Jeff Pelkey named GCSU head baseball coach

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. |  Georgia College & State University DIrector of Athletics Wendell Staton has announced that Jeff Pelkey has been named head coach of the Bobcat baseball program.

Pelkey completed his eighth season at Peach Belt Conference-foe Flagler College as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Saints.

"We are thrilled to have Jeff Pelkey lead our baseball program," said Staton.  "Throughout the process, it was clear that Jeff clearly aligns with and wants to be a part of our GCSU values.  He has experience in recruiting high academic achieving students that are attracted to our campus.  Jeff is well respected in our industry and has produced excellence throughout his career at every stop, including coaching in the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship (in 2016).   

"Having spent eight years in the Peach Belt Conference, he has tremendous knowledge of our league," added Staton. "He has been very successful in recruiting the state of Georgia and has a long history of developing outstanding pitchers, boasting seven All-PBC pitchers over the last six seasons.  Every person that I reached out to about Jeff spoke so highly of his character, his ability as a clear communicator, his strong relationship building skills, his genuine care for student-athletes as people first and foremost, and that he is a "culture carrier" in every sense of the word. 

"He values our commitment to excellence in academics and community engagement," said Staton.  "He values our commitment to sportsmanship.  I am confident in his leadership and ability to take us to even greater heights in the PBC, the Southeast region, and continue the long history of success as a nationally prominent program."

Pelkey coached both Ben Stubbs and Ethan Bobo to first team all-conference honors in 2025 while in St. Augustine, Florida. Three were named PBC Pitcher of the Week (Daniel Fischer, Drew Rosenberg, and Stubbs). The staff's 3.82 earned-run average ranked sixth in all of NCAA Division II. 

He coached Gage Voorhees to a pair of All-PBC and two PBC Pitcher of the Week honors. Daniel Fischer took home all-conference honors in 2024. Also, Seth Wysocki and Dylan Faulkner earned PBC Freshman of the Week accolades. The Saints allowed the third-fewest hits and runs in the PBC in 2023. The staff was second in the league in walks allowed and its 35 wild pitches were the least in the conference.   Pelkey coached the 2021 staff to an ERA of 5.04, third-best in the Peach Belt. Kyle Morton's 3.51 ERA was third in the league, was second in the league with three complete games, and was seventh in strikeouts with 65. Flagler had the second-best earned run average (3.50) in the PBC in 2020. He coached Zach Audet, who posted the eighth-best ERA (2.30) in the league. He saw one of his pitchers, Blair Calvo, get selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft. The Saints pitching staff posted the third-best team ERA in the conference.  

"I'm incredibly humbled, honored and thankful to be selected to lead the Georgia College & State University baseball program," said Pelkey. "My family and I cannot wait to become part of the Milledgeville community. I'm so grateful to President Cathy Cox, Director of Athletics Wendell Staton, the entire search committee and athletics staff for believing in me and for entrusting me to lead this team.

"I look forward to continuing the outstanding tradition GCSU baseball has had by building positive relationships with players, alumni, and the Milledgeville community," added Pelkey "Being a part of this University and this program are a dream come true. I promise I will not let you down. Go Bobcats!"

Pelkey came to he Ancient City from NCAA Division II powerhouse Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire. He spent three seasons serving as the assistant coach for the Ravens. In his tenure at Franklin Pierce, Pelkey helped coach the team to an overall record 109-28 and a 69-10 mark in the Northeast-10 Conference.

The Ravens were ranked No. 5 in the final Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30 polls in 2015 and 2016. The team won the NE-10 tournament title in 2015 and advanced to the regional final. Franklin Pierce won its second consecutive division title in the NE-10, won the East Region championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship in Cary, North Carolina, in 2016.

The Franklin Pierce pitching staff while Pelkey was the coach was phenomenal. He coached the NE-10 Pitcher of the Year in 2015, 10 all-conference pitchers, three All-American hurlers and had a pitcher selected in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft.

In his first two seasons (2015 and 2016), the Ravens led the nation in ERA (2.01 in '15 and 2.32 in '16), hits allowed per nine innings (6.2 in '15 and 6.84 in '16) and walks plus hits per innings pitched (1.03 in '15 and 1.02 in '16). The staff was second in the nation in shutouts (14) and third in strikeouts per nine innings (10.0). The Ravens had the nation's leader in ERA in 2015, Miles Sheehan, with a 0.29 mark. He also led the country with a 0.69 WHIP and was seventh in hits per nine innings (4.94). In 2016, Tanner Bird finished sixth in the country in ERA (1.55) and ninth in hits per nine innings (5.77). Paul Covelle was third in WHIP at 0.8. The Ravens finished fourth in WHIP (1.2), fifth in ERA (3.01) and seventh in hits per nine innings (7.8) in 2017. John Amendola was sixth in walks allowed per nine innings (0.92) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.63). He finished ninth in WHIP at 0.94.

Pelkey recruited extensively at the high school and collegiate levels in the northeast. He also served as an experience director for residential life at Franklin Pierce.

Prior to his stint at Franklin Pierce, Pelkey served as an assistant coach for two years at his alma mater, Keene State College. He also served as the head junior varsity coach for the baseball program. Pelkey also served as a coach for the Keene Blue Jays of the Central New England Baseball League and was the head coach of the Keene Junior Swamp Bats 16U AAU in 2014.

Pelkey earned his bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety studies with a concentration in environmental science from Keene State in 2012. He earned his master's in occupational health and safety studies from Keene State in 2013. Pelkey played baseball for the Owls for four seasons and he earned All-Little East Conference honors as a junior and as a senior. He is the all-time wins leader at Keene State and received the College's Male Athlete of the Year Award in 2012.

The Bobcats went 30-24 during the 2025 season as GCSU finished in third place in the Peach Belt.

GCSU will hold an introductory press conference and community welcome for Pelkey at 3:30 p.m. July 28. The meet and greet along with the press conference in the Pat Peterson Museum Education Room located in GCSU's Russell Library. The community and media are welcome to attend. The event will also be live-streamed at www.pbcsportsnetwork.com/gcbobcats.

Pelkey will also headline the GCSU Coaches Caravan July 29 at the Westin Atlanta Gwinnett (6450 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth Ga.). The event, which run from 3:30-5:30 p.m., will also feature President Cathy Cox and a lineup of GCSU head coaches, offering one the chance to hear from university and athletics leadership as they look ahead to a strong year for Bobcat Athletics. No RSVP required for the GCSU Coaches Caravan.


WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JEFF PELKEY:

""This is an amazing hire by Georgia College.  Jeff Pelkey is somebody that is a rising star in our profession and now that he will be leading from the front it will be quite noticeable.  He has all of the things you would want in a leader that will make a gigantic impact.  I cannot wait to see what Jeff does with this program that has a history of playing great baseball." - Jayson King, University of Dayton Head Baseball Coach

"I would just like to congratulate Georgia College & State University for hiring Jeff Pelkey. I have known Jeff since he was a young baseball player coming to the University of Franklin Pierce baseball camps. The administration, staff, alumni, and players are getting a first class person, and baseball coach in one. The future is very bright for the Bobcats!" - Scott Loiseau, Duke University Associate Head Baseball Coach

"Jeff is a relentless worker who has proven to be able to recruit quality baseball players and develop them into better players and more important quality young men. I had the privilege of coaching Jeff in college, and he has brought the same passion, competitiveness, and work ethic to the profession of coaching. I am excited to see what he does as a head coach and for the community at Georgia College." - Marty Testo, Keene State College Director of Athletics