July 2, 2012

Finalists named for CBI Coach of the Year

RICHMOND, Va. – CollegeBaseballInsider.com has announced its finalists for National Coach of the Year.

The group includes Andy Lopez of Arizona, Mike Martin of Florida State, Doug Schreiber of Purdue, Matt Senk of Stony Brook, Steve Smith of Baylor, Scott Stricklin of Kent State and Ray Tanner of South Carolina.

The winner will be announced on July 5.

Lopez led the Wildcats to their fourth national championship. Arizona posted a record of 48-17, winning a share of the Pac-12 crown at 20-10. The Wildcats won their final 11 contests, including 10 straight victories in the NCAA Tournament.

In his 33rd season leading the Seminoles, Martin guided Florida State to the College World Series for the 15th time. The Seminoles reached 50 wins for the 24th time in program history, all under Martin.

Schreiber led the Boilermakers to their first Big Ten title in more than 100 years. Purdue captured both the regular season and tournament crowns in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers won a program-record 45 games and hosted their first NCAA Regional.

Senk directed the Seawolves to 52 wins, the top mark in the nation. Stony Brook captured the Coral Gables Regional and Baton Rouge Super Regional, both program firsts, and the Seawolves made their first appearance in the College World Series.

After being picked to finish fourth in the Big 12, Smith led the Bears through the conference with a 20-4 mark. Baylor posted a 49-17 overall mark and was the No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears won the Waco Regional.

Stricklin guided the Golden Flashes to their fourth straight MAC championship and a program-record 47 victories. Kent State won the Gary Regional and Eugene Super Regional, making its first appearance in the College World Series.

After two consecutive national championships, Tanner led the Gamecocks back to Omaha and a second-place finish in the 2012 tourney. South Carolina posted a record of 49-20 overall and 18-11 in the SEC.

Previous CBI Coaches of the Year

2011 – David Esquer, California

2010 – John Savage, UCLA

2009 – Brian O’Connor, Virginia

2008 – Paul Mainieri, LSU, and Mark Marquess, Stanford

2007 – Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt, and Rob Childress, Texas A&M

2006 – John Cohen, Kentucky

2005 – Pat Casey, Oregon State

2004 – David Perno, Georgia

2003 – Elliott Avent, North Carolina State