Chris Cates

Chris Cates is a native of Tampa, FL and brings a knowledgeable background in both playing and coaching baseball for over 20 years. He attended Brandon High School where he was a 4 year starter and earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY. Cates graduated from Louisville in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. He played an integral role in leading Louisville to its first-ever College World Series appearance in 2007, was a semifinalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award and also the recipient of the Men’s BIG EAST/Aeropostale Scholar-Athlete award, which earned him a postgraduate scholarship. Selected in the 38th round of the 2007 MLB First Year Player Draft by Minnesota, Cates played for five seasons in the Twins’ minor league organization. Chris went on to a career in coaching baseball at the collegiate level where he has made stops at Florida State University (2013), the University of Tampa (2014), the University of South Florida (2015-2019, 2023-2025) and the University of Central Florida (2021-2023). He has also worked with USA Baseball on the task force committee as a part of the National Team Identification Series (NTIS).