Georgia College & State University Director of Athletics Wendell Staton announced that Jeff Pelkey was named head coach of the Bobcat baseball program.
Pelkey completed his eighth season at Peach Belt Conference-foe Flagler College as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Saints.
“We are thrilled to have Jeff Pelkey lead our baseball program,” said Staton. “Throughout the process, it was clear that Jeff clearly aligns with and wants to be a part of our GCSU values. He has experience in recruiting high academic achieving students that are attracted to our campus. Jeff is well respected in our industry and has produced excellence throughout his career at every stop, including coaching in the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship (in 2016).
“Having spent eight years in the Peach Belt Conference, he has tremendous knowledge of our league,” added Staton. “He has been very successful in recruiting the state of Georgia and has a long history of developing outstanding pitchers, boasting seven All-PBC pitchers over the last six seasons. Every person that I reached out to about Jeff spoke so highly of his character, his ability as a clear communicator, his strong relationship building skills, his genuine care for student-athletes as people first, and foremost, that he is a “culture carrier” in every sense of the word.”
Pelkey coached both Ben Stubbs and Ethan Bobo to first team all-conference honors in 2025 while in St. Augustine, Fla. Three were named PBC Pitcher of the Week (Daniel Fischer, Drew Rosenberg, and Stubbs). The staff's 3.82 earned-run average ranked sixth in all of NCAA Division II.
He coached Gage Voorhees to a pair of All-PBC and two PBC Pitcher of the Week honors. Daniel Fischer took home all-conference honors in 2024. Also, Seth Wysocki and Dylan Faulkner earned PBC Freshman of the Week accolades. The Saints allowed the thirdfewest hits and runs in the PBC in 2023. The staff was second in the league in walks allowed and its 35 wild pitches were the least in the conference.
Pelkey coached the 2021 staff to an ERA of 5.04, third-best in the Peach Belt. Kyle Morton's 3.51 ERA was third in the league, was second in the league with three complete games, and was seventh in strikeouts with 65. Flagler had the second-best earned run average (3.50) in the PBC in 2020. He coached Zach Audet, who posted the eighth-best ERA (2.30) in the league. He saw one of his pitchers, Blair Calvo, get selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft. The Saints pitching staff posted the thirdbest team ERA in the conference.
“I'm incredibly humbled, honored and thankful to be selected to lead the Georgia College & State University baseball program,” said Pelkey.
“My family and I cannot wait to become part of the Milledgeville community. I'm so grateful to (GCSU) President Cathy Cox, Director of Athletics Wendell Staton, the entire search committee and athletics staff for believing in me and for entrusting me to lead this team.
“I look forward to continuing the outstanding tradition GCSU baseball has had by building positive relationships with players, alumni, and the Milledgeville community,” added Pelkey “Being a part of this University and this program are a dream come true. I promise I will not let you down.”
Pelkey came to the Ancient City from NCAA Division II powerhouse Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H. He spent three seasons serving as the assistant coach for the Ravens. In his tenure at Franklin Pierce, Pelkey helped coach the team to an overall record 109-28 and a 69-10 mark in the Northeast-10 Conference.
The Ravens were ranked No. 5 in the final Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30 polls in 2015 and 2016.
The team won the NE-10 tournament title in 2015 and advanced to the regional final. Franklin Pierce won its second consecutive division title in the NE-10, won the East Region championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship in Cary, North Carolina, in 2016.
The Franklin Pierce pitching staff, while Pelkey was the coach, was phenomenal. He coached the NE-10 Pitcher of the Year in 2015, 10 all-conference pitchers, three All-American hurlers and had a pitcher selected in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft.
Pelkey recruited extensively at the high school and collegiate levels in the northeast. He also served as an experience director for residential life at Franklin Pierce.
Prior to his stint at Franklin Pierce, Pelkey served as an assistant coach for two years at his alma mater, Keene State College. He also served as the head junior varsity coach for the baseball program. Pelkey also served as a coach for the Keene Blue Jays of the Central New England Baseball League and was the head coach of the Keene Junior Swamp Bats 16U AAU in 2014.
Pelkey earned his bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety studies with a concentration in environmental science from Keene State in 2012. He earned his master's in occupational health and safety studies from Keene State in 2013.
Pelkey played baseball for the Owls for four seasons, and he earned All-Little East Conference honors as a junior and as a senior.
He is the all-time wins leader at Keene State and received the College's Male Athlete of the Year Award in 2012.
GCSU will hold an introductory press conference for the community to welcome Pelkey at 3:30 p.m. July 28 in the Pat Peterson Museum Education Room located in GCSU's Russell Library.
The event will also be livestreamed at pbcsportsnetwork. com/gcbobcats.
— Contributed