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The UNLV Rebels baseball squad got a major addition to the coaching staff on Wednesday. Head coach Stan Stolte's crew now includes Baseball Hall of Fame member Greg Maddux. Maddux will operate as a volunteer assistant. He joins his son Chase, who is a sophomore right-hander on the team.
Greg Maddux to join UNLV baseball as volunteer assistant https://t.co/c8d7kZGKVp #UNLV #Sports
— Las Vegas Tweets (@tweetlv) July 6, 2016
Stolte released a statement regarding the newest Rebel:
"To add arguably the smartest player to ever step foot on a baseball field to our staff is so exciting for our student-athletes and the program. After meeting with Greg, you are so impressed with him not only with his knowledge of the game, but how grounded he has remained and his genuine desire to share his knowledge with up-and-coming players. He may be the most respected teammate in the game past or present, which is the ultimate compliment as a player. We look forward to his immediate impact once we begin our fall season."
There are fewer pitchers who have accomplished more in baseball on the highest level than Maddux. He is the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to amass more than 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts with fewer than 1,000 walks. He was a member of the 1995 Atlanta Braves team that won the World Series, and was a first ballot Hall of Fame selection in 2014.
The four-time Cy Young Award winner played professionally for the Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres in a 23-year career. He is a graduate of Valley High School in Las Vegas.