Instead of bringing in a new face for its vacant baseball assistant coach position, Eastern decided to promote a graduate assistant and former player.

“The key was not dealing with a new assistant coach and getting somebody that really knows the system,” Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said.

Eastern announced Friday Mitch Rosenthal will replace Matt Husted who resigned last summer to take a similar position at Toledo.

“We’ve lost some continuity with assistant coaches moving on and Mitch has been with us for the last five to six years now,” Schmitz said.

In addition to coaching third base, Rosenthal also assisted with the pitching staff and will take over as pitching coach in 2004.

“He’ll have his work cut out working with a staff that loses our No.1, 2, our set up man and closer but the kids really buy into what he says,” Schmitz said. “It’s going to be a difficult task for him.”

Rosenthal will be in the bullpen during games but understands his responsibilities as they are given to him by Schmitz.

“It’s almost like I finish his sentences,” Rosenthal said. “I know what he expects out of me.”

The former Eastern pitcher was recruited as a outfielder and had to learn to pitch from day one in college. His expertise is what Schmitz is counting on for his assistant.

“The information I’ve learned will help by learning it all by myself,” Rosenthal said. “I had to learn everything from scratch.”

Rosenthal will be the recruiting coordinator for Schmitz in the offseason and it’s exciting for him to be able to sell Eastern to high school athletes.

“Recruiting is one of my favorite things to do and go out on the road to evaluate their personality and athletic talents,” Rosenthal said.

“The key is, Eastern is not for everyone and it helps having somebody who knows the university in and out,” Schmitz said.

Rosenthal is one of the youngest coaches Schmitz has had for an assistant but he sees the excitement of youth as a problem.

“You worry about the age because there’s a lot of responsibility but he seems to have a good repour with the kids,” Schmitz said.

Schmitz is hoping he signed an assistant who will stick around Charleston for a while.

“We’ve had three assistants in three years and we can’t keep struggling to lose coaches,” Schmitz said.