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SPORTS

Parker Bangs Joins Davidson Baseball

by | Jul 11, 2018 | Sports

New Davidson Baseball assistant coach Parker Bangs. [Graphic courtesy of Davidson Sports Information.]

DAVIDSON, N.C. – In his first official move with Davidson Baseball, newly-minted head coach Rucker Taylor has announced the hiring of Parker Bangs to complete his inaugural staff. Bangs will serve as pitching coach and assist with recruiting, after holding the same role at Presbyterian College for the last three years. Taylor also announced the elevation of current assistant Ryan Munger to recruiting coordinator.

“I am beyond thrilled to be invited to join a program with such a rich history and bright future like Davidson,” Bangs said. “Coach Taylor and his staff bring a wealth of knowledge with them, and I am looking forward to learning from such an established group. I want to thank them for welcoming me to the team, and I’m extremely excited to get to work with the pitching staff and attempt to build off of the success they have enjoyed.”

“I believe Parker fits exactly what we’re looking for at Davidson,” Taylor said. “He’s intelligent, dedicated, and knowledgeable. He has a great baseball background as a player at South Carolina and with the Royals, and as a coach at multiple levels. I believe he’ll connect with our players and develop lifelong relationships. We’re very excited to have Parker, his wife Ariel, and their new son Wyatt join our baseball family.”

While at Presby, Bangs led the Blue Hose to a number of program-bests since moving to Division I, including 433 strikeouts, 16 saves, and a 4.32 ERA in 2017. The squad also allowed its fewest runs (321) and earned runs (258) since 2013 as the team recorded a D1-era best 32 wins. Under his guidance, the Blue Hose named two pitchers to the All-Big South squads.

Presby’s pitching staff also made significant strides in 2016 under Bangs’ first season, including making their first-ever appearance in the Big South title game.

Bangs played collegiately at South Carolina, taking home a National Championship in 2010 before continuing his career with three seasons in the Kansas City Royals organization. In his three years with the Gamecocks, Bangs compiled a 7-5 record, tallying nearly 100 strikeouts over 74.2 innings, and also spent time at the plate, posting a .301 career clip with 21 doubles, 10 home runs, and 60 RBI.

Taken by the Royals in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB Draft, Bangs made 17 appearances with nearly 30 innings of work.

Prior to his stint at PC, Bangs was the head coach of the Wilmington Sharks in the Coastal Plain League for two summers and spent three seasons as head coach of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, S.C. He also served as the pitching/hitting coach for the Columbia Blowfish, also of the CPL, and hitting coach for at Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, S.C., following his playing career.

A native of Laurinburg, N.C., Bangs graduated from South Carolina in 2010 with a degree in experimental psychology and sociology minor, and then went on to earn his Masters from there in 2015 in Public Administration.

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