Manager, pitching coach selected for 2023 Zookeepers

ASHEBORO — A former UNC player and NC State player will team up to lead the Asheboro ZooKeepers next summer.

Korey Dunbar, who played for the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill from 2012-15, will be the manager. He’ll be joined by Josh Pike, an NC State grad assistant who will serve as pitching coach.

Both are considered to be outstanding young mentors with very bright futures in coaching.

Dunbar’s playing days included a trip to the College World Series in 2013 and he was nominated for the Johnny Bench Award, the honor given to the nation’s top catcher.

Dunbar has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Barton College. There, he was the head developmental coach, the recruiting coordinator and camp director.

“I can’t wait to make an impact on the incoming talented players, the Asheboro community and the entire ZooKeepers fan base,” Dunbar said. “I am also very excited to work alongside Melissa Godwin and the entire front office to create something special here in Asheboro.”

Dunbar, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 39th round out of high school and again by the Marlins in the 20th round after his playing days at UNC, was a member of the CPL’s Wilson Tobs in 2013 and played in the Cape Cod League in 2014. 

While at UNC, Dunbar was a Carolina Leadership Academy member, a CREED mentor and he was a Rising Stars Leadership Program participant.

Pike had a tremendous prep career at Northern Guilford, finishing 5-0 with a 0.97 ERA and part of the Knighthawks’ state 3A championship team. He struck out 46 and walked 10 in 36 innings of work. At State, he spent one season with the Wolfpack as a player but, because of an injury, transitioned into coaching. He went to the College World Series with the Wolfpack in 2021.

Pike was the USA Collegiate National Team bullpen coach in 2022 after a year of being the team’s pitching technician. He’s well-versed in analytics.

Pike is set to graduate in May at N.C. State. “This summer, we are going to create an exciting baseball environment that breeds from a competitive culture while being conducive to player development,” he said. “I’m more than excited to get the ball rolling and win as a ZooKeeper.”