Chris Hanks

Christopher William Hanks

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 200 lb.
• School College of Southern Idaho, Mesa State College, University of Northern Colorado
• High School Roaring Fork High School

• Born May 30, 1968 in Carbondale, CO USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Chris Hanks played four seasons in the minors then became a college coach.

Hanks was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 23rd round of the 1986 amateur draft out of high school but opted for college. As a freshman at the College of Southern Idaho, he led all junior college players with 26 homers. The Red Sox chose him again in the 28th round of the 1987 amateur draft but he went back for another year of college as a draft-and-follow. He belted 22 more homers as a sophomore, winning All-American honors both years. He was named MVP of the 1988 National Junior College Baseball World Series.

Hanks then signed with Boston. He hit .200/.372/.250 for the 1988 Elmira Pioneers, used as a DH due to the presence of John Flaherty at catcher, Hanks's college position. In 1989, Chris was 1 for 22 for the Winter Haven Red Sox and batted .238/~.281/.304 as Elmira's main first baseman.

Hanks was with the 1990 Lynchburg Red Sox, hitting .286/.335/.429 in 61 games, primarily at DH, for his best minor league campaign. He was 1 for 4 for Winter Haven in 1991 before an arm injury ended his career.

Chris returned to college to get his bachelor's degree at Mesa State College. He was also assistant baseball coach (primarily working as a hitting instructor) there from 1993-1998 and assistant football coach from 1993-1997. In both 1996 and 1997, Mesa State led the country in slugging (.609 in 1996 and .644 in 1997). They also set a NCAA Division II record with 115 homers in 1997. He also got his doctorate in physical education/pedagogy (from the University of Northern Colorado) while an assistant at Mesa State.

In 1999, Hanks was promoted to head coach at Mesa State. He was 444-213 in his first 11 years there. He was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2004, Mesa State set a NCAA Division II record with 190 doubles. In 2005, his team went 46-16 to set a school record for wins while finishing second in the country with a .361 average.

Hanks led Mesa State to a 49-14 record in 2007 for a new school record in victories. He took his team to the 2009 Division II College World Series, their first trip to the Division II World Series.

Sources

• 1989 and 1991 Baseball Guides
• Mesa State bio
• 1990 Baseball Almanac