The first guest speaker to Roselle Catholic’s resurrected Sports & Society Class hit a home run. 

Roselle Catholic alum Billy Murphy, a college baseball player and minor league pitching coach, spoke to juniors and seniors in the RC elective course on Jan. 8. 

Murphy is getting ready to begin his first season as the Houston Astros’ minor league pitching coordinator. 

Murphy spoke to the RC class, which includes quite a few student-athletes, about life on and off the baseball diamond.

He seized the attention of the teenagers in Room 106 from the opening pitch as he put his shiny World Series ring – from the Astros’ 2017 triumph against the L.A. Dodgers -- on the teacher’s desk. 

“Billy Murphy was a great guest with a great message for our class,” said senior Maleah Watson, a varsity volleyball player. “He told us to make sure you have a job you like when you get older … He also told us to be the best you can be and whatever you decide to do.” 

“Billy Murphy was a good guest because he gave our class some great advice on life and goals, advice that can be useful to us now,” said senior Heavan Hopson, who played varsity soccer for the Lions last fall. “He’s sharp, seems like a hard worker and a very good people person.” 

After graduating from Roselle Catholic in 2007 – Murphy starred as a pitcher and infielder for the Lions – Murphy pitched for three seasons at Rutgers University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in history. Murphy earned an MBA from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., where he played first base during his final year of eligibility. 

 In 2013, Murphy was a volunteer assistant coach at Georgetown University and also coached in the Cal Ripken Collegiate League with the Rockville Express. He returned to his alma mater to help coach the Lions from 2010-2013. 

Murphy said he always hangs a Roselle Catholic shirt in his locker, and told the students he still bleeds green. 

 “I think Billy Murphy was a good guest because he sat in our seats and did the same stuff we did, so hearing information from him can be very helpful,” said UNLV-bound senior Josh Pierre-Louis, a key member of last year’s RC Tournament of Champions winning team.  

“He’s a very humble guy who just wants to put his head down and grind 
and keep working until he reaches his goals.” 

Murphy, who also coached in the Ivy League at Brown, learned about the opening for a minor league pitching coach in the Astros’ organization, a tidbit that caught the attention of the high school students. 

Murphy’s moved quite quickly through the Astros’ organization, coaching the Greenville (Tenn.) Astros in 2016 and the Tri-City (N.Y.) ValleyCats in ’17 before joining the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Astros’ AA affiliate, last summer. Several Hooks’ pitchers got called to the big leagues, including Josh James, who was on the Astros’ playoff roster. 

Murphy grew up (and still resides) in Cranford. He enjoys spending lots of time with his family in the offseason and calls his parents every day during baseball season. 

“He told us how important it is to have good communication skills in whatever we decide to do,” said senior Lila Desrosiers. 

“He’s a very good communicator,” said junior Dylan O’Shea. “You could tell he’s a hard worker who’s very humble. He was a good guest for our class because he’s from the sports world and helped us understand how hard it is to be in professional sports when if you aren’t a player.” 

Sports & Society is an elective taught by Roselle Catholic assistant principal (and former athletic director) Joe Skrec, the Lions’ girls’ basketball coach. The class debuted in the 2008-09 school year, was part of the curriculum for a few years, but went on the disabled list until making a comeback this school year.

Two days after Murphy’s visit, the sports & society students in period three took a quiz about Murphy and the visit to his alma mater.