Troy University Athletics
Troy Baseball Announces Hires of Rush Hixon and Zeke Pinkham
8/12/2026 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
TROY, Ala. — Troy baseball has finalized its coaching staff ahead of the 2026-27 season with the additions of Rush Hixon as an assistant coach and Zeke Pinkham as recruiting coordinator/assistant coach.
"We are thrilled to add two dynamic coaches to our staff in Zeke and Rush," head coach Skylar Meade said. "Both of these guys work so hard to be great young coaches. They recruit, and they really connect. Zeke will help keep us elite in player procurement and in our most important area of catching. Rush will help bring an amazing connection to this program with his history here, but he will also thrive in assisting with our pitching—and doing what is imperative—continuing to get great players to the Wiregrass."
Hixon returns to his alma mater following a five-year stint at Chipola College, where he served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Last season with the Indians, Hixon helped lead his team to a 45-13 record and an FCSAA/Region VIII runner-up finish. His pitching staff recorded the most wins (45) across the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I.
During his time at Chipola, Hixon also helped develop two Major League Baseball draft selections, including JeanPierre Ortiz, who was selected in the 17th round by the Cincinnati Reds, and Lucas Elissalt, who was selected in the 13th round by the Detroit Tigers.
Prior to Chipola, Hixon spent two seasons as the head baseball coach at Pike Liberal Arts School in Troy, leading the Patriots to Alabama Independent School Association state championships in both seasons. His teams posted a combined record of 60-11 during his tenure at Pike Liberal.
He began his coaching career in 2016 with Troy Post 70, a summer travel baseball program of the American Legion. After serving one season as an assistant coach, he stepped into the head coaching role for the next five years. His six-year tenure with the club produced an Alabama state championship each season, 15 athletes that went on to play at the NCAA Division I level, and two who were drafted by MLB teams.
Before coaching, Hixon started his playing career at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, where he notched a 5-1 record across 34.1 innings. Prior to his second season, he transferred to Central Alabama Community College and received All-Region and All-Conference honors with a team-leading 8-1 record and 1.50 ERA. He topped off his sophomore campaign with an American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NJCAA Division I Gold Glove award.
The native of Banks, Ala. played his final two years just down the road at Troy during the 2018 and 2019 seasons before returning for the 2020 season as a student assistant coach. In two seasons for the Trojans, Hixon made 50 appearances across 99.2 innings with an ERA of 4.06 and six saves and a 10-strikeout performance against Sun Belt foe Georgia State.
Hixon earned his bachelor's degree in social science from Troy University.
Now entering his third coaching role, Pinkham joins the Trojans staff following a two-year stint with Kent State, where he worked with the team's hitters and catchers. The Golden Flashes went a combined 80-33 during Pinkham's time with the program.
Prior to Kent State, Pinkham began his coaching career at Georgia Tech during the 2020-21 season. In his four years with the program, the Yellow Jackets made three NCAA tournament appearances and captured the ACC Coastal Division title.
During his time in Atlanta, Pinkham mentored 18 MLB draft picks highlighted by the 2022 Buster Posey Award winner, Kevin Parada, who was drafted 11th overall by the New York Mets. Out of the 18 players drafted during his time, 15 were selected in the top 10 rounds, and two have gone on to make their MLB debuts (Justyn Henry-Malloy and Brant Hurter).
Pinkham carved out a successful playing career before transitioning into coaching. As a three-year starting catcher for Louisville, he helped lead the Cardinals to two College World Series appearances (2017, 2019). His senior season saw him post a .324 batting across 33 starts, earn NCAA All-Louisville Regional Team honors, and lead Louisville to its highest finish in program history.
A year later, Pinkham returned to Louisville as a graduate assistant coach, where he played a significant role in the development of No.1 overall draft pick Henry Davis and second-round draft pick Dalton Rushing.
A native of Elizabethtown, Ky., Pinkham earned his bachelor's degree in sports administration from the University of Louisville.
