During the 2022 fall semester, UTRGV graduate student Chris Mondesi was thrown a curveball by the sport he loves.
During a UTRGV baseball intersquad scrimmage, Mondesi, a third baseman from Brooklyn, N.Y., injured his left shoulder. Tests revealed a high-grade tear to the infraspinatus tendon.
While he was sidelined, Mondesi was assisting the infielders defensively. It wasn't unusual for the veteran to offer tips and advice, but head baseball coach Derek Matlock took notice of the way the Vaqueros, especially the younger ones, soaked up Mondesi's knowledge and how natural it was for him to teach.
"Coach Matlock sat me down and asked, 'Hey, have you ever thought about being a coach?' My first answer was no," Mondesi said. "But he said, 'you just naturally have certain abilities and kids gravitate toward you, so why don't you think about it?' And I realized it was true. All I've known is baseball. It's a passion. So, when the results came back and there was a tear in my shoulder, I thought, why not?"
Mondesi is now serving as a student coach, volunteering his time to work with the infielders defensively and directly mentor the third basemen fighting for the starting spot while contributing to offensive development.
In 2024, Mondesi led the infielders to their best fielding percentage since before the 2009 season at .973, ranking 20th in the NCAA and third in the WAC in double plays (51) and 15th in the NCAA and first in the WAC in double plays per game (0.94).
"It meant a lot that Matlock saw that in me," Mondesi said. "He told me I had an opportunity to help out this year and that it could benefit me in the long run if I want to do this as a career. I just love being around the guys, the coaching staff and the university. I wanted to contribute in any way to help the team be more successful."
Baseball is in Mondesi's blood. His uncle, Raul Mondesi, played 13 seasons in MLB with seven teams, including a seven-season stint with the Dodgers, and was the 1994 National League Rookie of the Year, a two-time Gold Glove honoree in 1995 and 1997 and an All-Star in 1995. Two cousins also made it to pro ball – Adalberto Mondesi, recently acquired by the Red Sox after spending seven seasons with the Royals, and Raul Mondesi Jr., who spent four seasons in the minor leagues with the Brewers and Rays organizations.
Mondesi played in 35 games for UTRGV in 2022 and made 32 starts at third base. He notched a .240 batting average and a .678 OPS, recording 29 hits and four home runs as he drove in 20 RBI. He had a .924 fielding percentage at the hot corner with 28 putouts and 45 assists. Prior to UTRGV, he led Connors State to the 2019 NJCAA College World Series as a freshman before spending two years at Dyersburg State Community College.
The plan was always to play baseball as long as he could, but when that changed, he chose to embrace his new journey. The way Mondesi conducts himself on the field and his personable demeanor made the sudden and unexpected transition a smooth one.
"He has done a good job. He hasn't had a problem going from being a player to being on the staff. He just kind of moved on and the players know he's a coach that's going to help them," Matlock said. "They respect him because they know how good he was. It's pretty easy for them to see him as a coach and listen to him because they got to see him play, so they know how good he was on defense. He just got hurt."
Since he was 17 years old, Mondesi has provided infield lessons to kids in New York when he is home during breaks. Working with young athletes taught him the value of helping someone be confident in their abilities by focusing on fundamentals and feel. He's thankful to have had great role models shape his life and career from a young age, and he naturally became that person for others.
"One of my favorite things about baseball is it's an art," Mondesi said. "I'm definitely considering coaching going forward because the sport is my passion. I'm learning a lot, taking bits and pieces from all the coaches on staff and trying to take in as much information as I can. I'll see where this season goes and then what opportunities arise after that."
Matlock noted that the connections Mondesi has to the New York baseball community would make him a great recruiter in that area of the country because of how he relates to those players. He appreciates Mondesi's baseball IQ, work ethic and personality.
"He has unbelievable knowledge of the game and a really good feel for people. He cares for those kids," Matlock said. "His strength is going to be helping our third basemen be better fundamentally. He hits great fungo and throws great batting practice, too, and that's really huge. Most guys coming out of playing take a while to learn. He's got a bright future."
Mondesi's time at UTRGV also has him thinking about life after baseball. He earned his Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies in Aug. 2022 and is working on a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in marketing, expecting to graduate in August.
He spent the fall semester working with the UTRGV Athletics marketing team, helping in various aspects of game day operations from in-game promotions to running the video board and assisting with logistics. He played a key role in producing UTRGV Madness in October by collaborating with other student leaders and the marketing and creative teams to bring ideas to life. Mondesi was willing to take on any task and give it his all, whether it was promoting sporting events on campus or volunteering as a model for the campus store's Hispanic Heritage Month clothing line.
"We loved having Chris as part of our team," said Sara Hernandez, UTRGV's Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Strategic Initiatives. "He is the ultimate team player. He's bright, a fast learner and is not afraid to work hard. Chris has a unique perspective being a student-athlete, so he made an impact as a member of our team."
That experience taught Mondesi a lot about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into every sporting event and how all aspects of the athletic department work together. He believes marketing is a viable career option in his future.
"It was very interesting. I liked the way you get to connect with people, especially the fans because the fans are what makes collegiate athletics. It was great to meet people and get them more interested in UTRGV Athletics," Mondesi said.
Just like he did as a student-athlete and when working with the marketing team, Mondesi is giving this coaching opportunity all he has. He knows no other way to be, especially when it comes to baseball.
"Our culture is ABC – accountability, blue collar, committed. Those are traits I always want to carry because that's what I saw in my parents growing up. I didn't know any other way than to go out there, roll up your sleeves and work hard to get what you want," Mondesi said. "The guys respect me as a coach because they know me as a person. I can relate to what they're going through and I can really say I've been there. I didn't play 30 years ago. I was literally in their spot two years ago."
