Hokie ClubKANNAPOLIS, N.C. – From collegiate baseball star to MLB utilityman and esteemed mentor within the game, former Virginia Tech baseball standout Chad Pinder was named field manager of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Thursday, taking the reins of the Chicago White Sox’ Single-A affiliate in the Carolina League.
Long home to the Commonwealth of Virginia, Pinder – who was born in Richmond and forged his early baseball roots in Poquoson outside Newport News – accepted his first career managerial role less than two years after declaring his retirement from MLB in May 2023. Drafted at No. 71 overall by Oakland during the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft, he logged seven big league seasons with the Athletics from 2016 to 2022, etching a .242 career batting average while compiling 89 doubles, 62 home runs, 204 runs and 197 RBIs.
Pinder arrived at Virginia Tech as a freshman ahead of the 2011 season, turning in a .317 rookie batting average under head coach Pete Hughes, who was eager to build on the success of the Hokies’ 2010 NCAA tournament berth. As an everyday starter in 2012, Pinder dodged a sophomore slump in Blacksburg, belting 22 doubles (the fifth most among ACC players) while batting at a .325 clip, mashing seven home runs while leading the team in hits (69).
By 2013, Pinder was an integral piece of Virginia Tech’s lineup that was destined to return to the postseason. Surrounded by the big bats of Tyler Horan, Andrew Rash and Mark Zagunis, Pinder helped the Hokies reach the ACC championship game and return to the NCAA tournament courtesy of the program’s second 40-win campaign within a four-year stretch.
Pinder celebrated 2013 All-ACC First Team honors, stamping his final collegiate season with 77 hits (.321 batting average), 13 doubles, a triple and eight home runs. Considering his three-year Virginia Tech career, he slashed .322/.389/.509, totaling 179 hits, 38 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs and 101 RBIs.
Flocking to the professional ranks, Pinder quickly stood out within the Oakland Athletics farm system, twice garnering Organization All-Star praise by MiLB.com (2014, 2015). In 2015, he manifested his promotion to Double-A (Midland RockHounds) by capturing Texas League Most Valuable Player honors, batting .317 through 117 games played, cranking out 32 doubles and powering 15 home runs while flexing 86 RBIs.
Following his 2015 All-Star and MVP season in the Texas League, Pinder vaulted in 2016 to Triple-A (Nashville Sounds), where he made another All-Star berth in the Pacific Coast League. One month later, he was called up to Oakland’s MLB roster, debuting as a 24-year-old on August 20 against the Chicago White Sox.
A resourceful pickup by the Athletics, Pinder played at least one game at every position except catcher throughout the duration of his MLB career. During the 2020 American League Division Series, he homered twice against Houston, finishing the postseason with seven hits (three extra-base knocks) and seven RBIs spanning Oakland's two series.
In Kannapolis, Pinder will serve alongside bench coach Darius Day, hitting coach Charlie Romero and pitching coach Jacob Dorris.
Last season, the Cannon Ballers championed the Carolina League’s South Division with their 70-61 record, reaching the championship series despite falling to Fredericksburg (Washington Nationals), two games to one. Above Kannapolis, the Chicago White Sox went 41-121 during the 2024 season, setting the MLB record for the most single-season losses.