Bio

Chris Berry moved to the softball diamonds at McLennan in June 2018, becoming the head coach of the softball program following a very successful four-year stint as an assistant coach for the baseball program. During his time with the Highlanders, McLennan Baseball claimed a pair of conference championships, a pair of regional championships and a pair of trips to the JUCO World Series.

In his first season at the helm of the softball program, Berry led McLennan to a fifth-place finish in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) and a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA Region V North Tournament. Six team members earned NTJCAC All-Conference honors, and sophomore pitcher Emily Klanika was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) West Region second-team selection. The squad was off to a blazing start in 2020 with a 17-4 season, but the pandemic forced the cancellation of the season.

The squad returned to the field in 2021, determined to pick up where it left off and the team accomplished that goal. McLennan finished in second place in the conference race with a 25-7 record and finished third at the Region V North Tournament. Six players were named to the NTJCAC All-Conference squads with freshman Caitlyn Wong being named the Offensive Player of the year. Wong and fellow freshman Julia Herzinger were NFCA Division I All-American second-team selections. Herzinger was also an NFCA All-Region West first-team selection while Wong and sophomore Lindsey Evans were named to the NFCA All-Region West second team.

Berry led his McLennan Softball squad to a record-breaking year in 2022 and earned NTJCAC Coach of the Year honors. The squad battled to a 30-2 conference record to claim the NTJCAC conference championship and followed that with a Region V Championship to qualify for the Division I National Championship in Yuma, Arizona. McLennan shined in the desert, finishing as the National Runner-Up with an overall record of 59-8. The team featured 12 all-conference selections including Pitcher of the Year Hailey Hudson, Wong as the Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Maddie Saven. Erin Plunkett, a first-team all-conference selection, was named NFCA First-Team All-Region selections along with Wong and Hudson, and the three were also named NFCA All-Americans. In Yuma, Hudson and Wong were named all-tournament selections along with Riley Rutherford and Jenny Robison. Wong was also named the Tournament Offensive MVP and the NJCAA Co-Player of the Year. A program-record four players were named NJCAA All-Americans: Hudson, Wong, Plunkett and Ka’Lyn Watson. The team shattered the record books as well, setting new records for wins, home runs, triples, doubles and stolen bases. The 2022 squad also set records in the classroom with six being named academic all-conference, 12 earning NJCAA All-Academic honors and 14 earning NFCA Academic Awards.

Success continued for the program in 2023. The squad finished in second place in the NTJCAC conference race with a 27-5 record and ended the season as the Region V Runner-Up with an overall record of 44-13, narrowly missing a return trip the national tournament. Nine players received NTJCAC All-Conference honors, including Erin Plunkett being named the Defensive Player of the Year. Sydney Kirby and Riley Rutherford were named NFCA First-Team All-Region with Rachel Wicker and Madison Hornback earning NFCA Second-Team All-Region honors. Kirby and Plunkett were also honored with 2023 NJCAA Division I Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. The squad also excelled in the classroom, ranking sixth with a 3.712 GPA among the 61 junior colleges recognized by the NFCA and also being named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year Honorable Mention. Six players were named Academic All-Conference, 12 earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors and 16 earned NFCA Academic Awards, and Plunkett was named to the 2023 CSC Academic All-America^® Women's At-Large Team in the College Division.

In Berry’s five seasons, a total of 22 players have been named to the NTJCAC All-Academic Team, 39 received NJCAA All-Academic Team awards, five received CSC Academic All-District® awards and the team has received NJCAA Academic Team of the Year Honorable Mention recognition five times.

In 2015, Berry’s first season with the Highlander baseball team, the squad finished fourth in the NTJCAC and claimed the Region V Championship to earn the program’s first JUCO World Series berth since 1983. The Highlanders continued to excel in Grand Junction, finishing as the runners-up and ending the season with an overall record of 41-20. In Berry’s second season, the Highlanders claimed the conference championship and a regional tournament berth with an overall record of 45-12.

The Highlanders dominated the 2017 season, recording a 26-6 conference record to claim another NTJCAC Championship. They went on to win the Region V Tournament, punching their ticket to the JUCO World Series. The team was undefeated in the month of April and spent a week ranked first in the NJCAA Division I Poll. The Highlanders went 1-2 in the World Series and finished fifth in the nation with a 52-13 record. Success continued for the Highlanders in 2018 as the team finished second in conference play and advanced to the championship round of the regional tournament, ending the season with an overall record of 44-15.

In addition to the Highlanders’ team success during Berry’s tenure with the squad, many players garnered individual accolades as well. Josh Breaux and Grant Miller were named NJCAA All-Americans in 2018, with Breaux landing on the third team and Miller receiving honorable mention. The Highlanders also excelled in the classroom with 40 players claiming NJCAA All-Academic Student Athlete Awards. Brock Morrison, Breaux and Logan Freeman were also named to CoSIDA’s Google Cloud Academic All-District^® Team. Six Highlanders were drafted by Major League Baseball teams during Berry’s time with the Highlanders, and several others signed free-agent contracts.

Before joining the McLennan staff, Berry spent a year as an assistant at Florida Gulf Coast University working with the pitchers. His career includes stints as an assistant at Ohio, Baylor, Arkansas State and Sam Houston State. During his time with these teams, they made a combined eight appearances in the NCAA Regionals since 2000. Berry helped lead Baylor to the NCAA Super Regional in 2003 and 2005 and to the College World Series in 2005. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Rockford College before becoming an assistant coach at Young Harris College. He also has experience in the professional ranks, working as an assistant to the director of stadium operations for the Rockford (Illinois) Cubbies, the Class-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. In addition, he served as an administrative assistant for the Bluefield (Virginia) Orioles.

Berry received his bachelor's degree in recreational administration from Bluefield College in Virginia, where he was an Academic All-League pitcher. He and his wife, Connie, have two children, Kennedy and Jackson.

Coaching experience
2018-present: Head softball coach, McLennan Community College
2014-2018: Assistant baseball coach, McLennan Community College
2013-14: Pitching coach, Florida Gulf Coast University
2012-13: Assistant coach, Ohio University
2011-12: Co-director, Baylor Baseball Academy
2007-11: Pitching coach, Sam Houston State University
2006-07: Recruiting coordinator/assistant coach, Arkansas State University
1999-2006: Assistant coach/pitching coach, Baylor University
1998-99: Assistant coach/infield coach, Young Harris College
1997-98: Assistant coach, Rockford College

Playing experience
1994-97: Bluefield College

Education
1997: Bachelor’s in physical education with emphasis in recreation administration, Bluefield College