Newport Central Catholic and Bellevue were in similar spots with their baseball head coach openings, the two recently making coaching hires for their baseball programs.
Both members of the 36th District, NewCath appointed Nick Enginger while Bellevue tabbed assistant Matt Atkins.
Enginger has been a teacher on The Hill since 1997, teaching social studies. He’s a Northern Kentucky University grad, playing in high school at Elder in Cincinnati and then for the Norse. After his playing career, he was an assistant at NKU under Bill Aker and Todd Asalon. He was also an assistant for NewCath in football, baseball and softball.
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“I am excited for Coach Enginger to take over the baseball program. He was an assistant coach for me here at NewCath and has a vast knowledge of the game,” NewCath Athletic Director Jeff Schulkens said.
Enginger recently was an assistant on the NewCath softball team.
“I am excited to teach these young men baseball and life lessons along the way,” Enginger said.
NewCath finished 16-16 this past season, finishing runner-up in the 36th District and losing to Conner in the Ninth Region tournament semifinals. Enginger replaces Jeff Martin,
who resigned after the season
as the Thoroughbreds graduate six seniors.
Atkins has been an assistant on Bellevue’s staff as the pitching coach the past two seasons under Rob Sanders. He’s a 2005 grad of Newport and lettered in football, baseball and basketball. He then went to Kentucky Wesleyan College, playing baseball for three years and football for two. He continued his baseball career after college in independent leagues in Texas and Ontario.
“Matt is going to do great things at Bellevue, and we are excited he is leading our baseball program,” Bellevue Independent Schools released.
Atkins replaces Sanders,
who retired after the season as the longest-tenured and winningest baseball coach in Bellevue history
with 215 career wins. He inherits a Bellevue team that graduates just two seniors coming off a 14-16 season.
“Excited for this new journey,” Atkins said on his Instagram page.
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