YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | The Young Harris College baseball program has announced the addition of three assistant coaches ahead of the 2025–26 season: Luke Hatcher, Mark Castle, and Dalton Moats. Hatcher and Castle, both alumni of YHC, return to the Enchanted Valley to begin their collegiate coaching careers, while Moats brings professional playing experience and high school coaching success to the Mountain Lions' dugout. 

Head coach Stephen Waggener also announced the promotion of another YHC alumni, Corley Reynolds to Assistant Head Coach of the Mountain Lions Baseball Program. "Corley is more than deserving of this opportunity." said coach Waggener. "His work ethic and organizational skills have been a major asset for our program both in recruiting and on the field. I have enjoyed watching his relentless growth from his playing days as a mountain lion to now as a coach." 

Luke Hatcher rejoins the Mountain Lions after a standout 2025 season in which he earned First Team All-Conference Carolinas honors as an outfielder. He was also named to the NCBWA All-Southeast Region Team, earned D2CCA All-Southeast Region Second Team honors, and received First Team ABCA/Rawlings All-Region recognition. Hatcher posted a .343 batting average across 57 starts, collecting 80 hits, 28 doubles, 3 triples, and 16 home runs while driving in 70 runs. Since graduating, he has served as the hitting coach for the Harrisonburg Turks in the Valley Collegiate Summer League and as head coach of the Wardawgs 11U team. Hatcher expressed his excitement about returning to Young Harris, saying, "I'm so thankful for the opportunity to come back and coach at the school that was so good to me. Excited for the chance to learn from Coach Waggs and pick up where we left off as a team last season." 

Mark Castle also returns to Young Harris after a six-year playing career in which he played all nine positions and compiled a .281 batting average over 171 games. Castle recorded 141 hits, 19 doubles, 9 home runs, and 95 RBIs, with his best season coming in 2022 when he hit .335 with 63 hits and 41 RBIs. He brings coaching experience from the Coastal Collegiate Baseball League, where he served as a head coach for two seasons, and from the Wardawgs Baseball Club, where he led the 11U and 12U teams. Castle shared his enthusiasm for the opportunity, saying, "I'm excited to get my coaching journey started at such a good program and I cannot thank Coach Waggs enough for the opportunity to continue my Mountain Lion career." 

Head Coach Stephen Waggener spoke on retaining his two newest alumni on staff, "Mark and Luke staying on staff is a big win for our program. As former student-athletes they understand all the ins and outs of our program." 

Dalton Moats joins the staff with a deep background in both collegiate and professional baseball. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Moats played college baseball at Coastal Carolina University and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M before being drafted in the 15th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. He was also drafted out of high school in 2013. Moats played professionally for eight seasons, including seven with the Rays and one with the Chicago Cubs, compiling a career record of 16-9 with a 3.57 ERA over 305 innings. He allowed 277 hits, walked 91 batters, and struck out 301. His college career was equally impressive, finishing with a 12-3 record, a 2.65 ERA, and 115 strikeouts over 112 innings. Most recently, Moats coached at Smithville High School, helping guide the program to a combined 50-8 record across JV and varsity. Reflecting on his coaching philosophy and new role, Moats said, "What is greatness? It is a lot of small things done correctly. I am extremely grateful to join the Young Harris family and be a part of this great program. It's an honor and a blessing to work with Coach Waggs and his staff. I'm ready to help and grow these young men in any facet to get them ready in baseball and in life." 

Moats and Waggener have a connected history dating back almost ten years; Coach Waggener said, "Dalton will be a great fit for our program. He is a relentless competitor who won 12 games in our year at Delta State together including a 9 inning CG on short rest in 2016 regionals. I look forward to him adding his professional experience to our program." 

With the addition of Hatcher, Castle, and Moats; in addition to the promotion of Corley Reynolds, the Mountain Lions continue to build a dynamic and experienced coaching staff, positioning themselves for a strong 2026 season in Conference Carolinas play."