Photo by: Joe Harper
Baseball Announces Ladd Rhodes as Assistant Coach
7/26/2019 11:08:00 AM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss baseball program completed its coaching roster for the 2020 season Friday with the hiring announcement of Ladd Rhodes as an assistant on the staff.
Rhodes comes to Southern Miss after spending the last three seasons as hitting instructor and outfield coach at Jones College. In addition, he oversaw the Bobcat baseball strength and conditioning, designing in-season and offseason workouts and accompanied the team during every on-campus workout.
"I am excited for the fact that we didn't have to look far down the road to get a quality coach in Ladd to come in and help with our program," said Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry. "We look forward to him assisting with the maturation process of our hitters along with helping scheme our defense. His duties will also include oversight of the many camps that we put on during the year. He is certainly a great addition to our coaching staff and program."
With his hiring at Southern Miss, Rhodes finished his second stint as an assistant coach at Jones College, where he holds the unique distinction of capturing championships as both a player and a coach.
The Bobcats finished this past spring with a 37-12 record and posted a .326 team batting average, as eight different players hit above .300 during the campaign.
The 2018 season saw the Bobcats compile a 38-11 mark, while finishing second in the MACJC. Jones had a .324 team batting average. His first team in 2017 collected a 46-4 record, while winning the MACJC regular season title. Jones College posted a team batting average of .370, which led NJCAA Division II that season.
Also that year, former Bobcat and then Golden Eagle, Fred Franklin, earned a Gold Glove in the outfield for the NJCAA Division II level.
During his first time at Jones College as a coach, Rhodes worked as a graduate assistant on the 2014 coaching staff on a Bobcat squad that tied the school record for wins, won the MACJC South Division, the MACJC tournament, and hosted the Region 23 Tournament.
Rhodes' influence on the 2014 offense was enough to see them to a .327 team batting average, 112 doubles, and 24 home runs. The 2014 squad had seven players with 30-plus RBI.
Rhodes originally came to Jones College in 2010 as an outfielder, after graduating from Gulfport High School. During his time in a Bobcat uniform, the team enjoyed great success, capturing two South Division titles, a state championship, and the school's first ever appearance in the NJCAA D2 World Series. The 2011 team set a school record for wins and finished national runner-up.
He earned second team All-MACJC selection in 2011, batting .345 with 20 stolen bases.
That successful stint led to two more outstanding seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, where he earned All-Southland Conference Tournament honors in both 2012 and 2013.
Rhodes replaces B.A. Vollmuth, who left the program earlier this month to join private business.
Rhodes, along with his wife, Beverly, will join the program later this month.
Rhodes comes to Southern Miss after spending the last three seasons as hitting instructor and outfield coach at Jones College. In addition, he oversaw the Bobcat baseball strength and conditioning, designing in-season and offseason workouts and accompanied the team during every on-campus workout.
"I am excited for the fact that we didn't have to look far down the road to get a quality coach in Ladd to come in and help with our program," said Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry. "We look forward to him assisting with the maturation process of our hitters along with helping scheme our defense. His duties will also include oversight of the many camps that we put on during the year. He is certainly a great addition to our coaching staff and program."
With his hiring at Southern Miss, Rhodes finished his second stint as an assistant coach at Jones College, where he holds the unique distinction of capturing championships as both a player and a coach.
The Bobcats finished this past spring with a 37-12 record and posted a .326 team batting average, as eight different players hit above .300 during the campaign.
The 2018 season saw the Bobcats compile a 38-11 mark, while finishing second in the MACJC. Jones had a .324 team batting average. His first team in 2017 collected a 46-4 record, while winning the MACJC regular season title. Jones College posted a team batting average of .370, which led NJCAA Division II that season.
Also that year, former Bobcat and then Golden Eagle, Fred Franklin, earned a Gold Glove in the outfield for the NJCAA Division II level.
During his first time at Jones College as a coach, Rhodes worked as a graduate assistant on the 2014 coaching staff on a Bobcat squad that tied the school record for wins, won the MACJC South Division, the MACJC tournament, and hosted the Region 23 Tournament.
Rhodes' influence on the 2014 offense was enough to see them to a .327 team batting average, 112 doubles, and 24 home runs. The 2014 squad had seven players with 30-plus RBI.
Rhodes originally came to Jones College in 2010 as an outfielder, after graduating from Gulfport High School. During his time in a Bobcat uniform, the team enjoyed great success, capturing two South Division titles, a state championship, and the school's first ever appearance in the NJCAA D2 World Series. The 2011 team set a school record for wins and finished national runner-up.
He earned second team All-MACJC selection in 2011, batting .345 with 20 stolen bases.
That successful stint led to two more outstanding seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, where he earned All-Southland Conference Tournament honors in both 2012 and 2013.
Rhodes replaces B.A. Vollmuth, who left the program earlier this month to join private business.
Rhodes, along with his wife, Beverly, will join the program later this month.
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