PJ Carmichael

Bio

PJ Carmichael joined McLennan Baseball as a volunteer assistant coach in 2022. In his first year at McLennan, the Highlanders finished in second place in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) with a 22-10 record and ended the season in the Region V Tournament with an overall record of 40-18. Seven Highlanders were named all-conference selections, seven earned CSC Academic All-District^® honors and 18 were named to the NJCAA’s All-Academic Teams.

In 2024, the Highlanders once again finished in second place in the NTJCAC with a 23-9 record before going 4-0 in the Region V Tournament to secure the regional championship and a berth in the JUCO World Series. The season came to an end after two games in Grand Junction with a record of 43-19. Once again seven players earned all-conference awards, 12 were academic all-conference selections, 12 were named to the NJCAA All-Academic Teams, and the squad was named an NJCAA Academic Team Honorable Mention selection. Two Highlanders received CSC Academic All-District^® honors, and Aidan Kuni was also named to the 2023-24 CSC Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large Team. Highlander catcher Mac Rose was selected by the Texas Rangers on the final day of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.

Before joining the McLennan staff, Carmichael spent four seasons as a student manager for the Fighting Illini at the University of Illinois, primarily throwing batting practice and hitting fungo. He was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Carmichael also spent the summer of 2021 working as the Director of Operations for the Kingsport Axeman of the Appalachian League.

Carmichael received a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois in 2020 and a master's degree in recreation, sports management and tourism from Illinois in 2021. He and his wife, Rhein, were married in 2022.

Coaching experience
2022-present: Volunteer assistant coach, McLennan Community College
Summer 2021: Director of operations, Kingsport Axeman
2017-21: Student manager, University of Illinois

Education

2021: Master’s in recreation, sports management and tourism, University of Illinois

2020: Bachelor’s in kinesiology, University of Illinois