Hempstead, NY - Hofstra University Head Baseball Coach Frank Catalanotto completed his coaching staff today with the appointment of James Goelz and Chris Rojas to the positions of assistant coach. Both worked with Coach Catalanotto at New York Tech between 2018 and 2020. The duo join Matt Wessinger, who has been as assistant for the Pride for four seasons.

"I am quite happy to complete our staff at Hofstra with the additions of Jimmy and Chris," said Catalanotto. "Obviously there is a great deal of history and chemistry between us following our time at New York Tech. They were both a huge part of turning that program around and I look forward to having them help us achieve the same degree of success at Hofstra."

Goelz, was a 16th round MLB Draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998 and spent nearly seven years in the minor leagues with the Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Miami Marlins organizations. Goelz advanced as high as AAA ball with both Cleveland and Boston.

An infielder and outfielder, Goelz played 463 games at the minor league level and batted .231 with 56 doubles, six triples, 116 RBIs and 161 runs scored. In 2005, Goelz joined the Long Island Ducks and played in 86 games over two seasons.

Following his retirement from baseball served as an associate scout for the Colorado Rockies from February 2007 through June 2013 and was also the co-owner of Prospect Sports in Farmingdale, New York from 2007 to 2016.

He began his coaching career in 1998 as an assistant coach at Briarcliffe College in Bethpage, New York, a position he held until November 2005. In 2015, Goelz became head baseball coach at St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, New York, and was the 2018 Catholic High School Athletic Association Coach of the Year. He led the Bayhawks to two CHSAA Finals and developed two players – Kyle Young and Reiss Knehr – that went on to become MLB Draft selections.

Goelz joined his former high school teammate, Catalanotto, at New York Tech in 2018 and helped coach the Bears to the 2019 East Region championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II College World Series. He was responsible for the development of all position players while overseeing alumni relations and fundraising efforts for the program.

A 1998 graduate of New York Tech with a degree in business management, Goelz also holds an associate's degree from Suffolk Community College. A resident of St. James, New York, he has two sons – Chase and Carter.

Rojas joins the Hofstra staff after spending last season as a volunteer assistant at Long Island University. He was a part of the staff at New York Tech from 2018 to 2020, where he guided the Bears pitching staff and was part of the 2019 College World Series squad.

A veteran of professional baseball, Rojas pitched in the minor leagues for nine seasons, spent two years in the independent leagues, and one season in the Venezuelan Winter League. He also represented Puerto Rico in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Rojas compiled a 66-61 record during his professional baseball career. He appeared in 221 games and made 173 starts, recording 802 strikeouts in 992 2/3 innings of work. Rojas reached the AAA level with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. He was the Pitcher of the Year in 2001 with the Padres High-A affiliate (Lake Elsinore) and again in 2005 with the Phillies organization after spending the year at both the AA and AAA level.

Following his retirement from professional baseball, Rojas worked in the private sector, most recently as vice president of sales at MerchantPro Express. He also served as an associate scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization from 2011 to 2012.

After joining the staff at New York Tech in July 2018, Rojas paid immediate dividends as he helped lower the staff ERA from 5.74 in 2018 to 4.09 in 2019. The staff's batting average against also dropped significantly, going from .303 in 2018 to .245 in 2019 as the program won a school-record 37 games that season.

Rojas, who played at New York Tech from 1994 to 1998, is completing his degree in criminal justice from the institution. He and his wife, Paola, have two sons – CJ and Justin – and reside in East Meadow, New York.