Bio: Chris Nall

-Chris Nall- Chris Nall was an All-Region pitcher for now Duke University Head Coach Chris Pollard, during his playing days at Pfeiffer University. He was inducted to the Pfeiffer Hall of Fame in 2017 for helping lead the team to back-to-back Conference Championships, an NCAA Regional appearance and setting a school record for wins (41) in 2004. Nall also spent 3 years pitching in the Coastal Plains League for the Asheboro Copperheads.  Upon graduating in 2004, he was named the Pitching Coach of the Fayetteville Swampdogs of the CPL, where five pitchers on his staff that summer where drafted and eventually played professionally. At the end of the summer he moved to South Carolina to be the Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach at Anderson University.  From 2008-2011, Nall was the Head Baseball Coach at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, SC. He won back-to-back District Championships and was named Region Coach of the Year in 2010.  In 2014, he returned to coaching college baseball as the Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach at Limestone College in Gaffney, SC. Nall’s first recruiting class led the league in homeruns and placed three players on the national leader board for homeruns. Nall also founded the Upstate Mavericks organization in 2006. The Mavericks have won multiple Perfect Game tournaments and have had 28 players drafted since 2006. He is currently the President and coaches teams in the summer and fall. Outside of baseball, Nall is in his 6th year with Greenville County Schools in a Special Ed classroom. He lives in Lyman with his wife Karen, son Tucker (6) and daughter Madilyne (3).  

Bio: Jeff Stanek

-Jeff Stanek- Jeff Stanek has college coaching experience at Division-I schools Morehead State (KY), Winthrop University and Duquesne University (PA), as well as at two nationally-ranked Junior College programs: Louisburg College (NC) and Southeastern Community College (IA). He served as the recruiting coordinator at Morehead State, Louisburg and Southeastern, and at his various stops he has been a hitting coach, first base coach, outfield coach, catcher’s coach, baserunning and short-game instructor. In 2014, his second season at Morehead State, Stanek helped lead the Eagles to a 29-28 record, one year removed from a 16-40 season. The 2014 MSU team finished second all-time in Morehead State history with 29 wins, set 14 team records including the most conference wins in a season, and set three individual school records. MSU also finished in the Top 10 Nationally in three offensive categories (batting average, OBP and hits). In 2012, Stanek helped guide Louisburg to a school-record 52 victories and a No. 1 National Ranking in NJCAA D-I polls, spearheading the team’s hitting philosophies while also serving as recruiting coordinator, outfield and baserunning coordinator. In the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Stanek served as volunteer assistant coach at Winthrop while serving one summer as a full-time assistant coach. He was in charge of Winthrop’s outfield and baserunning. Prior to his stint at Winthrop, he was the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach at Southeastern (Iowa) Community College in 2008 and 2009. He helped lead the team to 76 wins in his two campaigns, and his hitters ranked in the Top 30 nationally in batting average both seasons. The 2009 team set a school-record for wins (41) and ranked in the NJCAA top 10. Stanek began his coaching career at his alma mater, Duquesne University. He served as volunteer assistant during the 2007 spring season before being elevated to an assistant coach in August 2007. In eight seasons in the college ranks, Stanek coached 18 players who have signed professional contracts. Stanek is married to the former Amanda Kokemuller. Together they have one daughter, Vaida, and live in Rock Hill, SC.

Bio: Wade Hedges

-Wade Hedges- Hedges is a veteran of more than a decade of baseball coaching on a variety of levels, with coaching stops at the high school, junior college and both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels. He launched his coaching career in 1995-96 as an undergraduate assistant at Florida Southern College, where he served on the staff of ABCA Hall of Famer Chuck Anderson. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology at FSC in 1996, and for the next two seasons served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. During the three seasons on staff at the Lakeland, FL school the Moccasins posted a 125-47 record, claiming two Sunshine State Conference titles and advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament each year. Florida Southern was chosen by Collegiate Baseball newspaper in 1998 as the nation’s top NCAA Division II baseball program. In August 1998 Hedges was named head coach at Sebring (FL) High School. He guided the SHS Blue Streak squad to a district title in 1999 and a school-best runner-up finish in the 2000 regional finals, for which he was honored as the coach of the year in the district, county, and area. A full-time instructor during his two-year stay at Sebring, Hedges was honored as the school’s 9th grade Teacher of the Year in 1999 and in 2000 was selected for inclusion in “Who’s Who Among Teachers”. He continued his baseball coaching career on the junior college level as an assistant coach at Polk Community College in Winter Haven, FL in 2000-01. Hedges served as the chief assistant to PCC head coach Johnny Wiggs, directing the team’s offensive and defensive efforts. The Vikings established team records for hits, doubles, hit-batsmen, and double plays during Hedges’ tenure there, while five PCC players advanced their careers in professional baseball and 18 others earned scholarships to four-year colleges and universities in that three-year span. After PCC, Hedges was an administrative assistant at Mississippi State University in 2003-04. Hedges served as a hitting and pitching coordinator for MSU’s winter and summer baseball camps and assisted with the completion of the team’s SEC scouting reports. Following the 2004 season Hedges embarked on a four-year stint as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs baseball program under legendary skipper Ron Polk, where his responsibilities included development of the teams catchers and hitters, coordination of all baseball camps, management of the program’s booster club, oversight of the team’s student managers, and management of the team’s equipment needs.  During his tenure at the SEC program the Bulldogs competed in the 2007 College World Series, earned a #1 national ranking in 2006, and captured the SEC Tournament Championship in 2005.  Also, Hedges tutored the 2007 Johnny Bench Award winner and supplemental round pick, Edward Easley. A graduate of Miamisburg (OH) High School, Hedges holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College and a master’s degree from the US Sports Academy. Hedges now manages a 10u travel team based out of Summerville, the Lowcountry Generals.

Bio: Chris Wells

  -Chris Wells- Chris Wells is joining the DP staff after spending the last 15 seasons as the head baseball coach at Hilton Head High School. During his tenure at Hilton Head he won six region championships, three district championships and one Lower State Championship while setting the school record for single season wins (29) and career wins (271).  More than 36 players went on to college baseball including two being selected in the MLB draft.  Wells also served as an associate scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2005-2010. Wells grew up as a military kid, moving all around the world and eventually landing in Honolulu, Hawaii where he played high school baseball at Radford High and was All-Conference as a senior.  After high school he moved to Columbia and attended USC where he finished college with his master’s degree in business education.  In 1997 he moved to Hilton Head and has been there ever since.  

Bio: Jeremy Ray

-Jeremy Ray- Jeremy Ray is entering his fifth season as pitching coach at his alma mater Lugoff-Elgin High School in Lugoff, SC. In his first four seasons he has had 2 region titles, 1 district title, and a state championship (2010). His 2010 pitching staff was rated one of the top pitching staff’s in 3A baseball in the state of South Carolina. Prior to returning to Lugoff, he served as an intern strength and conditioning coach at Georgia Tech and was later named strength and conditioning coach of the Eugene Emeralds (Minor league affiliate of the San Diego Padres) in Eugene, Oregon. He began his coaching career at Carolina Forest High School in Myrtle Beach, SC. In his 8 seasons as a coach, he has had over 40 players sign on to play at the college and/or professional level. Most recently, in 2010, he had a pitcher drafted in the 48th round (Forrest Koumas) and in 2011 had a pitcher drafted in the 15th round (Will Dorton)… In 2012, Coach Ray was selected to represent SC as the National League Pitching Coach in the Power Showcase All American/All World Classic in Miami, Florida. It’s an event that showcases 130 of the top HS players in the world. As a player, he was selected to represent SC in CABA World Series in Homestead, FL as a junior in high school. He was an all-region selection and voted a top 25 prospect in SC as senior. Coach Ray played baseball at Lander University in Greenwood where he was named pre-season Peach Belt Player to Watch as a sophomore and a junior, Fall World Series MVP as a junior, and was part of a top 5 nationally ranked pitching staff as a senior. He made over 60 appearances as a starter and reliever before graduating with a BS degree in Exercise Science. He is also NASM certified (National Academy of Sports Medicine) as a Performance Enhancement Specialist.

Bio: Jeff Kerr

-Jeff Kerr-  Kerr serves Diamond Prospects in the Chester/York/Lancaster county areas of South Carolina as an area scout. In addition to covering games he can be found assisting at the DP Showcase Events, DP Pro Day, and Palmetto Games. Most of the time he can be seen throwing BP. Kerr has served in the past as Pitching Coach for Chester High School as well as the Head Coach of Chester American Legion Post 27 where he led them back-to-back playoffs in his two years as coach. He has also served as a volunteer coach for the local Dixie Youth league. He graduated from Lyman High School, Longwood, Florida where he played for Bob McCullough. After graduation he attended Valencia Community College in Orlando and played two years under Floyd Perry. After his two years at Valencia he transferred to the University of Alabama where he was a member of the 1983 NCAA College World Series Runner-Up losing the Championship game to the University of Texas and Roger Clemens 4-3. Having sustaining an arm injury, Kerr was granted a medical red-shirt and then transferred to Clemson University for his final season. Kerr spent three years playing in the Valley League for the Staunton Braves coached by Henry "Turtle" Thomas. He was a member of the 1984 team that still holds the league best 18 game winning streak. He was a two time All-Star during his time in Staunton. Kerr is currently the City Administrator in Chester, SC where he resides. He and his wife  Karen have been married  for 24 years. They have two children, Rebekah attends Clemson University and Austin who attends Coastal Carolina University and is a member of the Baseball Team. .

Bio: Jason Kullman

-Jason Kullman-  Jason Kullman was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a kid he split his time growing up between Allentown and Pittsburgh where he played football, basketball and baseball through high school. Kullman pitched and played quarterback before shoulder injuries forced him to stop playing competitively in high school. After high school, Kullman made his way to Conway, SC enrolling at Coastal Carolina University in 2005. In 2009 he earned his bachelor’s degree in English along with a minor in Journalism from CCU. In addition to playing baseball and basketball, he also has worked as an umpire and referee. In January of 2010 Kullman began working for Diamond Prospects as an editor while living in Myrtle Beach, SC. After nearly six years in Myrtle Beach, he moved back to Allentown, Pa with his dog Bailey and is currently working for the Hartford Insurance Group as a customer service consultant while continuing his duties with DP.   In addition to editing the game recaps, he also selects the Uncommitted Players of the Week and assists with the DP All-Academic Team.

Bio: Derick Urquhart

-Derick Urquhart-  Derick Urquhart is a native of Florence, SC, attending South Florence High where he was a three time All-State outfielder and three time All-Region player. He was also named the Bruins Offensive Player of the Year twice, helping lead the Bruins to a #7 national ranking as a senior.  After high school Urquhart signed with the University of South Carolina, where he was a four year starter for the Gamecocks. As a senior, he led the team in HR’s (20) and RBI’s (79), helping the Gamecocks peak at #3 in the country. He finished his career in the top five all-time for many of USC’s records, including runs scored (1st), hits (2nd), home runs (7th), RBI’s (5th), total bases (2nd), doubles (3rd) and games played (3rd). Honors include being team captain, winning the Coaches Award, named to NCAA Coral Gables All-Regional team, named a finalist for the SEC Sportsmanship Award, winning USC’s male sportsmanship award and, more recently, being named to two different USC All-Era teams. After college, Urquhart was taken in the 16th round by the Montreal Expos. He spent six seasons in pro ball with the Expos and Anaheim Angels that included being named to the Texas League All-Star game in 2002 and reaching Triple-A in 2003.  Following his playing career, Urquhart settled back in Florence where he now leads the Florence American Legion baseball team. In his 14 seasons, he is the program’s all time winningest coach in its 85 year existence, with an overall record of 392-117.  His 392 wins is good for 2nd all time in South Carolina legion baseball history. Florence has advanced to a state record 6 consecutive state title games, winning it all 4 times (2012, 2014, 2016, 2017). In 2012, Urquhart led Florence to its first state and regional title since 1943, and its first ever appearance in the American Legion World Series, finishing 5th in the country. 11 former players have gone on to play professionally while 27 have signed D-1.  In 2010, Urquhart was inducted into the Florence Athletic Hall of Fame, serves on the Hall of Fame committee and was its president 2015-2016. He began work with Diamond Prospects in 2010 as an area scout in the Pee Dee and eastern part of the state. He is married to wife Amy and they have a daughter Cate (8) and son Fisher (1).

Bio: Michael McDonald

-Michael McDonald-  McDonald is a 2008 graduate of Coastal Carolina University. While in college he worked for the Atlanta Braves doing pitching charts and video for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans for four years. After graduation, McDonald accepted an internship with Bill James and John Dewan’s statistical analysis company Baseball Info Solutions where he watched Major League Baseball games and input data that was then outsourced to Major League Baseball Teams, Sports Agencies, Baseball Websites and ESPN. After finishing at Baseball Info Solutions, he then accepted an a Pro Scouting Internship with the Toronto Blue Jays where he did video, pitch charts, spray charts, statistical analysis, accumulate scouting reports, evaluate prospects in the Eastern League (AA), as well as other duties assigned to him by the coaching/scouting and player development staff. McDonald was also an associate scout for the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays where he helped evaluate talent in North/South Carolina and Virginia for the MLB Rule V draft. In 2012-13, McDonald was an assistant coach at the East Coast Pro Showcase. He is now an associate scout for the New York Mets.  He has also spent time in Mexico learning to speak Spanish in an effort to communicate with Latin American athletes. For the third year, McDonald will serve Diamond Prospects in 2014 as an area scout in the Coastal region.

Bio: Dom Duggan

-Dom Duggan-  Dominick Duggan, a Pittsburgh, PA native, has joined the Diamond Prospects staff as a scout/evaluator of South Carolina’s high school teams. Duggan joins the DP crew after a recent move back to the Palmetto State since his playing days at Coastal Carolina University. Duggan is presently an Associate Scout for the San Francisco Giants.  Most recently, Duggan played the 2010 season for the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League. He started every game in centerfield, committing no errors and a career high 9 assists for the Crushers as well as leading the league in stolen bases that season with 48. His plans to return the next year were interrupted by a career ending shoulder injury that required rotator cuff and labrum surgery. Prior to the 2010 season, Duggan played in the San Francisco Giants organization.  The Giants drafted him in the 32nd round of the 2007 MLB Draft, following a strong senior season for the Chanticleers.  He played all throughout the minor league system from their Arizona Rookie League, to the Augusta Green Jackets of the South Atlantic League, as well as the San Jose Giants of the California League. Duggan finished his first season with a .292 BA and lead the AZL Giants in triples that year. In his final full season with the Giants organization, Duggan lead the 2009 Green Jackets in stolen bases and all outfielders in fielding percentage. After transferring from John Carroll University following an All-American freshman season, Duggan was a three-year starter for the Chanticleers in centerfield from 2005 – 2007. He earned All-Conference Honors in ’05 & ’07 and was part of a lot of firsts for Coastal Carolina. The ’05 Chants earned their first 50-win season in school history as well as their first #1 seed in the Tempe, AZ Regional. The standard of excellence was once again raised in ’07 with another 50-win season and the University’s first Regional Host, where Duggan earned All-Myrtle Beach Regional Honors. During his career the Chants won 132 games, two conference titles and two #1 Regional Seeds. Dominick Duggan currently resides in Conway, SC and also serves as a personal instructor and coach at Coastal Baseball Academy.