Chris Munnelly Joins HPU Baseball Staff as Director of Player of Development

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University baseball coach Craig Cozart named Chris Munnelly as the new Director of Player Development on Thursday. Munnelly is a former pitcher at North Carolina who played two seasons in the Houston Astros organization.

“We are very excited to have Chris Munnelly join the coaching staff here at High Point University,” Cozart said. “Chris is a man of high character who possesses extensive baseball experience and knowledge and a great work ethic. He also brings tremendous ties to the local community. He will add a whole new dimension to improving our players on-field performance. We are looking forward to a very successful year and Chris will be a huge part of our efforts.”

In his role as Director of Player Development, Munnelly will be working closely with the staff in the HPU Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab to implement programs in areas of research, preventative maintenance and performance enhancement. He will also be in charge of many of the daily functions of the HPU baseball team.

Munnelly joined the Astros in 2013 after signing with the organization as a free agent. He finished his minor league career with a 2.26 ERA and a 3.4 strikeout-to-walk ration while playing at the Rookie and Low-A levels. Munnelly set an Appalachian League record with a .070 opponent batting average in 2013.

The former Tar Heel right-hander played four years with North Carolina, appearing in 77 games with 39 starts. As a senior, Munnelly appeared in 18 games with seven starts and finished with a 6-0 record and a 2.36 ERA. He pitched 53-1/3 innings and struck out 58 while also holding opponents to a .163 opponent batting average.

Munnelly has served as the pitching coach this summer on the staff of the Wilson Tobs in the Coastal Plains League, a wood bat collegiate summer league.

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Munnelly graduated from Forsyth Country Day School. He earned 2009 Rawlings Preseason All-America and All-Atlantic Region honors and claimed all-state accolades in 2008 and 2009.