SENATOBIA – Northwest head baseball coach Mark Carson has announced the hiring of former Ranger and professional Domenick Carlini, who will join the program as an assistant coach in January.

"I'm very grateful for the opportunity and excited to be back with the program," Carlini said. "It's almost too good to be true. I've always loved and respected this program and it's had a special place in my heart. I want to make sure I represent the program in the best light I can and am anxious to get started."

Carlini replaces Taylor Walker, who stepped away from coaching in May after six successful seasons with the Rangers, and joins Bill Selby who will enter his 13th year as an assistant with the Ranger baseball program.

The Nesbit native and DeSoto Central product spent the past two seasons in minor league baseball after being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 21st round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Southeastern Louisiana. Carlini was originally assigned to the Elizabethton Twins (Rookie) in 2016 and spent the 2017 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Single-A).

Carlini was 8-2 with a 2.03 ERA and two complete games in 16 appearances for the SLU Lions as a senior en route to Second Team All-Southland Conference honors and an NCAA Regional berth. In 97.1 innings of work, Carlini held opposing hitters to a .206 batting average while striking out 63 against 36 walks. He was 1-0 with three saves as a junior. 

His lone summer ball stint in college was with the St. Cloud Rox after his junior year at SLU, going 5-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched.

Carlini pitched the 2013-14 seasons for Northwest and Carson, helping the Rangers to back-to-back 30-win seasons and posting a 7-8 career record with five complete games, two saves and a 3.04 ERA. He struck out 119 batters (fourth-most in school history) against 35 walks in 119.2 career innings pitched. 

He was named "Mr. Ranger" after his sophomore season in addition to Second Team All-MACJC honors. Carlini was also selected the MACJC Pitcher of the Week on April 8, 2014, to kick off his sophomore campaign.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to add a young man with a wealth of baseball knowledge and professional experience to our program in 2018," Carson said. "He will help a lot in the pitching area and the overall day-to-day operations within our program."

Carlini is married to the former Lauren Carson of Independence, also a Northwest graduate, and the two are expecting their first child this June. 

Northwest will throw out first pitch of the 2018 season on Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. against Lincoln Trail College.