Ten years ago, Trevor Charpie first arrived in St. Cloud in pursuit of reaching the professional level, providing the St. Cloud Rox with consistency and reliability on the mound over three summers. 

Now ten years later, after accomplishing his goal of going on to play professional baseball, Charpie is returning to St. Cloud once again. But this time in a different role in helping the Rox pitching staff. 

In January, Charpie was named the new pitching coach of the Rox for the 2024 season, replacing former Rox pitching coach Michael McCormick who was hired by the Boston Red Sox in the same role for the organization’s minor league teams. 

As he joins the Rox staff led by field manager Nick Studdard, Charpie returns to Joe Faber Field and to St. Cloud community where he has fond memories of his time as a player.

“I love St. Cloud. My girlfriend, my mom and my dad were all able to visit me while I was there. I had great relationships with the people there. My host mom, Darice, who is still a host mom, I even went to see her last year when I went to a game,” Charpie said. “It all just kind of comes full circle. I appreciated the coaching and the situation there and I want to do the same for the other kids coming up.”

Career With the Rox

Charpie debuted with the Rox in 2014, coming off his first two collegiate seasons with the University of Tennessee before rounding out his college career with the University of Nevada in 2017. 

The California native ended up returning to St. Cloud for two more summers in 2015 and 2016 before making the jump to the professional level. Over his time with the Rox, Charpie appeared in 45 games on the mound while compiling a record of 7-3 with a 3.03 ERA, 15 saves and 98 strikeouts over 88.2 innings. 

His best season in the Northwoods League came in 2015 when he was named a Northwoods League All-Star and was selected to play in the Northwoods League Major League Dreams Showcase. That summer, Charpie went 3-1 with a 0.67 ERA over 40 innings. 

“The Northwoods League is the closest thing to pro ball that there is. The schedule, the travel, you’re playing good competition,” Charpie said. “If you’re serious about taking a step to the next level, it’s a place where it will get you ready when you get (to the professional level). I think it’s the cleanest form of baseball when you play every day. It was awesome to play there. Honestly, it’s some of the best memories that I have.”

While using the experience and the development he gained with the Rox, Charpie officially made the league to the professional game when he was signed as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017, going on to play three years in the Rays organization and making it as high as the Double A level before retiring in 2022. Over his three-year career with Tampa Bay, Charpie posted a 9-2 record, 3.47 ERA and pitched 72.2 innings over 42 games with 62 strikeouts. 

Returning to St. Cloud

With his playing days now behind him, Charpie still has a desire to impact the game and help the next generation of players, which is why he has jumped into coaching since his retirement.

Charpie’s coaching career began during his playing days when he served as the varsity pitching coach at Canyon High School in 2019-20 and as an assistant coach at Brea High School in 2021-22 along with coaching for the travel ball organization Orange County Premier.

He made the jump into the college game in 2022-23 when he served as the pitching coach at Golden West College, later taking over an assistant coach role with Youngstown State in 2023-24 where he remains to this day. 

“I just love the game and I always thought I could be a good coach. I’ve learned a lot and I listened through all my years of playing while taking in information,” he said. “When I got an opportunity to coach, it was the first time I got that feeling like I got when I was playing. I felt like this was the thing for me to do because I couldn’t replicate this anywhere else.”

Now expanding on his coaching career, Charpie returns to a place that helped propel him to where he is today by returning to St. Cloud. 

“I’m looking forward to coaching for the first time where we play every day. I firmly believe the best form of baseball is when you play every day,” Charpie said. “I’m excited to meet those new kids, new players from all over the country. It’s exciting. It’s a new journey.”

Charpie is excited to return to the Rox organization and to once again be back in the St. Cloud community that once cheered him on as a player. 

The Rox and the Northwoods League provided him with an opportunity to work on his game and eventually reach the professional level, and now he wants to give back to the next wave of Rox players who have dreams of one day doing the same. 

“The time I had in summer ball, I want others to have that. I think they deserve that,” Charpie said. “Last year, when I was coaching in California, I sent one of my players to St. Cloud and I was just so excited for him. I said, ‘if you have half as good of a time as I had there, you’ll love it.’

“It’s a special place. It’s a place I will always hold dear and a place I cherish.”