Kent State Golden Flashes baseball
Encyclopedia
The Kent State Golden Flashes baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University
in Kent, Ohio
, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference
East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
's Division I. The team was established in 1914 as the "Normal Nine" and is the oldest intercollegiate team at Kent State University. They play their home games at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium
, which opened in 2005 on the site of their previous home, Gene Michael Field. The Flashes have produced a number of players who have gone on to play in the major leagues
and have won 10 Mid-American Conference regular-season titles, 9 MAC tournament titles, 7 MAC East division titles, and 11 NCAA tournaments
with the most recent being in 2011. The head coach is Scott Stricklin, a Kent State alum who began coaching the team in 2005.
's intramural sports program. It began intercollegiate competition that year as the "Normal Nine" coached by school custodian Alexander Whyte, though no records exist of that season. The team's first recorded season was 1915, where the team played only four games, going 1-3. Alf Lovall would coach the team to a 1-2 record in 1916 and Paul Chandler would coach the team to a 3-0 record in 1922. The records for the 1917-1921 and 1923-1925 seasons are incomplete, though it was during the 1923 season that the various Kent State Normal College teams began being referred to as the Silver Foxes. In 1926, the current Golden Flashes name debuted and Merle Wagoner, who also coached the football team
from 1925-1932, would become the Flashes first long-term coach from 1926-1933 leading Kent State to a record of 27-34 in his eight seasons. During the 1932 season, Kent State began play in the Ohio Athletic Conference
, where they would compete through the 1951 season. The Flashes would be coached by Gus Peterka for the 1934 and 1935 seasons, Donald Starn for the 1936-1938 seaons, and John Starrett for the 1939-1942 seasons leading up to World War II
. During the war years, 1943-1945, Kent State did not field any varsity athletic teams, but resumed in 1946. Wesley Stevens would coach the team for 1946 and 1947 before Matt Resnick would take over in 1948. He would serve as Kent State's coach for the longest tenure to date, from 1948 through the 1961 season compiling an overall record of 132-100-1 and 50-50 in the Mid-American Conference
.
in 1951 and baseball began play in the conference in early 1952, finishing third with a 5-4 record in MAC play. Under Matt Resnick, the Flashes would reach third place in 1959 with an 8-3 conference record and second place in Resnick's final season in 1961 with a conference record of 9-2. Dick Paskert would take over beginning in 1962 and would guide the Flashes to their first MAC regular-season title in 1964 finishing in a tie with the Ohio Bobcats
at 10-1. Kent State would defeat the Bobcats 6-3 in a play-off game for the Flashes' first NCAA tournament berth, where they were eliminated by the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Paskert would coach through the 1971 season with an overall record of 103-116-4 and 45-59-1 in the MAC. During his tenure he coached notable players such as Thurman Munson
, Gene Michael, Rich Rollins
, and Steve Stone. Art Welch took over the head coaching position from 1972-1981 and was succeeded by Bob Morgan (1982-1983) and Bob Todd (1984-1987) before Danny Hall was hired for the 1988 season.
would coach the Flashes from 1988 through the 1993 season. During his tenure, Kent State would win its first MAC championship since 1964 by capturing the 1992 and 1993 regular-season and tournament titles and advancing to the NCAA Tournament both years. In the 1992 NCAA Tournament regional played in Tallahassee, Florida
, the Flashes won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game defeating the Georgia Bulldogs
5-2. Kent State would fall in their next two games versus Western Carolina University
and Florida State
to finish 1-2. The Flashes returned to the NCAA regionals the following year playing at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. Kent State finished 2-2 that season with wins over eventual national champion Louisiana State
and Western Carolina. Hall would leave after the 1993 season to take the head coaching job at Georgia Tech
with an overall record of 208-117 and 106-73 in the MAC at Kent State.
took over the program beginning in the 1994 season, winning the MAC regular-season in his first season and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. During his 11 seasons at Kent State, the Flashes would also claim an overall MAC title in 1996, East Division titles in 2000 and 2003, and MAC Tournament titles in 2001, 2002, and 2004. Kent State would return to the NCAA Tournament regionals in 2001 at Columbus, Ohio
, posting a 2-2 record with wins over host Ohio State
and Delaware
. The Flashes would play in the 2002 and 2004 regional tournaments, both played at South Bend, Indiana
, going 0-2 and 1-2 respectively. Rembielak would step down after the 2004 season to take the head coaching job at Wake Forest University
. He had an overall record at Kent State of 373-251-1 and 200-100 in the MAC.
from 2000-2001 and serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under former KSU coach Danny Hall
at Georgia Tech from 2002-2004. Under Stricklin, Kent State has won five MAC East Division titles (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011), three MAC regular-season titles (2006, 2008, 2011), and four MAC Tournament titles (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011). In the team's three trips under Stricklin, the Flashes have gone 0-2, 1-2, and 0-2 respectively. The Flashes have also continued to have multiple players drafted into the major leagues, with seven drafted in 2009, tying the record set in 1994. Through the 2010 season, Stricklin has a record of 222-128, which included a 43-17 mark in 2009 and 39-25 in 2010. He won his 200th game at KSU on April 9 2010 at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich., 16-1 over the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
in Kent, Ohio
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I. The team was established in 1914 as the "Normal Nine" and is the oldest intercollegiate team at Kent State University. They play their home games at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium
Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium
Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium is a baseball venue located on the campus of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. It is home to the Kent State Golden Flashes baseball team, a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Mid-American Conference...
, which opened in 2005 on the site of their previous home, Gene Michael Field. The Flashes have produced a number of players who have gone on to play in the major leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and have won 10 Mid-American Conference regular-season titles, 9 MAC tournament titles, 7 MAC East division titles, and 11 NCAA tournaments
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
with the most recent being in 2011. The head coach is Scott Stricklin, a Kent State alum who began coaching the team in 2005.
History
The team was established in 1914 as part of Kent State Normal School President John Edward McGilvreyJohn Edward McGilvrey
John Edward McGilvrey was an American academic who was the first president of what is now Kent State University. McGilvrey was educated at the Indiana State Normal School, receiving his bachelor of arts and sciences degree in 1895. He also received an honorary doctorate from Miami University in...
's intramural sports program. It began intercollegiate competition that year as the "Normal Nine" coached by school custodian Alexander Whyte, though no records exist of that season. The team's first recorded season was 1915, where the team played only four games, going 1-3. Alf Lovall would coach the team to a 1-2 record in 1916 and Paul Chandler would coach the team to a 3-0 record in 1922. The records for the 1917-1921 and 1923-1925 seasons are incomplete, though it was during the 1923 season that the various Kent State Normal College teams began being referred to as the Silver Foxes. In 1926, the current Golden Flashes name debuted and Merle Wagoner, who also coached the football team
Kent State Golden Flashes football
The Kent State Golden Flashes football team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Bowl Subdivision...
from 1925-1932, would become the Flashes first long-term coach from 1926-1933 leading Kent State to a record of 27-34 in his eight seasons. During the 1932 season, Kent State began play in the Ohio Athletic Conference
Ohio Athletic Conference
The Ohio Athletic Conference was formed in 1902 and is the third oldest athletic conference in the United States. It competes in the NCAA's Division III. Through the years, 31 schools have been members of the OAC. The enrollments of the current ten member institutions range from 1,100 to 4,500...
, where they would compete through the 1951 season. The Flashes would be coached by Gus Peterka for the 1934 and 1935 seasons, Donald Starn for the 1936-1938 seaons, and John Starrett for the 1939-1942 seasons leading up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war years, 1943-1945, Kent State did not field any varsity athletic teams, but resumed in 1946. Wesley Stevens would coach the team for 1946 and 1947 before Matt Resnick would take over in 1948. He would serve as Kent State's coach for the longest tenure to date, from 1948 through the 1961 season compiling an overall record of 132-100-1 and 50-50 in the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
.
Mid-American Conference
Kent State joined the Mid-American ConferenceMid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
in 1951 and baseball began play in the conference in early 1952, finishing third with a 5-4 record in MAC play. Under Matt Resnick, the Flashes would reach third place in 1959 with an 8-3 conference record and second place in Resnick's final season in 1961 with a conference record of 9-2. Dick Paskert would take over beginning in 1962 and would guide the Flashes to their first MAC regular-season title in 1964 finishing in a tie with the Ohio Bobcats
Ohio Bobcats
Ohio University features 16 varsity sports teams called the Bobcats. The Bobcats compete in the Mid-American Conference in all sports. The Bobcats were a charter member of the Mid-American Conference in 1946 and are the only team still in the conference from the original 5 team league that...
at 10-1. Kent State would defeat the Bobcats 6-3 in a play-off game for the Flashes' first NCAA tournament berth, where they were eliminated by the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Paskert would coach through the 1971 season with an overall record of 103-116-4 and 45-59-1 in the MAC. During his tenure he coached notable players such as Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...
, Gene Michael, Rich Rollins
Rich Rollins
Richard John Rollins is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played with the Minnesota Twins , Seattle Pilots , Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians...
, and Steve Stone. Art Welch took over the head coaching position from 1972-1981 and was succeeded by Bob Morgan (1982-1983) and Bob Todd (1984-1987) before Danny Hall was hired for the 1988 season.
Danny Hall
Danny HallDanny Hall (baseball)
]Danny Hall is the current head baseball coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He has been the head coach of Georgia Tech since 1994. Before coming to Tech, he held positions at Miami , Michigan, and Kent State. From 1978 to 1979, he coached at Miami , where he compiled a 69-26 record...
would coach the Flashes from 1988 through the 1993 season. During his tenure, Kent State would win its first MAC championship since 1964 by capturing the 1992 and 1993 regular-season and tournament titles and advancing to the NCAA Tournament both years. In the 1992 NCAA Tournament regional played in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, the Flashes won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game defeating the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs baseball
The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team represents the University of Georgia in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Georgia athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference...
5-2. Kent State would fall in their next two games versus Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
and Florida State
Florida State Seminoles baseball
The Florida State Seminoles baseball team represents Florida State University in NCAA Division I college baseball and are one of the most successful collegiate baseball programs in the United States without a College World Series championship....
to finish 1-2. The Flashes returned to the NCAA regionals the following year playing at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. Kent State finished 2-2 that season with wins over eventual national champion Louisiana State
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
and Western Carolina. Hall would leave after the 1993 season to take the head coaching job at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Georgia Tech athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference...
with an overall record of 208-117 and 106-73 in the MAC at Kent State.
Rick Rembielak
Rick RembielakRick Rembielak
Rick Rembielak is currently a volunteer assistant at Georgia Tech, after being let go by Wake Forest after 5 seasons. Wake Forest replaced Rembielak with Tom Walter, who made national headlines for donating his kidney to Wake Forest Freshman Kevin Jordan, saving his life...
took over the program beginning in the 1994 season, winning the MAC regular-season in his first season and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. During his 11 seasons at Kent State, the Flashes would also claim an overall MAC title in 1996, East Division titles in 2000 and 2003, and MAC Tournament titles in 2001, 2002, and 2004. Kent State would return to the NCAA Tournament regionals in 2001 at Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, posting a 2-2 record with wins over host Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes baseball
The Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team are the college baseball team of The Ohio State University. The program, founded in 1881, was the first athletic team in Ohio State history. Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio has been the home field of the program since 1997. The team has won a National...
and Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
. The Flashes would play in the 2002 and 2004 regional tournaments, both played at South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, going 0-2 and 1-2 respectively. Rembielak would step down after the 2004 season to take the head coaching job at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball team is the intercollegiate baseball team of Wake Forest University. The program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. He had an overall record at Kent State of 373-251-1 and 200-100 in the MAC.
Scott Stricklin
Beginning in the 2005 season, Kent State alum Scott Stricklin took over the program after previously serving as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
from 2000-2001 and serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under former KSU coach Danny Hall
Danny Hall (baseball)
]Danny Hall is the current head baseball coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He has been the head coach of Georgia Tech since 1994. Before coming to Tech, he held positions at Miami , Michigan, and Kent State. From 1978 to 1979, he coached at Miami , where he compiled a 69-26 record...
at Georgia Tech from 2002-2004. Under Stricklin, Kent State has won five MAC East Division titles (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011), three MAC regular-season titles (2006, 2008, 2011), and four MAC Tournament titles (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011). In the team's three trips under Stricklin, the Flashes have gone 0-2, 1-2, and 0-2 respectively. The Flashes have also continued to have multiple players drafted into the major leagues, with seven drafted in 2009, tying the record set in 1994. Through the 2010 season, Stricklin has a record of 222-128, which included a 43-17 mark in 2009 and 39-25 in 2010. He won his 200th game at KSU on April 9 2010 at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich., 16-1 over the Eastern Michigan Eagles.