Former EMCC standout Chase Reeves returns to Scooba as Lions assistant baseball coach

SCOOBA – Former EMCC baseball standout Chase Reeves has been named assistant baseball coach at East Mississippi Community College, as announced Thursday by Lions head coach Brett Kimbrel.  

A former Louisville Slugger All-American and a three-time all-state selection at Hamilton High School, Reeves returns to the Scooba campus after previously playing for the Lions during the 2013 and 2014 baseball seasons.  Reeves' well-traveled collegiate playing career was divided between Ole Miss, EMCC, Southern Miss and Blue Mountain College.  Most recently, Reeves spent the past three seasons on Curt Fowler's Blue Mountain coaching staff after previously winding down his injury-plagued college playing career with BMC in 2016.

"We are very excited to have one of our own come back home and rejoin the East Mississippi family," EMCC's Kimbrel said.  "Chase was a vital part of EMCC's 2014 division championship team, so he is very familiar with our program and what it takes to win here.  He is a tireless recruiter and an outstanding young coach in all facets of the game who has competed at the highest level.  I'm confident Chase will have an immediate impact on our players while also making long-lasting contributions to our program."

As a full-time assistant coach the past two seasons after an initial year as a graduate assistant at NAIA member Blue Mountain College, Reeves helped guide the Toppers to 87 total victories, including a school-record 32 wins in 2017 in his first year on staff.  During his two seasons as BMC's hitting coach and recruiting assistant, Reeves helped mentor five All-Southern States Athletic Conference players while a total of 17 players were named to the SSAC All-Academic Team.  This past season, Blue Mountain had three former EMCC Lions (Will Garriga, Luke Miller & Destin Payton) play key roles for the Toppers.

 "This opportunity to be back home at East Mississippi is truly a blessing and part of God's plan for me to be able to help teach these young men not only to become better baseball players but more importantly to become better men while competing at the highest level," Reeves said.  "I'd like to thank Blue Mountain College and Coach (Curt) Fowler for believing in me at the start of my coaching career, and I am excited to be back here at EMCC and work alongside Coach (Brett) Kimbrel.  This is a special place where I met my wife, and I am very thankful to East Mississippi for this opportunity."   

After originally signing with Ole Miss as one of the state's top high school prospects and then redshirting the 2012 season with the Rebels, Reeves transferred to East Mississippi and enjoyed a productive sophomore season for former EMCC head coach Chris Rose.  After batting .290 in limited action as a redshirt freshman following shoulder surgery, Reeves bounced back to help lead the 2014 EMCC Lions to a 32-13 overall record and MACJC North Division regular-season championship with an 18-6 mark.  As the team's starting right fielder, Reeves led the Lions with 32 runs batted in and tied for the team lead with six home runs, including two homers in one game against Holmes.  He also totaled 23 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, seven doubles and three triples as a sophomore.

Following an injury-shortened season at Southern Miss, Reeves closed out his playing career at Blue Mountain College.  As a fifth-year senior and 46-game starter for the Toppers in 2016, he had eight doubles, three homers and a triple along with 16 runs batted in and 19 runs scored.

As a left-handed, dual-position player, Reeves lettered six years under the guidance of head coach Lewis Earnest at Hamilton High School.  At the plate for his career, Reeves batted .426 with 34 home runs, 32 doubles and 22 triples to go along with 180 RBIs and 200 runs scored.  On the mound for the HHS Lions, he compiled a 39-9 career record and 1.14 earned run average with 501 strikeouts and only 70 walks in 319 innings pitched.  As a prep senior, Reeves was named the 2011 MHSAA Class 2 Player of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches after posting a 6-1 pitching record and 0.78 ERA while striking out 86 and walking only 15 in 45 innings of mound work.

With a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and health studies from Blue Mountain, Reeves is married to the former Rachel Clay of DeKalb.