COACHES
HEAD COACH
Charlie Shepard
Coach Shepard was the pitching coach for the Woodstock River Bandits from 2019-22. The staffs he helped recruit and manage boasted the VBL Pitcher of the Year in two of those seasons. In addition, the team ERA of those pitching staffs have ranked within the top two in the league over that same period. (The Valley League cancelled its 2020 season due to the COVID pandemic).
Shepard has served as Head Baseball Coach at Luray High School since 2019 and was Head Coach at Broadway High School from 2011-2015. He has coached numerous players who went on to have
successful collegiate careers.
Shepard has also been a manager in the Rockingham County Baseball League (RCBL) for ten years,
managing the Broadway Bruins and leading the Bridgewater Reds to the championship series in 2012.
ASSISTANT COACH
Brennan Abbott
Brennan Abbott joins the New Market Rebel coaching staff this year as an assistant coach. He was recruited by JMU as a pitcher out of high school and has been a member of the JMU Baseball team for the past 2 ½ years. Due to recent injuries and Tommy John surgery, he decided to give up baseball and get into coaching. Abbott played for the Woodstock River Bandits in 2021 under head coach Shepard and finished the season with a 3.66 ERA in 19.2 innings pitched. At home, Abbott has spent time helping elementary through college players train and develop their game at a sports training facility. He will graduate from JMU in 2024 with a degree in Sport and Recreation Management along with a minor in Business. After graduation, he plans to continue coaching part-time and get a job in sport management or business.