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Murphy, Munoz Join Baseball Staff

October 15, 1997

Chris Murphy and Ken Munoz have joined the George Mason baseball coaching staff, head coach Bill Brown announced today. Murphy, 27, has been officially named a full-time assistant coach after being a student assistant the past two seasons, while Munoz, 27, joins the staff as a volunteer assistant.

Murphy begins his third season with the Patriots as the teamĸs pitching coach. His status was upgraded to full-time after he completed his undergraduate degree in physical education from Elon College this summer. A 1989 graduate of Cherry Hill (NJ) West High School, where he played with former Patriots standout and current assistant coach J.J. Picollo, Murphy earned all-state honors as a pitcher as a senior as he helped lead Cherry Hill to three appearances in the New Jersey Group IV state finals and a state title in his senior year. Upon graduation, Murphy attended Elon, where he compiled a record of 17-6 in three seasons. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1992 and spent two seasons with the Padres' Class A team in Spokane, WA, before 1992 and spent two seasons with the Padres' Class A team in Spokane, WA, before his career ended with an injury to his right shoulder.

Murphy began his coaching career in 1995 as he guided the junior varsity baseball team at Cinnaminson (NJ) High School. During the summers of 1995-96, he assisted Picollo with the Arlington Senators of the Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League and helped lead the Senators to the National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) championship in 1995, as well as a runner-up finish in the All American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) national tournament in 1996.

Munoz is a former standout shortstop for the Patriots, teamming with second baseman Lonnie Goldberg to give George Mason one of the top middle-infield combinations in the country in 1992 and Ą93. A transfer from Rockland (NY) Community College, Munoz capped his three-year Patriot career in 1993 by earning second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as he helped lead George Mason to its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. He then spent the summer of 1993 playing with the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks of the independent Northern League.

For his career, Munoz batted .303 with 33 doubles, seven triples, 14 home runs and 108 runs batted in. On George Masonĸs all-time charts, he ranks third in stolen bases (45), fifth in at bats (542) and runs scored (129), and seventh in hits (164).

Munoz was a high school All-American at Suffern High School, and after graduation in 1988, he earned honoralbe mention JUCO All-America honors in one season at Rockland before coming to Fairfax. A 1994 graduate of George Mason with a degree in physical education, Munoz spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at nearby West Springfield High School, where he continues to teach physical education.

Email baseball contact, Ben Trittipoe (993-3263)