Trapasso hires batting coach from Georgia Tech

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i has filled one assistant baseball coaching position with the hiring of Josh Sorge, who helped Georgia Tech to a top-5 ranking in batting the past two seasons, and is close to completing its coaching staff.

Sorge, who coached with new UH head coach Mike Trapasso at Georgia Tech, is leaving to become the Rainbows' batting and infield coach, Georgia Tech officials confirmed yesterday.

Trapasso said an announcement would be forthcoming. He said he expects to fill the other full-time coaching position as early as next week. Sorge will officially take over July 1, although he may stay on the Mainland until August to recruit.

Trapasso met with several candidates, including a couple with Hawai'i ties, in Los Angeles earlier in the week. They were among the more than 80 applicants.

"The amount of interest we've had in the positions is just amazing," Trapasso said. "There were a lot of very good coaches interested in the positions."

With Sorge and Jeff Guy as batting coaches, Georgia Tech finished third in NCAA Division 1 last season with a .347 average. In 2000, the Yellowjackets hit .342, fifth-best in the nation.

"Our players had a lot of faith and trust in Josh," said Danny Hall, Georgia Tech head coach. "He comes from a strong baseball background and really puts a lot into the job."

Sorge, 28, says he "grew up on the baseball field" where his father, Timothy, was a junior college coach in Ohio. Sorge was a catcher and infielder at Ohio University, where he was a third-team All-American as a senior. He also served as a graduate assistant at Ohio.

At Georgia Tech, Sorge was a volunteer assistant the past two seasons working with catchers and infielders.

He also was the head coach of a collegiate summer league team at Durham, N. C. in the Coastal Plain League.