The Hickory Metro Sports Commission announced on Tuesday that former Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute baseball head coach Frank Pait has been named a member of the Class of 2024 Catawba County Sports Hall of Fame.

Pait was named the first head coach in Caldwell's baseball history, starting his tenure on February 1, 2019. In his three seasons as baseball coach, Pait led the team to an overall record of 83-29. In the 2022 season, the Cobras went 49-9, winning the Region 10 championship, the NJCAA Mid-Atlantic district championship, and finishing third at the NJCAA World Series.

Pait stepped down as head coach at Caldwell prior to the start of the 2023 season but served as an assistant coach before stepping away from coaching prior to the 2024 season. He is still employed by the institution as the transition advisor for Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy.

Pait also served as head coach of Lenoir-Rhyne University and Catawba Valley Community College. His overall head coaching record is 562-346-1 over 19 seasons. Pait is the all-time winningest coach at LRU with a 291-239-1 record, including South Atlantic Conference tournament titles in 2000 and 2001, as well as a regular season championship. Pait began the program at CVCC in 2009 and won three Region 10 championships (2012-2014). He led the Red Hawks to the NJCAA World Series in 2012, where they finished fifth in the nation.

In addition to Pait, the 2024 Class includes former Newton-Conover High School wrestling coach Edward (Eddy) Clark, longtime area baseball umpire and football referee William (Bill) Cline, Hickory High and NC State track athlete Ryan Hill, and former Newton-Conover High School baseball player and wrestler and longtime auto racing and football analyst Dr. Jerry Punch.

Former Caldwell head baseball coach Frank Pait (left) chats with CCC&TI President Dr. Mark Poarch after the Cobras win game one of the 2022 NJCAA College World Series in Greeneville, TN on May 28, 2022.