2004 at UVA

I played 4 years of varsity baseball at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. My highlights include all conference honors my junior and senior year, and a sectional championship and #5 state ranking in 1993.

I enrolled in Chabot Community College in Hayward, CA after high school, but in a fall ball game in November, 1995 I slid into 2nd base awkwardly suffering a broken ankle, an injury that required reconstructive surgery. After missing the 1996 season, I enrolled at San Diego State for the 1996 - 1997 season. My fragile little high school ego was bruised when I wasn't recruited to a four year school, and I thought I was "better" than to be playing at a junior college anyway. I was promptly cut from the Aztec baseball team that fall (didn't even make it through the first round). This was a fork in the road for my baseball career, and I was very close to giving up baseball entirely. However, rather than quit, I decided to return to Chabot to try and continue my baseball career, albeit with my tail between my legs.

2000 game at Miami, FL.

To this day this was one of the best decisions I ever made. I went on to play two years at Chabot Community College, and I helped lead Chabot to two northern California championship games, was a two-time all conference performer, and garnered juco all-american and conference player-of-the-year honors in 1998. I was named Chabot's athlete of the year in 1998, and later to their team of the decade in 2000. My play in the 1998 season at Chabot earned me a baseball scholarship to East Carolina in the fall of 1998, which was one of the proudest moments of my life.

I played two seasons at East Carolina University in 1999 and 2000. As the starting centerfielder both years, I helped lead ECU to two conference championships and back to back #1 regional seeds. I earned the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference tournament MVP in 1999, after helping to lead ECU to their first conference championship in 6 years. In 2000, I was voted the best defensive outfielder in the conference by Baseball America, and earned 1st team all-CAA honors. My play in the NCAA regional in Lafayette, Louisiana earned me 1st team all-regional honors that same year.

In my two seasons as a leadoff hitter at ECU, I still hold top ten single season record for runs scored and stolen bases, and the #1 and #3 single season records for walks drawn. Despite only playing two years at ECU, I still hold career top 10 records for stolen bases and walks drawn.

2000 game at UNC

I went on to play three seasons of professional baseball in the independent Frontier League as both an outfielder and infielder. In my two years with the Gateway Grizzlies of the independent Frontier League, I set the Gateway single season and career record for stolen bases.

I spent the 2003 season as an assistant coach at East Carolina University. While at ECU, I helped lead the Pirates to their 5th consecutive post-season appearance and a victory over #5 national seed Georgia Tech in Atlanta. In 2004, I joined the University of Virginia baseball coaching staff, and helped lead the Cavaliers to their most successful season in school history at that time (the 2006 team eclipsed the 2004 team's win total). UVa placed second in the ACC with an 18-6 record, including series sweeps over Clemson and eventual ACC champion Georgia Tech in Atlanta. UVa tied the school record for most wins in a season, achieved their highest national ranking in school history (#7), and hosted their first ever regional as a #1 seed. It was that 2004 season that made me realize that I simply did not want to coach at the collegiate level. I was at a great University, with brand new facilities, and a new coaching staff that was committed to building a winning program. I knew in 2004 UVA was going to be a national power, and therefore I knew when I decided to leave I was leaving Omaha, and a future top 5 national program. That part of the decision was very hard - knowing what I was leaving. However, I knew if I wasn't happy there, I wouldn't be happy at any program in the country.

2000 game vs UNCW

I had started working with young players during my three years of professional baseball. It was that time that made me realize how much I enjoyed working with kids. Therefore, when I decided to leave Virginia, I knew the youth baseball diamond was where I needed to be. While having an opportunity to coach at two of the elite college baseball programs in the country was exciting, I missed the sense of fulfillment I had being a teacher and mentor to young ballplayers. My passion is teaching the game of baseball, and working with young players to help them embrace challenges and achieve success through preparation and hard work. I know I wouldn't have made it to ECU, and experienced what I've experienced without two great coaches, and mentors in my life - Steve Friend at Chabot, and Keith LeClair at ECU. My goal is to pay it forward, and do for my players what Steve and Keith did for me. No college baseball regional or conference championship compares to the feeling you get when you watch someone you coached grow into a self-motivated, and confident young ballplayer and person.

James Molinari
Carolina Elite Baseball