The Alabama Baseball program has made changes to its staff, including a new Director of Operations. Joey Jones, who previously worked in the same role at South Alabama, has been hired to replace Jenny Sanders, who transitioned into an academic role at the university.

New Staff Members

Jones operated in the same role at South Alabama for five years and was also a standout pitcher in Mobile for three years, helping the Jaguars to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances and three Sun Belt championships. Jones earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sport management at South Alabama.

“I am so thrilled to welcome Joey and his wife Hannah and his two little ones to Tuscaloosa,” said Vaughn in a university press release. “There were several names that came up in the process, but everything kept pointing back to Joey. After spending five minutes on the phone with him, I knew he was our guy. I’m looking forward to his family making Tuscaloosa home.”

The other staff change came inside the program, as Vaughn promoted graduate assistant Kevin Keister to a new role as a Player Development Assistant, focusing on hitting and the infield. A former player under Vaughn at Maryland, Keister recorded a career .280 average with the Terps, adding 43 doubles, 28 home runs, and 130 RBIs from 2021-2024.

“I recruited Kevin years ago at the University of Maryland, and it is awesome to see his development from an elite player to an outstanding coach,” Vaughn added in a press release from the University of Alabama. “He’s relentless, tough, and everything that we embody here at the University of Alabama. His knowledge with hitters and infielders is something that is going to continue to allow our boys to excel and be the best versions of themselves. I’m fired up to be able to promote Kevin into this new role.”

Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.