2006 auburn baseball

Transcription

1 COACHING STAFF

2 coaching staff Head Coach Tom Slater SECOND YEAR (34-26) VMI (1990) Tom Slater enters the 2006 season after guiding an Auburn team picked to finish at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference in 2005 to an NCAA Regional berth. The Tigers won two games in the Tallahassee Regional, advancing to the championship game. Slater s first Auburn club proved to be tough and cool under fire as the Tigers came from behind for 20 of their 34 wins and set a school record with 14 wins in one-run games. The Tigers also displayed an aggressive approach to the game as they drastically improved their offensive, defensive and pitching numbers in The Tigers also led the SEC in 2005 with 14 victories against teams ranked in the top 25 during the regular season. Last year was a positive stride as we move forward in the process of returning Auburn baseball to the championship level. We will continue to work hard to be the very best we can be, Slater said. Slater proved to have great success on the recruiting trail as well. His first recruiting class was rated 10th in the country by Baseball America. This is the Tigers first top-10 class since the mid-1990 s when Slater, who at 37 is the youngest head coach in the SEC, was an assistant during one of the most successful six-year periods in Auburn history. While at Auburn from , Slater helped lead the Tigers to five NCAA Regional appearances including two Regional championships in 1997 and 1999, a Super Regional berth and one appearance in the College World Series in Slater also helped guide the Tigers to a record of for a winning percentage of.705. The 265 wins ranked 11th in the nation during that six-year period. Auburn posted the four highest win totals in the program s history including 50-win campaigns in 1995 and 1997 and 46-win seasons in 1998 and Auburn also captured an SEC Western Division championship in 1995 and claimed the 1998 SEC Tournament title. Prior to his return to Auburn, Slater served as an assistant coach at the University of Florida in While at Florida, the Gators posted a record and its first ever NCAA Super Regional appearance after winning the Oklahoma City Regional. Slater, who was responsible for Florida s offense, helped the team improve from a ninthplace ranking in batting average in SEC games to a secondplace finish in Florida also finished second in the conference in runs, third in home runs and fifth in stolen bases, all improvements from the previous season. Tom Slater has established himself as one of the top assistants in the SEC and country, said Auburn Athletic Assistant to the President, Hal Baird, when Slater was announced as head coach. As an assistant, he was a part of five championships at two SEC programs. As a head coach, he took over a moribund program and within three years, established a school record for overall and conference wins as well as earning Coach of the Year honors. He is a great addition to the Auburn athletic family. Slater earned the reputation as one of the best recruiters nationally while an assistant at Auburn. Slater was responsible for recruiting 1997 National Player of the Year Tim Hudson, WHAT THEY RE SAYING ABOUT TOM SLATER Tim Hudson, pitcher, Atlanta Braves "Coach Slater and I go way back. He's actually the coach that recruited and signed me, so I have a relationship with him from that standpoint. We worked a lot together because he was the outfield coach and he turned me into a decent outfielder. He's a great player's coach. All the players that I played with love him. He has a special relationship with guys. He's the type of person that you feel like you can come and talk to him about anything. He's a great guy and I think he's going to do a great job at Auburn." David Ross, catcher, San Diego Padres Coach Slater is a great coach and great person. I think that is first and foremost when considering where you want your kid to play. You want someone who is going to look out for your son and teach them some lessons in life. Coach Slater is that kind of person. He is a fun person to be around and that is important-you want a coach that is the kind of person you are excited to play for. I think Coach Slater is going to do a great job. Gabe Gross, outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers "Coach Slates will push you when you need to be pushed and will get excited and pat you on the back when you do something good. He s always approached things from a player s perspective. He does that more than most coaches-he looks and thinks from a player s viewpoint. Pat McMahon, Florida Head Coach "Tom is one of the top young head coaches in the country today. He has a tremendous work ethic and will do an outstanding job at Auburn University." auburn baseball

3 2000 first-round draft pick Chris Bootcheck, and 2001 first-round draft pick Gabe Gross. Nine former Slater-coached players have played or are playing at the major league level, including Tim Hudson, who was a two-time All-Star with Oakland and is now a member of the Atlanta Braves. Former Auburn players to play under Slater that are currently on MLB rosters include Mark Bellhorn (New York Yankees), Gabe Gross (Toronto), Josh Hancock (Cincinnati) and David Ross (San Diego). Ryan Glynn, a member of the Oakland A s played for Slater at VMI. In 14 years as an assistant and head coach, Slater has had 58 players drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft, including three first rounders, and 22 players selected in the first 10 rounds. Following his six years at Auburn, Slater returned to his alma mater, VMI, in 2001 as head coach. He turned around the VMI program that was one of the worst in Division I prior to his arrival and led the Keydets to a school-record 25 victories and 16 league wins in 2003 while posting the first winning record in conference play since In 2003, he was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year by both the coaches and the media. His overall record at VMI was Slater also coached VMI s first freshman All-America, Kelly Sweppenhiser, and had three players selected in the MLB amateur draft following the 2003 season, which was the most in a single draft in school history. The VMI baseball team also posted the highest grade point average of any VMI athletic team in 2003, which was higher than the Corps average. The Keydet baseball squad also had 29 Dean s List honors during the 2003 season. Along with his coaching duties at VMI, Slater also spearheaded and oversaw the fundraising for the complete renovations of Herb Patchin Field, which is home to VMI baseball. The renovations included laser grading and resodding of the field, installation of a sprinkler system, new batting cages and the start of a new clubhouse facility. Slater began his coaching career in 1991 as an assistant coach at St. Christopher s School in Richmond, Va. He also served as an assistant at Marshall in 1992 and VMI in A native of Richmond and a class of 1990 graduate of VMI, Slater was a fouryear starter for the Keydets and ended his career ranked in the top five in RBI, total bases, runs scored and doubles. He helped lead VMI to a 1988 Southern Conference Northern Division Championship. Slater, 37, is married to the former Beth Tani of Fairfax, Va. The couple have two children, Julia, 7, and Jack, 3. THE TOM SLATER FILE PERSONAL Full Name...Thomas Glascock Slater, III Born...April 6, 1968 Hometown...Richmond, Va. Education...Virginia Military Insititute (1990)...Bachelor of Arts (History) Wife...Former Beth Tani Children...Julia (7), Jack (3) PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE 1991: Assistant Coach, St. Christopher s School 1992: Assistant Coach, Marshall : Assistant Coach, VMI : Assistant Coach, Auburn : Head Coach, VMI 2004: Assistant Coach, Florida Head Coach, Auburn PLAYING EXPERIENCE : Four-year letter winner (third base) at Virginia Military Institute COACHING HIGHLIGHTS Has coached 58 players who have been drafted Seven NCAA Regional Appearances (Six at Auburn, one at Florida) Two NCAA Super Regional Appearances (One at Auburn, one at Florida) One College World Series Appearance (One at Auburn) 2004 NCAA Super Regional Appearance (at Florida) 2004 NCAA Oklahoma City Regional Champions (at Florida) 2003 Southern Conference Coach of the Year 2003 Led VMI to a school-record 25 overall and 16 league wins 1999 NCAA Super Regional Appearance (at Auburn) 1999 NCAA Auburn Regional Champions (at Auburn) 1998 SEC Tournament Champions (at Auburn) 1997 College World Series appearance (at Auburn) 1997 NCAA Regional Champions (at Auburn) 1995 SEC Western Division Champions (at Auburn) coaching staff COLLEGIATE COACHING RECORD Overall Conf. Year School W-L W-L Notes 2001 VMI VMI VMI school record wins and conf. wins 2005 Auburn NCAA Regional Finalist Total 4 years Pct NAMED AUBURN S HEAD COACH June 29, auburn baseball 49

4 coaching staff Matt Myers ASSISTANT COACH SECOND YEAR TENNESSEE (1998) Matt Myers enters his second year as an assistant coach on Tom Slater s staff at Auburn where he oversees the AU pitching staff. In just one year in the dugout at Auburn, Myers excellence in working with the pitchers has already been realized as he helped the Auburn pitching staff to a team ERA of 3.89, the lowest by an AU staff since The team also posted 21 saves, two off of the school record of 23, also set in 1995, and surrendered just 169 walks over the course of the season, the fewest walks issued by a staff in the SEC. Myers, who joined the AU staff on July 9, 2004, had a major hand in the development of pitchers Arnold Hughey, John Madden, Michael Nix and Josh Sullivan, all four of which were drafted in the first 13 rounds of the 2005 MLB Draft and none of whom had been previously drafted. Sullivan may have shown the biggest improvement of all of them, going from a pitcher who had thrown one inning in his career to a 5th-round pick of the Colorado Rockies, the highest drafted starting pitcher drafted out of Auburn since "Matt did a tremendous job of leading our pitching staff last year. His ability to develop pitchers was clearly evident as the pitching staff as a whole whole became one of the best in the SEC in 2005," Auburn Head Coach Tom Slater said. Matt s experience as a top pitcher in the SEC and as a head coach at UNC Asheville make him an outstanding developer of young pitchers. Prior to his arrival on the Plains, Myers served as the head coach at UNC Asheville the previous four seasons, being named the 2003 Big South Conference Coach of the Year in the process. One of the youngest Division I head coaches, Myers directed UNC Asheville to a school-record 27 overall wins and a tie for second in the Big South Conference in 2003 while earning conference coach of the year honors. Under Myers, the Bulldogs finished in the top half of the Big South Conference each of the last three seasons, including a school-record 13 conference wins in In his final season at UNCA, The Bulldogs posted two victories over ranked teams, including a 2-1 win at Florida State. Myers' overall record in four seasons at UNCA was and in the Big South. "It is a tremendous privilege to be able to coach at Auburn University with Tom Slater, Myers said. Auburn has always been a place with great tradition and a championship-type atmosphere. I am excited be part of a first-class program, institution and community." All total, Myers has coached 13 pitchers that have signed professional contracts, one First Team All-American and four Freshman All-Americans. As a head coach, Myers coached seven pitchers that signed professional contracts and the 2004 Big South Conference Freshman of the Year. Under Myers direction, four UNC Asheville players earned Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball. During his time with the Bulldogs, Myers' pitching staffs set five different school pitching records and finished in the top half of the league statistics each season. Myers, 31, served as an assistant coach at UNC Asheville for a season before being named the school s sixth head coach in June A 1998 graduate of Tennessee, Myers spent two years on the Tennessee staff in 1998 and As a player, Myers pitched two years at Tennessee, from , posting a 13-4 career mark while helping the Volunteers to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances. Myers' 13-4 (.765) record is fifth all-time in winning percentage at Tennessee. Myers also pitched a season at Cal State-Sacramento (1994) and Sacramento City College (1995). Myers is married to the former Michelle Gillum of Celina, Ohio, and the couple has a son, Carson (2) auburn baseball

5 Butch Thompson, an assistant coach at Georgia for the past four seasons, begins his first season as an assistant coach at Auburn. "We are very excited to add Butch to our staff," Slater said of Thompson s hiring. "He brings eight years of experience from the state of Alabama as well as head coaching experience, which is very important to me. He led the recruiting at Georgia, which led them to a SEC Championship and a College World Series appearance. He is a quality baseball man and a quality person. We are thrilled to be adding someone with his character to our baseball staff." Thompson, a native of Amory, Miss., served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator from for the Bulldogs and will focus on recruiting while also coordinating the defense, working with outfielders, infielders and catchers for the Tigers. "My family and I are so excited to be returning to the state of Alabama," Thompson said. "People make the difference and Tom Slater knocked my socks off when I had a chance to meet him. His energy and the desire of the staff he has already put together is what attracted me. I think I have been blessed every place that I have been, and this is a great place with a great facility. I am just glad to be a part of it. This is where my heart is now." During his time at Georgia, Thompson guided a pitching staff that helped win the SEC Championship and earn a College World Series berth in The 2004 pitching staff posted the third-lowest opponent batting average in school history while also collecting a school-record 17 saves. Butch Thompson ASSISTANT COACH FIRST YEAR BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN (1992) During his time in Athens he coached two All-SEC pitchers, a Freshman All-American and had five Bulldog pitchers sign professional contracts following the 2005 season. Thompson, 35, joined the Bulldog staff in July 2001, after seven years as an assistant on Brian Shoop's staff at Birmingham Southern (BSC), including the last four as the pitching coach. The Panthers captured the 2001 NAIA World Series and compiled a record. During his tenure at BSC, the Panthers made four appearances in the NAIA World Series (1995, 1999, 2000 and 2001) and amassed a record of Thompson's final BSC pitching staff featured a pair of 2001 professional draft picks in Mike Nickoli, a fourth round selection of the California Angels, and Seth Bobbitt, a 28thround pick of the Houston Astros. Thompson began his coaching career at Huntingdon College in 1993, serving as the Hawks' pitching coach and head assistant. He returned to BSC in 1994 before serving as head coach at Jefferson State Community College in 1997, leading them to a record and capturing the AJCAA Region 22 State Championship and a third place finish in the NJCAA Division II World Series. It was the first World Series appearance in the school's history. For his accomplishments, Thompson was named Regional Tournament Coach of the Year, ABCA Alabama Junior College Coach of the Year, and Southeast Region Coach of the Year. A 1992 graduate of BSC, he earned a bachelor's degree in history and in 1996 completed a masters degree in sports administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Thompson pitched at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss., before playing his final two seasons at Birmingham Southern. Thompson is married to the former Robin Ashe of Birmingham, Ala. They have three daughters, Anna (7) and Olivia (5) and Madelyn Gail, born April 5, coaching staff 2006 auburn baseball 51

6 coaching staff/support staff Karl Nonemaker VOLUNTEER COACH SECOND YEAR VANDERBILT (2002) Karl Nonemaker, a former All-SEC outfielder at Vanderbilt, is in his second year as an assistant for Auburn. Nonemaker, who works with the Auburn outfielders and hitters, joined the Auburn staff on August 10, A four-year letterman at Vanderbilt from , Nonemaker is the Commodores career leader in base hits (283) and is third on the school s career batting average chart with a.369 average. A native of Roxbury, N.J., Nonemaker was a freshman All-American in 1999 after posting a.415 batting average. He earned All-Southeastern Conference and All-South Region honors as a sophomore after hitting.393 with eight home runs and 56 RBI. Karl does an outstanding job working with the hitters, AU Head Coach Tom Slater said. His expereince as one of the best players in the SEC and professional baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies organization combined with a great work ethic makes him an invaluable part of our player development. Nonemaker s work with the Auburn hitters saw the team improve in all areas of offensive play in The Tigers improved their on-base percentage, slugging percentage, batting average, stolen bases and RBI. Josh Bell saw some of the biggest improvements thanks to Nonemaker s efforts as he went from a.274 hitter as a sophomore to a.338 hitter and First Team All-SEC catcher as a junior in For a player who wants to work and become the best he can possibly be, Auburn provides everything he needs, Nonemaker said. Tom Slater, Butch Thompson, and Matt Myers are extremely knowledgeable and hard working coaches with a track record of developing players. Players have access to our own first class weight room and a great strength coach to help them get faster and stronger. The ball park is top-rated and the atmosphere and excitement surrounding Auburn Baseball are outstanding. Playing in the SEC is a great opportunity to compete at the highest level of college baseball. I consider it a great privilege to be a part of Auburn Baseball and all the positive things that are happening here every day. Nonemaker was drafted in the 20th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and played two years professionally in the Phillies organization before retiring in March of Nonemaker hit a team-leading.311 for the Gulf Coast Phillies in 2002 and spent the 2003 season with the Single-A Lakewood Blueclaws and the Double-A Reading Phillies. Nonemaker graduated from Vanderbilt in May 2002 with degree in Human and Organizational Development. Scott Duval enters his fifth season as the Tigers' Director of Baseball Operations after serving as a graduate assistant in a similar capacity in 2001 with the Auburn Baseball program. Duval oversees all administrative duties within the program and serves as camp director for the Tigers' winter and summer baseball camps. A native of Mobile, Ala., Duval is entering his ninth season with the Tigers. Duval spent three years as a manager from before his role as a graduate administrative assistant during the 2001 season. Duval also served as a student manager with the men's basketball team at the University of Mobile during the season. Duval, 30, graduated summa cum laude from Auburn in 1999 with a bachelor's of science degree in health promotions with a minor in sport management. Duval continued his education at Auburn, receiving his Master's of Education in higher education administration in the spring of Born on October 13, 1975, in Mobile, Ala. CHARLIE FARQUHAR Student Trainer TAYLOR STANLEY Manager Scott Duval DIRECTOR OF BASEBALL OPERATIONS FIFTH YEAR AUBURN (1999) SUPPORT STAFF MIKE GOLDEN Equipment Manager CODY WEBSTER Manager JOHN ROBERTS Manager RICHARD WILT Senior Manager auburn baseball