LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV baseball head coach
Stan Stolte filled two positions within the program with the additions of Chris Prescott and
Vince Taormina as the volunteer assistant coach and director of operations, respectively.
"I feel really good about Chris and Vinny on what they can bring to the table," said Stolte. "
Cory Vanderhook will take over the pitching staff, and I have no doubt that he will do a great job. Chris will jump in and assist
Kevin Higgins with the position guys. Chris is a proven winner and he will bring that to our program every day. Vinny was a good player for us and an even better person, so I'm glad that he's still a part of the program. Vinny's integrity and work habits define what UNLV baseball is all about."
Prescott comes to UNLV after spending his entire playing and coaching career in Southern California. Most recently, the Anaheim native served as an assistant coach the past two years (2019 and '20) at Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa) for the late John Altobelli and current Pirates' skipper Nate Johnson, respectively. At OCC, he served as the team's first base coach, created scouting reports and assisted with recruiting. Additionally, he worked with the outfielders as well as helped with hitting and base running.
In his first year at OCC, the Pirates finished the 2019 campaign ranked No. 3 in Perfect Game's Junior College Top 25 backed by a 39-9 overall record, a CCCAA State Championship and an Orange Empire Conference title.
Following his graduation from Canyon High School (Anaheim) in 2014, Prescott attended OCC and became a two-time all-conference performer during the 2015 and '16 seasons under Altobelli. As a freshman, he helped the Pirates to an overall mark of 30-17 and a state championship. In two years as a Pirate, he saw action in 72 games and batted .338 with 70 hits, 37 runs and 25 RBI.
Prescott concluded his collegiate career at Cal State Fullerton and helped the Titans achieve postseason success with back-to-back NCAA Super Regional appearances and a trip to the 2017 College World Series. He played in 78 contests with the Big West club and collected 57 hits with 39 runs and 24 RBI. He graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2018 with an undergraduate degree in communications and is currently on track to graduate from the University of Missouri this summer with a master's degree in education.
Taormina, on the other hand, is no stranger to the Las Vegas Valley and the Rebel baseball program, having spent the last five years with the Scarlet & Gray. At UNLV, he started 75 games and played in a total of 117 – primarily at catcher – where he collected 73 hits, knocked in 30 RBI and scored 38 runs. After he exhausted his playing eligibility, he spent the 2019-20 year as an undergraduate assistant with the team and worked towards completing his undergraduate degree in history, which he obtained this spring.
Prior to his time at UNLV, Taormina was a four-year letterwinner at Silverado High School. He helped the Skyhawks to a 2012 Northeast League title and earned all-state honors twice prior to his graduation in 2015.
