Gilmore proud to see former Chants reach MLB

Gary Gilmore has coached the Coastal Carolina baseball program long enough to see seven of his former Chanticleers make it to Major League Baseball, but it still feels just as big each time it happens.

Which has made for quite a summer for Gilmore and the Chants.

Former star outfielder Rico Noel became the latest Coastal Carolina product to land in the big leagues when the New York Yankees called him up earlier this week, less than a month after the Arizona Diamondbacks called up former Chants reliever Keith Hessler.

“It’s an incredible thing because that kid, he was one of the main pictures of our organization for quite a while,” Gilmore said of Noel. “The passion and the things that young man’s put into getting to that level, he’s one of the gentleman – if there is such a thing when you’re that age – he’s the gentleman of this program. I’ve never heard a negative word about him, about how he is as a person, as a player. To see any young man get that, especially one that has toiled so long and so hard to get there, is incredible. Him and Hessler and Tommy [La Stella], it’s incredible the last two years to see those young men get that opportunity.”

Those three were all teammates on the best team in program history, the 2010 squad that led the Chants to the NCAA Super Regionals and a 55-10 record.

La Stella, a slugging second baseman for the Chants, made his debut last season with the Atlanta Braves before being traded this offseason to the Chicago Cubs. Injuries have limited him to just 10 games and a .160 batting average this season through Tuesday, but he rejoined the roster in late August and has made four starts since then.

Hessler was undrafted after his senior season at Coastal Carolina in 2011, but he worked his way up through the minor leagues and made his Major League debut Aug 8 with a perfect inning of relief against the Cincinnati Reds. He’s struggled to a 15.19 earned-run average overall in eight games, but after a brief return to the minors – where he has a 2.14 ERA over three levels and 51 appearances this year – he rejoined the big league club Wednesday with Major League rosters expanding for the final month of the season.

And now Noel, who becomes the 10th former Chant overall to reach the majors.

An All-American centerfielder with Coastal Carolina who twice led the NCAA in stolen bases, Noel was drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Padres after the 2010 season. After being released by the Padres this summer, he signed with the Yankees organizaion and was 23-for-28 on stolen bases overall in the minor leagues this year. For his minor league career, he’s stolen 283 bases.

“[Hessler] could have given up 100 times. Rico too. He’s been floundering around there and playing two years in Venezuela, that kid’s put in some time and effort to get to this point,” Gilmore said. “Both of them are well deserved and I just hope and pray they can have success and allow themselves to stay there.”

Gilmore said he’s been looking at schedules and trying to find a way to get out to watch all three former pupils play before this season ends, all the while proud to see the Chants continue to be represented at the game’s highest level.

“I was looking at it this morning, trying to figure out when I can get up there and when I can get out to catch Arizona somewhere and go see Hess play too,” he said. “I’ve got to get that done. Hopefully Tommy can get and stay healthy and I can see him as well. Good problems to have. Those guys, as good as they were as players, they’re just part of our lives here as coaches in this program. They’re a huge part of who we are. To see them get this opportunity, I’m as happy as if it happened to me.”

This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Gilmore proud to see former Chants reach MLB."