Nathan Choate - Baseball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Nathan Choate

Title:
Pitching Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
Nathan.Choate@gcu.edu
Phone:
602-639-7467

Follow @nathanchoate22

Nathan Choate began his fifth season as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for Grand Canyon in 2015. In his first season with the Antelopes in 2012, he directed a GCU pitching staff that included Major League Baseball draft pick Brady Wager and breakout freshman Jorge Perez. His second season included him overseeing the emergence of 2013 Pacific West Conference Freshman of the Year Andrew Naderer.

In 2015, Choate help coordinate a recruiting class that received a top-35 ranking in the country by Baseball America.

Perez, along with left-hander Brandon Bonilla, were both drafted in the 2014 MLB First Year Player Draft, the first time since 2010 the Lopes had multiple players in the draft class.

In their return to Division I in 2015, Choate helped guide Naderer and Coley Bruns to First- and Second-Team All-WAC honors, respectively.

Choate joined the GCU staff after spending four seasons at UC Riverside, serving as the Highlanders’ pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. While at UCR, he coached 11 pitchers who were drafted by Major League Baseball clubs. In addition, Choate coached back-to-back freshman All-Americans in Mitch Patitio and Dylan Stuart. Stuart was later named the 2011 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year. UC Riverside’s pitching staff compiled a 3.40 ERA during his final season, the lowest ERA in the last 15 years of the program and the lowest ERA for a UCR team at the Division I level.

Prior to his time at UCR, Choate was the pitching coordinator for UC Irvine, which finished fourth at the 2007 College World Series. He served as the Anteaters’ director of baseball operations in 2006.

Choate pitched collegiately at Cal Poly for two seasons, where he was awarded the Jim Newkirk Fireman's Award, given to the team's best relief pitcher, in his junior and senior seasons. He also pitched two seasons at Santa Ana Junior College in 1998 and 1999, helping the Dons to a third-place national finish in 1999.

Choate is married to Lori Choate and has three kids, Kamdyn, Chance and Kyla.