HAMPSTEAD — Topsail High School athletic director B.J. Horne has announced the hiring of Ryan Morris as the new head baseball coach, according to the Wilmington Star-News.

Morris, 36, has more than 10 years of coaching experience, having served in both the high school and collegiate coaching ranks. He played collegiate baseball for Bridgewater and worked as an assistant coach for both Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion. He moved to the Hampstead area at the end of 2010 and has coached the Hampstead Post 167 Junior Legion team.

He will also start as a substitute teacher at Topsail. According to Horne, Morris is certified as a PE/Health teacher, but Topsail has no current openings.

Morris takes a very successful baseball program. From 2001-2009, Topsail had eight consecutive winning seasons, and finished as 1A state runner up in both 2008 and 2009.