For the past four years, Elizabethtown baseball tried to find ways to shut Chris Ray down as a member of rival Alvernia University. This spring Ray joins the Blue Jays as an assistant coach, as E-town eyes a return to the postseason.
Ray, a versatile infielder with the Crusaders, was named Alvernia Male Athlete of the Year and All-Commonwealth Honorable Mention during his senior year. The Exton, Pa., native started all 45 games and hit .316 (50-for-158), as Alvernia won the Commonwealth Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Ray finished second on his team in runs scored (37), while ranking third in hits, third in sacrifice bunts (six), third in stolen bases (11), fourth in runs batted in (27) and fourth in total bases (58).
Following a sophomore season in which he batted .419 with 41 RBIs and 11 doubles, Ray was named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year and All-CC First Team. He was also tabbed to the ABCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region team. Ray's 72 hits in 2011 were tied for sixth most in a single-season by an Alvernia player all-time.
Ray is Alvernia's career leader in sacrifice hits with 19. He also ranks amongst the school's top 10 all-time in games started (second; 166), games played (third; 167), hits (fourth; 231), at-bats (fourth; 588), total bases (ninth; 275), runs scored (10th; 143) and runs batted in (10th; 130).
Prior to attending Alvernia, Ray starred in baseball and basketball at West Chester Henderson High School. There, he was a two-time All-Ches-Mont League First Team selection in baseball.
