Clarke joins Hinds CC baseball staff as pitching coach, recruiting coordinator

Josh Clarke will join the Hinds Eagle baseball coaching staff this upcoming season as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

Clarke arrives from Belhaven University, where he spent seven seasons on the coaching staff.

“We are thrilled to welcome Josh Clarke to Hinds as our new pitching coach and recruiting coordinator,” head coach Dan Rives said. “He grew up in this program, was an outstanding pitcher for our state championship team in 2010 and will do a heck of a job for us in his work with our pitching staff and heading up our recruiting. He has a special amount of pride in this program and is very excited about getting things underway, and I know he will make a huge impact in so many areas of our program.”

A 2012 graduate of Belhaven, Clarke played two seasons under head coach Hill Denson. Clarke helped the Blazers to a 2011 Southern States Athletic Conference Championship with 10 saves, third most in a single season in BU history.

Clarke followed up his First Team All-SSAC season with 10 more saves for the Blazers in 2012, totaling 20 for his career, second all time on Belhaven’s career saves list.

Posting a 4-3 record with 20 saves, Clarke made a total of 41 appearances for Denson, pitching 53.1 innings. Clarke gave up just 14 earned runs, a 2.37 ERA for his career, and also had nearly a 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio, recording 65 strikeouts to 23 walks. He limited opposing batters to a .207 batting average.

Clarke was also named to the SSAC All-Academic team for both seasons in the Green and Gold, while also being a member of the Dean’s List for three semesters at Belhaven.

The Clinton, Miss. native also served as the Assistant Baseball Coach at Madison Central High School for the 2013-14 academic year. Clarke coached the outfield and pitchers, while also teaching government and economics.

After graduation from Belhaven, Clarke was named the Assistant Baseball Coach at Hillcrest Christian School, where he also served as a teacher for one year.

Prior to arriving at Belhaven as a player, the Clinton High School graduate played two seasons at Hinds Community College where he helped the Eagles to a Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Championship in 2010. Clarke was also named a First Team All-State Selection in 2010 after recording 11 saves to set the single-season record for Hinds. Clarke wrapped up his two years at Hinds with 13 career saves, also a school record.

Clarke graduated from Belhaven in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History.

Josh is married to the former MariGrace DeLoach of Clinton, where the couple currently resides with their sons Houston and Dean.