MMI Preparatory School announced that it has appointed two co-head coaches of the varsity baseball program for the upcoming season. Cory Rogers ’15 and Charlie Karchner ’14 will lead the Preppers through the next season.

Rogers is a 2015 graduate of MMI, was vice-president of the student council, and a key member of the 2014 District Championship Team along with Co-Head Coach, Charlie Karchner.  He was also the last 1,000-point scorer to play for the Prepper basketball team. Rogers is currently the Head Coach of the MMI Mid-School Basketball team and previously served as an assistant coach for the Varsity Baseball team. Rogers earned his Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Pittsburgh and is pursuing his Master’s degree in Education at Bloomsburg University.  At the University of Pittsburgh, he was vice-president of his club basketball team making it to the national tournament twice. Currently, he serves as the program director at the Freeland YMCA. In addition, he is a substitute teacher at MMI and the Hazleton Area School District. 

Charlie Karchner is a 2014 MMI graduate who was a 4-year athlete in baseball and basketball; he was a tri-sport athlete during his junior and senior year, adding golf to the equation. Charlie helped lead the 2014 varsity baseball team to the School’s first ever District title with a 6-5 win over Blue Ridge at PNC Field. Next, Charlie went on the study Engineering at Penn State Hazleton and completed requirements for math and business minors. Throughout college, he played baseball for 4 years and played golf his final two years. In Charlie’s last year of college, he and freshman research partner, Ty, studied the baseball swing and presented a research project “Swinging for the Fences: Dynamics of an at Bat” at Penn State Hazleton’s Research Symposium. They won 1^st place in STEM and were awarded Overall Popular Vote.

Charlie was an assistant coach for MMI’s varsity baseball team in 2020. The following year, he pulled double duty as an assistant varsity coach and assistant mid-school coach. Charlie has also served as an assistant to the MMI varsity golf coach.

MMI Athletic Director, Joe Flanagan said, “We’re pleased to have Charlie and Cory Co-coaching the team this season. This duo of former players, friends, and alumni will make a nice addition to our spring coaching staff.”