Jacksonville University

Chris Hayes enters his tenth year as the head coach of Jacksonville University baseball in 2026. Through his first nine seasons at the helm of his alma mater, Hayes has led the Dolphins to over 250 wins, an ASUN Tournament Championship, two NCAA Regional appearances, and a regular-season ASUN Championship. Under his guidance, JU has produced numerous All-ASUN selections, Academic All-ASUN honorees, multiple Freshman All-ASUN picks, national award winners, weekly conference award recipients, and several MLB Draft selections and professional signees. The Dolphins have also collected more than a dozen victories over ranked opponents during his tenure, including wins over top-10 foes Florida, Miami, and Florida State. Hayes became just the fifth head coach in program history to surpass the 150-win mark, continuing to elevate Jacksonville Baseball on the conference and national stage.

2025

• Finished 30–26 overall, 20–9 at home, and 17–13 in ASUN play
• Entered the ASUN Baseball Championship as the #2 seed in the Graphite Division
• Earned a 3–2 win over UCF (Mar. 25)
• Swept Queens (Mar. 28–29)
• Won nine straight games from Apr. 12–27
• During the win streak, swept West Georgia and FGCU
• Jaden Bastian earned ASUN Player of the Week honors twice
• Richard Long, Alex Walsh, and Jonah Shields named ASUN Academic All-Conference
• Multiple Dolphins earned All-ASUN recognition
  • Richard Long – First Team
  • Jaden Bastian – First Team
  • Josh Steidl – First Team
  • Chandler Howard – Second Team
  • Colin Rothermel – Third Team
  • Justin Nadeau – Third Team

2024

• Finished 27–31 overall and 18–12 in ASUN play
• Opened the season by sweeping Cincinnati
• Earned a 7–6 road win at #6 Florida
• Swept Queens (Apr. 26–28)
• Richard Long named Second Team All-ASUN
• Justin Nadeau named Third Team All-ASUN
• Peyton Prescott and Isaac Williams named Freshman All-ASUN
• Abdriel Delgado and Justin Nadeau both earned ASUN Player of the Week honors

2023

• Finished 34–24 overall and 17–13 in ASUN play, earning a berth in the ASUN Baseball Championship
• Defeated #2 Florida, 10–8 (Mar. 1)
• Earned a ranked road win at #14 Miami, 6–3 (Mar. 8)
• Won at Florida State, 5–4 (Apr. 4)
• Swept Central Arkansas (Mar. 24–26)
• Swept Bellarmine (May 5–7)
• Swept rival North Florida (May 18–20)
• Kris Armstrong, Evan Chrest, and Chris Lotito named First Team All-ASUN
• Kris Armstrong selected ASUN Academic All-Conference
• Evan Chrest and Justin Nadeau named to the ASUN All-Freshman Team

2022

• Led team to a win over #10/#13 Florida State as part of a 5-0 start to the season
• RHP Mason Adams was ASUN Pitcher of the Week and National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on March 7
• Most stolen bases by a team in his six years as head coach, swiping 85 total bags
• Went 3-0 in extra-inning games
• Finished 5th in the ASUN East Division and qualified for the ASUN Baseball Championship

• Led team to the ASUN Baseball Tournament Championship
• Participated in the NCAA Columbia Regional (#4 Seed)
• Tyler Santana was named ASUN Tournament MVP and Dakota Julylia, Duncan Hunter, Mason Adams and Jackson Grabky all made the All-Tournament Team
• Coached two ASUN All-Freshman Team members (Jackson Grabsky and Jesus Pacheco)
• Beat #5/#6 Florida and #17/#18 Florida State on the road
• RHP Tyler Santana signed free agent contract with the Cubs organization

• The team won eight of its last 11 contests before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Registered a win over ranked West Virginia
• RHPs Trent Palmer and Austin Temple both earned ASUN Pitcher of the Week honors, with the two leading the league in strikeouts and ERA, respectively
• Scott Dubrule was sixth in country in hits
• Palmer was drafted in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft by the Blue Jays, and became the sixth-highest draft pick in school history and the highest in the Coach Hayes tenure
• RHP Chris Mauloni signed a free agent contract with the Tigers organization

• Won 30+ games for the third consecutive season under Hayes (32)
• Took the season series against eventualy CWS participant Florida State
• Won first two games of the ASUN Tournament to advance to winner's bracket semifinals for third straight season
• Shortstop Dakota Julylia was named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, a first in program history
• Julylia and Angel Camacho were First Team All-ASUN, with four other players earning all-conference honors
• Three players were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft: INF Angel Camacho (3rd Round - Toronto) RHP Zach Bryant (15th Round - Chicago Cubs) & RHP Chris Mauloni (35th Round - Boston)
• After excelling in independent league ball, RHP Spencer Stockton joined the Reds organization as a free agent

• Won 40 games for the first time since 2006 and earned an NCAA bid for the first time since 2009
• Earned #2 seed in the Gainesville Regional, the highest seed in school history
• Ranked as high as #25 in Baseball America and #24 in Rawlings/Perfect Game polls
• Climbed as high as #16 in the RPI rankings
• Went 22-7 at home, best home winning percentage since 1984
• Won five games over NCAA Tournament teams throughout the season, highlighted by an upset of #1 Florida in Gainesville
• Freshman RHP Chris Mauloni was an All-American (named by four different organizations) after tying for the national lead in saves with 20 and setting the new JU career and single-season saves record
• Eight players earned All-ASUN postseason awards, three landed on the ASUN All-Tournament team and Angel Camacho made the NCAA All-Regional Team
• RHP Chris Gau was drafted in the 14th Round of the 2018 MLB Draft by Tampa Bay

• Led team to 36 wins and the ASUN Regular Season Championship
• Team advanced to the ASUN Baseball Championship Final
• Won six games over eventual NCAA Tournament participants, including a 3-2 win at home over eventual national champion Florida
• Strung together a 13-game winning streak, the program's longest win streak in 26 years
• Three players made ASUN All-Conference teams and three more made the All-Freshman Team
• RHP Michael Baumann was drafted in the third round by Baltimore and LHP Casey Kulina signed a free agent contract with Arizona

• 2017 ASUN Coach of the Year
• Member of the USA Baseball 16U National Team Development Program staff in 2019
• Drafted in MLB Draft twice: 35th Round in 1994 - Seattle & 28th Round in 1995 - Toronto
• Two-time All-Sun Belt performer at JU
• 19 players drafted under his tutelage as a head coach at JU and Seminole State

• Jacksonville Head Coach (2017-present)
• Jacksonville Associate Head Coach (2014-16)
• Seminole State Head Coach (2009-13)
• Jacksonville Assistant Coach (2004-08)
• Wolfson H.S. Assistant Coach (2002-03)

Hayes was a four-year starter at Jacksonville from 1992-95, was drafted on two occasions by MLB organizations (1994, Seattle; 1995, Toronto) and twice earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors. He also picked up all-regional accolades as a junior. Hayes led the Dolphins to consecutive NCAA Regional appearances (1994, 1995) and ranks among the all-time Jacksonville leaders in RBI (176), at-bats (802), hits (271), doubles (53) and total bases (402).

Before launching his coaching career, Hayes spent five seasons (1995-2000) with the Toronto Blue Jays organization after being drafted in the 28th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. He played every infield and outfield position in five seasons with the Blue Jays’ minor league system finishing with a .276 career batting average. Over the course of his career, Hayes made stops in St. Catherines, Ontario; Hagerstown, Md.; Dunedin, Fla.; and Knoxville, Tenn. while in the minors.

A native of Jacksonville, Hayes earned his bachelor’s degree from the University in finance in 1995 and his MBA in 2007.

Chris and his wife, Joy, live in Jacksonville.