WILKES-BARRE – Following a four-year Division I playing career and nine years of baseball coaching experience, Matt Hollod has been selected to take over as head baseball coach at Wilkes University, Director of Athletics Addy Malatesta announced on Monday.
 
“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Colonels baseball program here at Wilkes,” Hollod said. “The Wilkes Athletic Department has been outstanding through the process and has made me feel very comfortable. I am looking forward to working with the team and building Wilkes into a consistent winning program.”
 
Hollod comes to Wilkes after serving as associate head baseball coach at Freedom Conference rival DeSales University for three years. At DeSales, he was in charge of working camps, implemented the first ever fall hitting school, and worked as a recruiting coordinator.
 
Hollod also served as the head baseball coach for the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League for the past three seasons. In those three seasons, he has compiled three winning seasons, one playoff appearance, and two nationally ranked teams. In his time at the helm, he has moved seventeen players into professional baseball. He performed presentations at local youth clinics as well as hosted his own weekly radio show.
 
Before moving to DeSales, Hollod was an associate head coach at Southern Utah University for one year. He implemented his fall hitting school as well as managing team scheduling and travel expenses. Prior to Southern Utah, Hollod served as an assistant coach at Williamette University for one year. In that time he moved one player onto a Division I baseball program.
 
Hollod has successfully implemented fall hitting camps throughout the Northwest, including the University of Washington’s high school prospect camp and high school prospect camps in Anchorage, Alaska and Bend, Oregon.

After graduation, Hollod served as an assistant coach at the University of Portland from 2003 to 2008. He was especially strong in recruiting for Portland from 2006 to 2008, signing five All-Conference players as well as one freshman All-American in just a three year span. Hollod was also instrumental in setting up an in-state rivalry match-up against former NCAA National Champion Oregon State at PGE Park in 2008. Hollod also arranged and coordinated the 2009 Rose City Classic, featuring the Portland Pilots, Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies and Hawaii Warriors. He served as a representative of the University at annual LPGA Safeway Classic fundraising events while performing other duties including managing team budget, scheduling, and implementing his Fall Hitting Camp for the first time at the University.

Prior to his coaching career, Hollod was a four-time letter winner in baseball at the University of Washington and the University of Portland.  He was an honorable mention All-West Coast Conference selection during his junior season where he was a consistent starter for the Pilots on the mound.  As a hitter, Hollod led the team with a .346 average in his final season in Portland.  Before college, Hollod prepped at Mark Morris High School in Longview, Wash.
 
Last season, the Colonels posted a 13-26 overall record going 4-17 in Freedom Conference play. All three Colonels that earned All-Freedom Conference honors will be returning to the lineup in 2013.
 
Hollod will also be starting a Baseball School at Wilkes hosting camps and lessons throughout the year for kids of all ages.
 
“Our instructors will have experience playing at both the college and professional levels and will be excellent tools for developing our campers,” said Hollod.
 
Information on future camps and lessons will be posted on the Wilkes baseball website. For more information please contact coach Hollod at matthew.hollod@wilkes.edu.

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