Home Run Derby in the 2003 All-Star Game and won a league MVP award in 2000 with the Amarillo Dillas.

In college Hughes received All-American honors as a catcher for Howard Payne University in 1996.

"I am beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to start the baseball program at Pellissippi State," Hughes said. "Knoxville is a great town to recruit to and from. We have everything we need here to build a winning program on and off the field, and I can't wait to get started."

Hughes most recently served as the head coach for BCA Post Grad, a gap year program in Knoxville that prepares and trains athletes for their next level of baseball. He has also taught classes and served as an academic advisor at Pellissippi State while working with a local high school as the strength and conditioning coach for their baseball team.

The Pellissippi State Panthers will play fall baseball at Ridley-Helton Field across from the Magnolia Avenue Campus of Pellissippi State. Recruitment of student-athletes has begun; interested parties should fill out this form.