Miami’s Arteaga promotes UM staffer (and former Canes bat boy) to recruiting coordinator

New University of Miami baseball coach J.D. Arteaga on Monday announced his third and final full-time assistant coach.

Arteaga has promoted UM director of player development (and former UM bat boy) Jonathan Anderson to recruiting coordinator.

Anderson, 38, grew up in Miami and played at Gulliver Prep before starring at Duke as an outfielder and pitcher. He was hired by former UM coach Gino DiMare before the 2020 season. But his previous UM ties go back to 1992, when he served as Canes bat boy in legendary coach Ron Fraser’s final season.

Fun fact: Anderson pitched his final outing at Mark Light Field, hitting an RBI to put the Blue Devils up by one run during the game, which eventually went to the Canes.

“That was quite a thrill to be out on that mound tonight,’’ he told the Miami Herald after the game. “I dreamed of playing here my whole life. It meant so much to me.’’

Anderson previously assisted former UM recruiting coordinator Norberto Lopez and coordinated video and baseball analytics. Lopez, who also helped coach Miami’s hitters and catchers, was named last month as UCF’s recruiting coordinator after coming to the Hurricanes prior to the 2016 season and being named recruiting coordinator in July 2018.

Recruiting coordinator in Division I baseball is an especially crucial position for a private school like Miami, which has to compete with less expensive public schools such as Florida when divvying up its 11.7 NCAA-allotted scholarships among a maximum of 27 players.

Miami finished 42-21 this past season, falling at home in an NCAA regional.

“I am very excited and cannot thank J.D. enough for this incredible opportunity,” Anderson said in a UM release. “The University of Miami baseball program has had an enormous impact on my life since I was seven years old thanks to Coach Fraser, Coach Morris and all of players that I have had the chance to get to know and form special relationships with since 1992.

“Coming back here four years ago, I fulfilled a lifelong dream to be a Hurricane and I have enjoyed every day at Miami being a part of this program. I have so much respect for the rich tradition and history of our program, our great fans, all the great players of the past — many of whom treated me so well as a kid — along with our current and future student-athletes, that this program will always deserve to get my very best.”

Anderson spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Dartmouth, where he served as third-base coach and worked with outfielders as well as overseeing the hitters and recruiting. Before Dartmouth, Anderson spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons at Duke, coaching outfielders and assisting with bunting, hitting and base running, as well as managing the recruiting database among other responsibilities.

“Jonathan bleeds orange and green,” Arteaga said. “He grew up at our ballpark and is as big a fan of the Hurricane baseball program as anyone. Even though he didn’t play here, Jonathan understands our storied history and knows what a Miami Hurricane looks like on the field, in the classroom and in the community. His love and passion for our program will help us get back to Omaha.”

As a Duke player, Anderson hit .337 as a senior with a 2.91 ERA as a pitcher. He was third in the nation that season with 20 sacrifice bunts. His career 41 stolen bases (of 49 attempts) were 10th most in school history when he graduated in 2007.

Arteaga, UM’s longtime pitching coach who was promoted to head coach on June 26 after DiMare stepped down, announced July 14 the hiring of former Boston Red Sox organization assistant Darren Fenster as an assistant coach.

Arteagea on June 29 named Laz Gutierrez UM’s pitching coach and mental skills coach.

The program is expected to expand with more off-the-field assistants in the coming days.