University of North Carolina Athletics
Baseball Promotes Datres & Martorano To Full-Time Roles
August 26, 2026 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – On Wednesday, North Carolina baseball head coach Scott Forbes announced the promotions of Kyle Datres and Brandon Martorano, who will both now serve in director of player development roles for the program.
"We are thrilled to add Kyle Datres and Brandon Martorano to our coaching staff in a full-time capacity," Forbes said. "Both were instrumental pieces of our staff last season and our run to the College World Series Championship Series, and I'm excited to watch them continue to grow as coaches and pour into our players every day."
Both Datres and Martorano are Carolina baseball alumni, and both returned to Chapel Hill this past season to fill undergraduate assistant coach positions for a team that ran all the way to the College World Series finals. Their efforts with the position players helped the Tar Heels set a new single-season runs record while also having the ACC's best defense.
An infielder for the Heels from 2016-18, Datres' new title will officially be director of player development – offense. An All-American and first team All-ACC honoree for the 2018 team that went to Omaha, Datres hit .345 with a .438 on-base percentage and 27 extra base hits.
That impressive season helped him to be a 12th round pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 MLB Draft. He would go on to play seven seasons of professional baseball, climbing as high as AAA before returning to Carolina to start his coaching career.
Martorano, an elite defender in his three years behind the dish at Carolina from 2017-19, will now serve as the director of player development – catchers. He started all but five games in his final two seasons in Carolina blue when the team went to Omaha in '18 and won the ACC tournament in '19, catching 20 runners stealing with 21 doubles and 17 home runs.
He would go on to be a 16th round pick of the San Francisco Giants, playing six seasons of pro ball in total. He too would reach the AAA level before taking advantage of the Complete Carolina program to come back and finish his degree at UNC.
"Kyle and Brandon are true Tar Heels who played the game at the highest levels, and their addition will help us continue to elevate our program," Forbes added.
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Carolina officially begins fall practice on Monday, Sept. 7 at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium. Stay tuned to GoHeels.com and the Carolina baseball social media pages for up to date information on the program and the release of the full fall schedule.
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"We are thrilled to add Kyle Datres and Brandon Martorano to our coaching staff in a full-time capacity," Forbes said. "Both were instrumental pieces of our staff last season and our run to the College World Series Championship Series, and I'm excited to watch them continue to grow as coaches and pour into our players every day."
Both Datres and Martorano are Carolina baseball alumni, and both returned to Chapel Hill this past season to fill undergraduate assistant coach positions for a team that ran all the way to the College World Series finals. Their efforts with the position players helped the Tar Heels set a new single-season runs record while also having the ACC's best defense.
An infielder for the Heels from 2016-18, Datres' new title will officially be director of player development – offense. An All-American and first team All-ACC honoree for the 2018 team that went to Omaha, Datres hit .345 with a .438 on-base percentage and 27 extra base hits.
That impressive season helped him to be a 12th round pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 MLB Draft. He would go on to play seven seasons of professional baseball, climbing as high as AAA before returning to Carolina to start his coaching career.
Martorano, an elite defender in his three years behind the dish at Carolina from 2017-19, will now serve as the director of player development – catchers. He started all but five games in his final two seasons in Carolina blue when the team went to Omaha in '18 and won the ACC tournament in '19, catching 20 runners stealing with 21 doubles and 17 home runs.
He would go on to be a 16th round pick of the San Francisco Giants, playing six seasons of pro ball in total. He too would reach the AAA level before taking advantage of the Complete Carolina program to come back and finish his degree at UNC.
"Kyle and Brandon are true Tar Heels who played the game at the highest levels, and their addition will help us continue to elevate our program," Forbes added.
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Carolina officially begins fall practice on Monday, Sept. 7 at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium. Stay tuned to GoHeels.com and the Carolina baseball social media pages for up to date information on the program and the release of the full fall schedule.
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