December 16, 2008

USA Baseball Completes 2009 National Coaching Staff

USA Baseball announced the remaining members of the 2009 USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate) coaching staff. Joining head coach Rick Jones (Tulane) are assistant coaches Rob Cooper (Wright State), Mike Kennedy (Elon) and Dan McDonnell (Louisville).

Cooper is in his fifth season as head coach of the Raiders. WSU was 30-23 this past season and placed second in the Horizon League with a 16-6 conference mark. Cooper was an assistant coach for the 2007 National Team, as the U.S. won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Cooper assisted Jones at Tulane from 1997-98, serving as the team’s hitting coach.

Kennedy will be the pitching coach for the 2009 National Team. He is in his 13th year as head coach of the Phoenix and is the winningest coach in school history. Elon won the Southern Conference regular season and tournament crowns in 2008 and finished third at the Cary Regional in the NCAA Tournament. The Phoenix went 44-18 this past season, including 19-8 in league play. Kennedy was a catcher under Jones from 1988-89 at Elon and played in the minor leagues in the Oakland A’s organization.

McDonnell is entering his third season with the Cardinals. Louisville was 41-21 in 2008 and captured the Big East Tournament title, the first conference tourney crown in school history. McDonnell took the Cardinals to the College World Series in 2007 and recorded a school-record 47 victories.

The National Team went 24-0 this past summer and won a gold medal at the FISU World University Baseball Championships. The National Team will compete in the annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate Championship Series in Japan and then participate in the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.

USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United State and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The organization selects and trains the United States Olympic Baseball Team (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate); the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. For more information, visit USABaseball.com.