Chicago, IL - Former Chicago White Sox minor leaguer Mike Kashirsky has been named the new head coach of the Robert Morris college baseball team, RMC Athletic Director Megan Smith Eggert announced on Friday, May 9, 2008. In addition to his professional and collegiate playing experience, the new Eagle headman has eight years of coaching behind him, including four seasons in the professional ranks.

Kashirsky was an assistant coach for Robert Morris this past season after two years at the helm of the Moraine Valley Community College program.  During his tenure the Cyclones were 69-40 and were 2007 Region 4 Sauk Valley sectional champions.  That feat earned him honors as the 2007 Skyway Conference Newcomer Coach of the Year.

Prior to his years at MVCC, Kashirsky was an assistant coach at his alma mater, NCAA Division II Saint Joseph's College of Indiana.  As a player for the Pumas, he earned Academic All-American honors and led his team to two appearances in the College World Series.

He also has four seasons of coaching experience with the Frontier League Windy City Thunderbolts.  During the Thunderbolts' 2007 Frontier League championship season, he served as bench coach and was named to the 2007 Northern Division All-Star game coaching staff.

The highlight of his professional playing career would have to be his spring-training stints with the Chicago White Sox during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.  His other stops in organized baseball included seasons with the Cook County Cheetahs and the Green Bay Billies.  Kashirsky was the Northeastern League Rookie of the Year for the Billies.  He also played a season for the Marina Braves in the Italian Baseball League .

"We are coming off a tough season this year," says Kashirsky, "but injuries really hurt us.  We lost the core of our lineup including six of our first seven hitters, but the guys held up well and hung tough.  I think we'll have a team that will set will come out of the adversity of this season to bounce back strong next year when."

Kashirsky loses only three seniors from this year's team and will regain the services of All-Conference first baseman Gary Bjorklund among other standout players who were benched by injuries in 2008.

"We are excited by the baseball knowledge and experience that Coach Kashirsky brings to our program," said AD Smith Eggert.  "He will not only be a great coach but a great role model for the RMC Baseball team." 

Robert Morris is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and competes in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Eagles field teams in twenty-one men's and women's sports.  The College also belongs to the Unites States Bowling Congress-Collegiate Division, the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, and the United Dance Association.

The College is a private, not-for-profit, associate, baccalaureate, and master's degree-granting institution, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Over 7000 students pursuing an education that meets the demands of today's business, graphic arts, health care, culinary, and technical worlds are served at the College's main campus in Chicago as well as at locations in DuPage, Orland Park, Bensenville, Springfield, Peoria, and Lake County.  

Robert Morris College admits students of any race, color, sex, national origin, or with any handicap to all the rights, privileges and activities generally accorded or made available to students at Robert Morris College.  The College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, national origin or students with disabilities in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, loan programs, career services, housing, and school administered programs.