'Stangs add another big-leaguer
New head coach Phil Stanford welcomes former Colorado Rockies OF Cory Sullivan; he'll join other staff members, including Jason Hirsch, a former Rockies hurler.
If high-school baseball permitted coaches to actually play, Mullen probably would be a Series favorite.
First-year Mustangs head coach Phil Stanford has added former Colorado Rockies outfielder Cory Sullivan as an assistant. It comes on the heels of an off-season that also resulted in the hiring of former Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsch.
“It’s pretty exciting to get someone of that kind of experience to work with our kids, a guy who played in the high-level league,” Stanford said. “It’s not every day that you get this kind of experience to share with your program.”
Sullivan, who also played with the Mets and Astros, said his position with the Mustangs baseball team is simple – he will “help with the knowledge I was able to gain.”
A career .271 hitter in the National League from 2005-10, Sullivan will handle the Mullen outfielders and offer base-running know-how.
Familiar to coaching, including on the youth level as well as giving lessons, Sullivan has been with AT&T SportsNet since 2014, and is an analyst on the Rockies Pregame Report and Postgame Show. Accordingly, and as he’s introduced to all four classes of the Mullen team, he’s aware of potential conflicts, but “until the (major-league baseball) season is resolved, I’m not really sure.”
Of course, he speculated, “when I’m available, I’ll be there.”
Two former big-leaguers will be in the Mustangs dugout and Stanford said his players were intrigued immediately with them. The coach pointed to senior Trevor Moore, a Stanford University signee, who said he wanted to pick Sullivan’s brain about being a top-flight position player as well as Hirsch’s concerning pitching.
“The kids really like that,” Stanford said.
The Mustangs return a senior-dominated team that tied for the Centennial League title, has four college signees and came within a game of making the Class 5A Championship Series.
Said Sullivan: “I am excited about having an opportunity to work with Coach Stanford and his staff … I’m excited to get going and give the knowledge as freely as I can.”
Mullen players have been grinding for months and await the official beginning of spring practice, Feb. 28.
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