Willie James had an 8-year professional playing career. Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Willie spent five seasons in the Braves organization. Willie made his professional debut with the Braves affiliate in the Gulf Coast rookie League in 2002. He also competed for the ’03 South Atlantic League Champion Rome Braves, ’04 Myrtle Beach Pelicans, ’05 Myrtle Beach Pelicans and ‘06 Mississippi Braves Organization.

Willie continued his playing career after being released by the Atlanta Braves in 2006 by signing to play for the Quebec Capitales. Willie spent four seasons playing independent baseball with the likes of the ’06 American Association League Champion Quebec Capitales, ’07 Sioux City Explorers, Grays, Bradenton Juice, ’08 Fort Worth Cats, El Paso Dibalos, and ’09 United League Champion Amarillo Dillas.
 
Majority of the games played in the minor leagues by Willie were spent playing Second base, Shortstop and third base. Willie was a flashy infielder with above average speed and arm. 
 
Willie, a native of Moreno Valley, CA., attended Arizona Western Community College and received a Scholarship to attend and play baseball at Purdue University. As a Freshman with the Matadors in 2000, Willie batted .355 in 61 games and he led the team with 35 stolen bases. Willie was named as the teams Rookie of the year and was selected to the conference second team all ACCAC as a second baseman losing out to all conference first team Freshman second baseman and former MLB player Scott Hariston Jr.  .

Willie continued his collegiate career playing for Former Arizona State University coach Doug Schrieber and the Purdue University Boilermakers. Willie was the starting Shortstop and thrived in the one year that he attended the University. Willie decided to forgo his senior year and pursue his dream of playing Professional baseball when he signed to play for the Atlanta Braves in 2002.

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Willie retired from playing in 2009 and began coaching. Willie has been involved in the development of baseball in the Myrtle Beach area since 2005 and has touched the lives of many baseball players in his 13-year coaching career. Willie has been instrumental in helping many of the players in the area reach their potential and making their dreams of playing college baseball a reality.

Carolina Elite Sports and the Carolina Rays mission statement was born through Willie’s vision of seeing each player create their own opportunities in the game of baseball through the hard-work and dedication each player puts in to reach their goals.

Meet Zac Thomas, a dedicated coach with a rich athletic background and a passion for developing young talent. Hailing from Ohio, Zac was a standout athlete in high school, earning four varsity letters in both basketball and baseball. His basketball accolades include being a 1000-point scorer and receiving multiple awards, while in baseball, he shined as a utility player, earning honors such as OVAC Player of the Year, First Team All Eastern District, and MVP of the All-Star game. Zac also made First Team All Ohio and showcased his skills at the Mizuno All Ohio Tournament.

 

After high school, Zac continued his baseball journey at Potomac State College, where he excelled as a starting pitcher and played a vital role in leading his team to the College World Series. Following his playing career, Zac relocated to the beach, where he met his wife Jessica and together they welcomed two sons, Parker and Colton.

 

Zac has spent most of his adult life coaching, sharing his expertise in baseball, flag football, and basketball. For the past three years, he has been an integral part of the Carolina Rays coaching staff and has also led teams in prestigious events like the Perfect Game All-State Tournament, Top Gun All-American Games, and USSSA All-State and Area Code Games.

 

Zac's true passion lies in baseball. He believes in the power of the sport to create opportunities and is committed to helping young players develop their skills and reach the next level. Zac takes pride in sharing his love for baseball and inspiring the next generation of athletes.

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Enrique De Los Rios is a professional baseball player from San Antonio De Los Altos, Venezuela now residing in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina  

 

Enrique began playing baseball at the age of 9 and was signed at the age of 17 as a pitcher by the Chicago Cubs. Enrique was a pitcher in the Cubs Organization from 2013 through 2019. During the winter seasons, Enrique was a starting pitcher for Leones de Caracas in the Venezuelan league. He was scheduled to play in Canada for the 2020 season but was delayed due to Covid.  In 2012, he represented Venezuela in the World Baseball Championships and in 2018 he was recognized with the Top Athlete Award in San Antonio De Los Altos.  

 

Since 2020, Enrique has concentrated on sharing his love of baseball with younger players in both Virginia & South Carolina. Last year, Enrique was a guest coach and instructor for the Mt Vernon (VA) Patriots 12U travel team. He was also an assistant Varsity baseball coach at Myrtle Beach High School. This year, Enrique is the pitching coach for the Myrtle Beach High School JV baseball team.  

 

Enrique is looking forward to working with the Carolina Rays organization and sharing his love & knowledge of the game with their players. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Joseph Curcio, was raised in Upstate New York in a town called Scotia where he Played (3) years of Varsity High School Baseball @ Scotia Glenville High School.

 

After Graduating in the spring of 2005 he enrolled at Schenectady County Community College after turning down an acceptance to WNEC (Western New England College) he Went on to Play (2) Years at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC). Joseph was Captain of the Baseball team during his second year on the team. During his Freshmen year at SCCC he played semi-professional Ice Hockey with the Albany Junior River Rats. After receiving his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice he Transferred to State University of New York (SUNY) at Plattsburgh to continue playing College Baseball. During his time in college he played in a Twilight league (Summer league for College players) for both the Albany Athletics and the All Stars Academy.

 

After College he was an assistant Coach at SCCC for one year before moving to VA. While playing in the Mens Adult Baseball League (MABL) in upstate New York Joseph was voted commissioner of the league for the summer of 2010. 

 

Joseph graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in the Spring of 2009. He and his wife, Joni, have one Child. 

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Coach DJ has been with Carolina Elite Sports for nearly 6 years specializing in infield and baseball IQ/mental approach.  

 

Prior to his coaching career, he played majority of his baseball in the Northeast.  Hard work and dedication during his playing days at the shortstop position got DJ named captain of both his Varsity HS and College programs in Washingtonville and Plattsburgh, NY.  He was also the recipient of the prestigious Coach’s Award finishing out his collegiate career in 2012 highlighting both his on and off the field performance.

 

Undrafted post college, yet a continued career in the Can-Am Summer Leagues where he played 2 seasons out of New Jersey before trading in the cleats for turfs and devoting his baseball entirety to the next generation of youth players.  

 

DJ currently head coaches one of our Rays 10u teams, but works with many athletes outside of that age group on a regular basis.  

 

Outside of coaching he is currently the announcer for the Coastal Carolina baseball team and an avid sports card collector.

Jose's baseball journey began in New Jersey, where he showcased his talent at Union City High School before excelling at Bergen Community College as a Two year Starter. His passion for the game extended into summer ball with the Carolina Shores CBL in Myrtle Beach.

In 2018, Jose made Myrtle Beach his home to pursue a career in professional baseball officiating. Hired by MiLB in 2020, he worked two seasons of pro ball before transitioning to Division 1 baseball, where he continues to shine as an ACC Conference Umpire.

Coach Polanco is passionate about teaching players the importance of both the mental and physical side of the game. His biggest goal? To share his extensive knowledge and love for the game with the youth.

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