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MURFREESBORO – Chowan Athletics and Vice President of Athletics Patrick Mashuda announced the hiring of Junior Bailey as the head coach of the softball program.

“We are thrilled to have Junior join the Hawks family,” stated Mashuda. “His knowledge and expertise of the Conference Carolinas and the region will strengthen our program not only on the diamond but continue the successes in the classroom.”

Bailey traded in his Barton blue for Chowan Blue to take over a program that went 10-35 overall in 2022 and has not made the conference tournament since moving from the CIAA in 2019.

“I’m really excited to begin this journey with Chowan softball,” said Bailey. “We will strive to build a family atmosphere, competing with each other to get stronger so we can compete with the top competition in the conference and beyond.

“I want to help in the whole experience for our student athletes and I thank President Peterson, Patrick Mashuda, and Meredith Long for trusting me with the Hawks softball program,” Bailey added. “I will strive to build a program that Hawk Nation can be proud of.”

Bailey comes to Murfreesboro after spending six seasons at Barton (2017-2022), leading the Bulldogs to 123 victories. During the 2022 season, Bailey led Barton to their best season since 1994 with a 29-12 overall record and 15-8 record in Conference Carolinas.

“I appreciate Barton and the players there for the growth I have received in coaching that program and the love I have felt from them,” Bailey said.

During his tenure, eight Bulldogs were named Conference Carolinas All-Conference with several NCCSIA All-State selections.

Prior to his tenure at Barton, Bailey spent 10 years as the Athletic Director and head softball coach at Pitt Community College (PCC) (2005-16). As PCC’s athletic director, Bailey provided oversight to the department and Pitt’s four sports – baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball – as well as leadership to more than 20 personnel members and 100 student-athletes. He was instrumental in adding men’s basketball as a sport.

While with PCC, Bailey notched 316 victories leading to three NJCAA National Softball Tournament appearances and three NJCAA Region X Tournament Championships. His efforts led to him being named Region X Coach of the Year three times.

Bailey coached eight PCC Bulldogs to NJCAA National Player of the Week honors as well as numerous all-region selections. In addition to finding success on the field, Bailey’s student-athletes also performed well in the classroom, posting a team grade point average of 3.0 or greater every season of his tenure.

Prior to his stint at PCC, he spent a very successful decade teaching and coaching in the Pitt County Schools system. During that time, he achieved a high school softball record of 101-16 and a middle school record of 75-9. One of his high school teams reached the third round of the state playoffs, the best showing in that program’s history.

Before starting his coaching career, he served in the United States Naval Reserves as a hospital corpsman. Bailey has spent time as a part-time youth minister at Bethel Baptist Church.

Bailey has served as the coaches chair for the Conference Carolinas and Region X. On several occasions, Bailey has been the Tournament Director for Region X Softball and Volleyball. Bailey uses his knowledge of the game to lead softball skills clinics in Southeast Asia and umpiring showcase tournaments with the Amateur Softball Association (ASA).

The Raleigh, NC native holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science from East Carolina University, and has taken part in Leadership Institutes through both PCC and the NJCAA.

Bailey is married to his wife Laurie and they have three sons: Walker, Matthew, and Garrett. He resides in Stokes, NC.