Hernandez Hired As CRC Pitching Coach

Former Elk Grove High School and Cosumnes River College pitcher Raymond Hernandez texted me Monday night that he was going to be the new pitching coach at CRC.

Hernandez, the younger brother of Arizona Diamondbacks’ reliever David Hernandez, was the freshman coach at Elk Grove this past spring. 

 

Ray Hernandez

After a successful stint with the Hawks, he went on to Fullerton State. After graduation Hernandez was a late-round draft choice of the D-backs and spent a couple summers in the minors, but a shoulder injury ended his pro career.

Hernandez will be replacing Brad Kilby on the CRC staff. Kilby told me he was likely going to take a year off, “to watch lots of baseball on TV and try to get a real job.”

He was a social science major at San Jose State and would like to earn a teaching certificate and perhaps get a teaching job locally. He was CRC’s pitching coach the past three seasons.

Kilby is also engaged and will marry next year, but admits he’ll miss coaching.

“(CRC) will be really good next year, really strong and will likely go deep in the playoffs,” he said.

The Hawks return 17 players next season including shortstop Andre Gregory, who Kilby said may be one of the top junior college prospects not just in California, but perhaps in the entire country. 

Brad Kilby

Kilby spent seven seasons playing in the Oakland A’s organization, four of those with the Sacramento River Cats where he became a fan favorite, especially with his “rally pants.” He would don very tight fitting baseball pants and then coach first base and it became a fad especially in the 2010 and 2011 seasons when the River Cats were Pacific Coast League North Division champions.

In 2012, Kilby coached alongside his brother Bryan at Franklin High School. The Wildcats won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I North title that year, Brad’s fondest memory thus far in coaching.