TAMPA, AUG. 18, 2014— University of South Florida head baseball coach Mark Kingston has named Chris Cates as the program's new volunteer assistant coach. Cates will coach infielders, assist with hitters and coach third base during games. Off the field, he will assist with campus recruiting administration and camps.

“I am excited to announce the addition of Chris Cates to our staff,” Kingston said. “It is important to me that Chris reached his full potential as a player, because that is my goal for each of our players. His playing in the College World Series with Louisville, and playing five years of professional baseball is a testament to his determination. His work ethic and enthusiasm will rub off on our players, and be an important addition in building an elite program. “

Cates comes from the University of Tampa where he worked with infielders, base running and bunting as an assistant coach for the 2014 season. While at Tampa, the team recorded a program-high fielding percentage of .971, while stealing 82 bases in 96 attempts and recording only 63 errors, the fifth lowest amount in school history.

“It's very exciting. I'm going to get to coach third base so I'm excited about that new challenge,” Cates said. “I coached a summer league and had the opportunity to coach third for the first time. I learned a lot about myself and the things I need to work on. I'm very welcoming to challenges. I like to step up in big situations so hopefully this is an opportunity that I can cherish and really take on and excel at.”

Prior to his coaching stint at Tampa, Cates was an assistant at Florida State University for the 2013 season. His primary responsibilities at FSU were in the development of the outfielders while serving as the first base coach. 

“It's nice to be able to coach at home where my parents and family and my wife's family can be here to come watch the games,” Cates said. “I want to hopefully help this program build into a powerhouse. At Louisville, we were kind of like USF where we were on that fringe. My last year we went to the College World Series and put the program on the map. I hope that I can provide some guidance and some help to get USF on that same level.”
 
Selected in the 38th round of the 2007 MLB First Year Player Draft by the Minnesota Twins, Cates played for five seasons in the Twins' minor league organization. He was named a two-time All-Star in the minors earning his first nod in 2008 with the Beloit Snappers out of the Class A Midwest League. A year later Cates would make his second All-Star team, this time in his first season at the Class A-Advanced level of the Florida State League with the Fort Myers Miracle. Cates turned his second All-Star appearance into a promotion to the Double-A Eastern League where he spent two seasons playing with the New Britain Rock Cats before retiring from professional baseball in 2011.
 
Cates graduated from the University of Louisville in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in sports administration. A four-year starter at shortstop for the Cardinals (2004-07), Cates started 239 games and hit .302 with 270 hits, 162 runs scored, 101 RBI, 44 doubles, five triples and three home runs. He also showed great strike zone discipline finishing his career with 89 walks to just 69 strikeouts. Cates played an integral role in leading Louisville to its first ever College World Series appearance in 2007 where the Cardinals went 1-2 in Omaha posting a victory over Mississippi State in an elimination contest.
 
He closed out his senior campaign hitting .294 with 70 hits and a single-season career-high 17 stolen bases en route to being named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. Voted team captain by his teammates and coaches, Cates was a semifinalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and the recipient of the Men's BIG EAST/Aeropostale Scholar-Athlete award which earned him a postgraduate scholarship. 
 
The Tampa, Fla., native had a career junior season at Louisville as he started all 60 games at shortstop and led the team with a .332 average, 47 runs scored and 16 sac-bunts - a new single-season record for the Cards. Cates was instrumental in helping set a team record for double plays turned in 2006 with 75. He went on to earn third team All-BIG EAST honors as a junior after guiding the Cardinals to their first appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game in their first season in the league.

Cates is married to the former Meagan Suárez, a UT graduate, as the couple was wed on November 3, 2012 in Tampa.