After Ryan Nuppnau decided to step down as coach of North Montgomery baseball, it didn’t take long for the Chargers to find their new coach as they turned to a familiar face. Matt Voorhees, pending board approval on Jan. 24, will return for his second stint with the Chargers.
Voorhees previously was head coach from 2009-2014 and posted a record of 100-61. Now at the helm once again, Voorhees will look to replicate that success and continue to lead a Chargers program that’s been very successful.
“I originally left because of my promotion with the State Police, but I’ve stayed around and have been involved with it or been around people who’ve been involved with it,” Voorhees said. “It’s really just a huge blessing for me and my family because we truly love baseball and it’s a chance to come in and be apart of something amazing.”
When asked what the main difference was between his last time coaching the Chargers and now, Voorhees pointed out how his coaching experience at Marian University for five seasons has helped him become a better coach.
“I come back I think with even a little bit more experience and more maturity this time around,” he said. “Being able to work with Todd Bacon at Marian and learn some things from him at the college level has helped me a lot. It showed me what those guys are looking for at the collegiate level and how we can make our players better.”
While Nuppnau had been the coach for the past two seasons, due to the cancellation of spring sports in 2020, he only got to coach one season last year where he led the Chargers to a 16-14 record highlighted by a 3-2 upset victory over No. 3 Lebanon in last year’s sectional semi-final.
The Chargers will lose just one senior in Jacob Braun from a last year’s squad. While Braun played a very key role, being a four-year starter behind the plate and being an excellent hitter, Voorhees is excited to bring a vast majority of his team back from a season ago.
“Jacob was a tremendous leader for us both offensively and defensively and he’ll be missed big time,” Voorhees said. “However our guys have been tremendous in their workouts and we’re really hoping some of our other guys are willing to step into that role that Jacob played. I really do love the kids we got coming back and Coach Merica and Coach Nuppnau really started to set a precedent for the program and I know our kids will come to work everyday.”
Voorhees’s first game back as the skipper of the Chargers will come on Apr. 5 when North Montgomery opens their 2022 season on the road at North Putnam.
