Morehead City, N.C. — Head Coach Sam Carel will return in 2023 to lead the Morehead City Marlins on the field as they look to capture their third Coastal Plain League Championship. The 2023 season will mark the second consecutive season, and fourth overall, for Carel as the leader of the Morehead City Marlins baseball program.
At the helm in 2022, Carel led the Marlins to their best regular season record in program history at 37-10 overall. The Marlins were able to secure an early playoff bid by finishing atop the standings in the first half of the season, only to continue to thrive in the latter half of the season, winning the East Division outright and clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
To cap off one of the most successful seasons in Marlins history, two players from Carel’s Marlins team were drafted (Matt Hickey/St. Louis Cardinals & Garrett McGowan/Houston Astros) and another two players signed with major league clubs (Jared Kollar/San Diego Padres & Tyler Wehrle/Milwaukee Brewers).
“With the championship culture that has been established, combined with the fun alter egos like the Fish Tacos, to the electric fan atmosphere, Big Rock Stadium is an incredible place to be,” said Carel. “It is an honor to return to coach the Marlins in 2023 and I cannot wait to get back to Morehead City to build upon the success our guys had last season.”
Previously, Carel was the head baseball coach for Northwestern Oklahoma State University, an NCAA Division II school, from 2014 – 2017. During his tenure at Northwestern Oklahoma State, the team established a new single-season record for wins in the Great American Conference.
Prior to coaching at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Carel was the head coach at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri from 2006 through 2014. While at Jefferson, the baseball team made two appearances at the NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series. Additionally, fifteen of his players at Jefferson were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Carel also served as an assistant coach at Missouri State University, where his team qualified for the Division 1 College World Series in Omaha. Sam is currently the head coach at St. Mary’s High School, where he led the team to district and sectional championships in 2018.
The 2023 Marlins season begins on Thursday, May 25th on the road against the Wilmington Sharks with Opening Night at Big Rock Stadium scheduled for Friday, May 26th against the Tri-City Chili Peppers.