Chad Highberger Named Volunteer Assistant

BERKELEY – California baseball head coach Mike Neu announced Chad Highberger as his program's new volunteer assistant coach on Monday, Feb. 1. Highberger replaces Adam Ricks, who shortly held the position during the 2020 fall season.
 
Highberger arrives in Berkeley after spending the previous two seasons at Holy Names University (Oakland) on staff as an assistant coach.
 
During Highberger's first season with the Hawks (2019), he served as the third-base coach while working with catchers and hitters. He helped Hawks catchers allow 20 less stolen bases than the previous year (2018) while also cutting down on past balls. The HNU offense produced a program-record 24 home runs in the same season. In 2020, Highberger and the Hawks earned 10 wins before the season was called short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2017-18, Highberger was an assistant coach at Los Medanos College (Pittsburg, Calif.), serving as the first-base coach while working with catchers and hitters. The Mustangs reached the playoffs in both years with Highberger on staff and appeared in the program's first super regional in 2017. Highberger was a key piece in the recruitment of the 2019 Mustang team that went on to win its first Bay Valley Conference title on the way to reaching the NorCal Final 4.

Highberger got his first taste of coaching in 2016 as an assistant at Clayton Valley Charter High School under head coach Casey Coakley.

Highberger played three years of independent ball with the Pittsburg Diamonds (2016-17, 2018) and the Gary Southshore Railcats (2017).

An East Bay native, Highberger started his collegiate playing career at Los Medanos in 2012-13. He later transferred to Eastern New Mexico (2014-15), where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Community Physical Education with a minor in coaching.

Highberger completed his Master of Education in Urban Education at Holy Names University in the spring of 2020. He resides in Concord, Calif.
 
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