Former major league baseball player Bruce Hurst was named baseball coach of Dixie College on Thursday. Hurst will take over immediately since the recruiting process for next year's team is already under way.
Hurst said he is eager for the opportunity."Dixie already has a fine baseball tradition and I am excited to build on that," he said. "Dixie College has always had a fond place in my heart. My uncle, Arthur Bruhn was a Dixie College president. I met my wife, Holly, while attending Dixie and I also played basketball at Dixie."
College President Robert Huddleston said he is delighted with the choice.
"Bruce is obviously a household name in St. George," he said.
Hurst played 19 years of professional baseball - including 13 years in the major leagues. He was drafted out of Dixie High School and signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1976 where he pitched for eight years. During his tenure with the Red Sox he pitched three games in the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets.
In 1989 Hurst was traded to the San Diego Padres where he pitched for almost five years. He was later traded to the Colorado Rockies and to the Texas Rangers where he retired in 1994 because of shoulder problems.