BOONE, N.C. – All-Sun Belt catcher
Hayden Cross is returning to his alma mater.
The five-year team member for App State Baseball has rejoined the Mountaineers' coaching staff in a full-time capacity as the Director of Player Development-Operations and Catching Coordinator, head coach
Kermit Smith announced Tuesday.
Cross returns to Boone after two seasons as the director of player development and catching coach at Murray State, where he helped guide the Racers to the 2025 College World Series, the first appearance in program history.
"Any time that you have a former player return to work with you, it's a special day, especially when it's someone like Hayden," Smith said. "He is such a high-character individual and an extremely hard worker that this was an easy decision. Hayden obviously left his mark on our program as an All-Sun Belt player and has started to make his mark in coaching as well.
"His experience of earning a trip to Omaha in 2025 will pay huge dividends as he will be able to share those experiences with our student-athletes as we aggressively pursue that same accomplishment. It's a great day to be a Mountaineer."
Cross played an important role in Murray State's historic postseason run while also helping catcher Will Vierling earn a First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection before Vierling was chosen in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. Cross helped develop 20 all-conference selections in two seasons with the Racers.
"I couldn't be more excited to be back on the mountain," Cross said. "I have a lot of love for Boone and the App State baseball program. It's a blessing to have the opportunity to come home and work alongside Coach Smith and this staff. This program has had a lot of success over the past several years, and I'm excited to get to work and help continue that momentum. I'm grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to get started."
A 2023 graduate of App State, Cross spent the 2024 season as a graduate assistant with the Mountaineers. He helped lead App State to a second consecutive 30-win season while working to develop a record-setting offense that hit a program-best 96 home runs and led the Sun Belt with a .919 OPS.
As a player, Cross appeared in 177 games across five seasons, making 157 starts. He earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2022, hitting a career-high 16 doubles while leading the team in on-base percentage (.399) and batting average (.305). He capped his five-year run with a career-best seven home runs, 49 RBIs and .948 OPS in 2023, leading App State to its first 30-win season in a decade. He also threw out a league-best 19 base stealers, the most by a Mountaineer catcher since 2018.
Cross played alongside his brother Caleb each of his final two seasons with the Mountaineers.
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