Wake Forest's baseball team hired two new assistant coaches. Matt Morales and Ryan Hendricks took different routes to the Deacons.
Wake Forest announced two hires to its baseball team’s coaching staff on Tuesday afternoon.
One of them took a conventional path through baseball to land with Wake Forest; the other took a decidedly different one.
Matt Morales will be an assistant coach for the Deacons. He played at Stetson, was drafted by the Cubs and finished his degree at Florida State, where he also was a student assistant coach. He coached at UAB for two seasons before spending the last four seasons as a scout (one with Cubs, last three with Rangers).
“Matt is the perfect addition to our staff. His primary responsibility will be to help solidify our infield and team defense,” coach Tom Walter said via news release. “He will also help Coach (Bill) Cilento with our hitters, base-runners and with position player recruiting.
“His experience in professional baseball makes him a great evaluator and his passion for infield play is contagious.”
Ryan Hendricks will be Wake’s coordinator of player development and baseball operations. He played at George Washington University and St. Andrews University before he was drafted by the Orioles.
After his playing career ended, Hendricks pursued a law degree at the University of Baltimore. He then entered the military and joined the United States Air Force. He retired as a Colonel on July 26, 2025.
“Ryan is the son of former MLB player and coach Elrod Hendricks; baseball is in his blood,” Walter said through the same news release. “As a player, he was the guy on the team who thought like a coach and had that clutch gene.
“Professionally, he has dedicated himself to serving our nation and is now ready to get back to his roots to help develop our young men personally and professionally.”
Elrod Hendricks had an 11-year professional career, mostly with the Orioles. He was a member of the 1970 World Series champion team.
Category: General Sports
