Charles Bolden enters his first season as an assistant baseball coach at Chicago State.

Bolden came to CSU after serving as the hitting and pitching coach at Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst, Ill., where he helped the team set new records for batting average and lowest ERA in a single season. He also tutored four pitchers that earned all-conference honors and helped IC claim an IHSA regional championship.

Before coaching at IC, Bolden was an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s High School in Westchester, Ill., in addition to founding the Midwest Havoc travel organization while helping players earn scholarships at various NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA schools.

The Chicago native received a scholarship to play for legendary coach Gordie Gillespie at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., while also playing in the independent leagues for the Rockford (Ill.) RiverHawks and the Big Bend Cowboys. He also batted .400 for his prep career at Oak Park-River Forest High School.

Bolden received his Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from Northeastern Illinois University.