Ed Servais Program’S Interim Head Coach for the Previous Month
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Servais was named head coach on July 29, 2003 after serving as the Ed Servais program’s interim head coach for the previous month. He succeeded Jack Dahm, who resigned after 10 years as head coach in late June. Head Coach (5th Season) “During Ed’s first four seasons at Creighton, he has established our baseball program as one of the most fundamentally sound, over- Record at CU: 159-78, 71-32 MVC achieving programs in the country,” said Creighton Director of Athletics Introduction Bruce Rasmussen. “Ed is a great teacher of the game of baseball and Career Record: 341-160-1 his program has done a tremendous job of representing themselves and Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1981 Creighton University.” Servais came to Creighton on August 25, 1997, when Dahm named Ed Servais enters his fifth season at the helm of the Bluejay baseball him an assistant on his staff. As an assistant, Servais was on the bench program in 2008. His .671 winning percentage is the best in school history for 174 Creighton wins, including a pair of NCAA Regional berths in 1999 and he has averaged nearly 40 wins a season during his time as head and 2000. He was also on staff when Dahm was named MVC Coach of coach. Servais has taken the Jays to two NCAA Tournaments and has the Year in 1999 and 2002. With the help of Servais’ instruction, the 2002 Coaches won the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year award three times edition of the Bluejays finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference. in his four seasons. During his time as associate head coach, Servais served as Creighton’s Last season, Servais led Creighton to 45 wins and the first Missouri hitting and first base coach, as well as the defensive infield coach. He also Valley Conference Tournament Championship in school history. Servais served as Dahm’s recruiting coordinator. was named the MVC Coach of the Year for the third time in four seasons He made an immediate impact on the program in his first year, as the as the Jays advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in Bluejays ranked among the nation’s top defensive teams with a .965 field- three years. Creighton won 26 of their final 31 games, including a memo- ing percentage in 1998. The team’s offensive numbers also increased rable 10-9, 12-inning victory over 12th-ranked Wichita State in the finals significantly as the team batting average went up 29 points to .313. The run of the MVC Tournament. The 2007 season saw 12 school records broken production also increased from 6.9 to 7.5 runs per game. and the Bluejays’ second regular season series victory over in-state rival His most talented team was in 1999. That Bluejay squad hit .326 and Nebraska under Servais’ guidance. averaged nearly eight runs per game. Ryan Gripp was named a first-team 2008 Bluejays Individual accolades came in bunches with the successful 2007 season ABCA All-American following that season and was drafted by the Chicago under Servais. Sophomore first baseman Darin Ruf was named the Joe Cubs in the third round of the MLB amateur draft. Carter MVC Player of the Year, junior southpaw Ben Mancuso was the Gripp is just one of a handful of Creighton student-athletes Servais MVC Pitcher of the Year and senior transfer Andy Masten was the league’s has coached who have gone on to play professional baseball. They Newcomer of the Year. Masten, Mancuso and junior ambidextrous pitcher include Tim Gradoville (2000-02), Dan Lawler (1998-2001), Vince Pietro Pat Venditte each were selected to All-American teams, while freshman (1997-2000), Kenny Sarna (1997-2000), Kevin Frederick (1995-98), hurler Casey Schmidt earned Freshman All-America honors. Peyton Lewis (1999), Dan Gooris (1998-2001), Tom Oldham (2001-2003), The 2006 team finished with a record of 31-21 overall and placed fourth Ryan Fitzgerald (2002-03), Steve Grasley (2001-04), Eric Wordekemper in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 13-11 record. Servais guided (2003-05), Tony Roth (2002-05), Zach Daeges (2003-2006), Adam 2007 Review Creighton to its third-consecutive 30-win season, becoming the third coach Schaecher (2003-2006), Chase Odenreider (2004-2006), Chris Gradoville in school history to win 30 games in each of his first three seasons. (2004-07), Marc Lewis (2004-07), and Chad Ogden (2006-07). In 2005, the Bluejays had one of the best seasons in school history. Five seasons ago, as part of his job as infield coach, he helped make Servais coached the Bluejays to a 48-17 record, the school’s first-ever Tony Roth into an honorable mention all-MVC player. Roth was named Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship and the team’s conference Freshman of the Year in 2002 and was also a freshman first NCAA postseason appearance since 2000. The squad’s 48 wins were All-American selection the second-most in program history, behind only the 51 games won by the by Collegiate Baseball. 1991 College World Series team. Servais also brought home his second That same year, second MVC Coach of the Year award in as many seasons. baseman Chris Hinrichs Creighton ended the 2005 campaign nationally ranked for the first time and shortstop Scott Allen Records/History since 2000, including a No. 28 ranking from Collegiate Baseball. Servais were each named hon- also led the Jays to a 5-3 victory over No. 3 Nebraska in front of more than orable mention all-MVC, 20,000 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium during the regular season. making for a combina- In 2004, Servais was honored as the MVC Coach of the Year, the first tion that turned 54 dou- time in league history it was awarded to a first-year coach. Creighton’s ble plays, which ranked 15-win improvement from its 2003 record was the fifth-best turnaround among NCAA leaders. in the NCAA that year and the largest in the MVC since 1991. Servais Catcher Tim Gradoville led the Bluejays to 35 wins, including a school-record 22 Missouri Valley was also named honor- Conference victories. able mention all-MVC in About Creighton Known as a coach who emphasizes the importance of team defense, his 2002. first season didn’t disappoint. Creighton’s .982 fielding percentage in 2004 As part of his job as led the country and was the second-best mark in NCAA history. In 2005, first base coach, Servais the Bluejays led the nation in double plays turned with 85 and set a team helped that same 2002 record for assists with 803. Creighton led The Valley in fielding again in team rank ninth in the 2005 with a .972 fielding percentage. country with 2.19 stolen Servais has coached 21 players that received All-Missouri Valley bases per game. In addi- Media Info Conference honors in his first four seasons. In addition, 12 players tion to the team-leading have been named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team during that span. 27 stolen bases from Creighton’s four selections in 2005 were the most of any Valley team. Hinrichs, seven other 10 2008 Creighton Baseball players swiped eight or more bases. Introduction Prior to coming to Creighton, Servais The Ed Servais File spent two years as an assistant coach Year School, Position Overall Conf. Notes at Iowa State University. During his time 1982-83 Rib Lake (Wis.) HS, Head Coach 24-11 n/a District Finalist in both years at ISU, he served as recruiting coordina- 1984 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Assistant Coach 20-16 15-5 tor, hitting instructor, infield and outfield 1985 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Assistant Coach 20-18 14-6 coach. He helped lead the Cyclones to a 1986 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Assistant Coach 14-24 13-7 second-place finish at the final Big Eight 1987 Viterbo, Head Coach Program Not Yet Started Conference tournament in 1996. 1988 Viterbo, Head Coach 23-6 11-1 Before his time at Iowa State, Servais 1989 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Head Coach 13-22-1 9-11 was the head coach at St. Mary’s (Minn.) for 1990 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Head Coach 28-8 14-6 MIAC Coach of the Year Coaches seven years from 1989-1995. While at St. 1991 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Head Coach 20-10 11-7 Mary’s, he compiled a record of 159-76-1 1992 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Head Coach 28-7 15-5 at the NCAA Division III school where he 1993 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Head Coach 26-7 17-3 MIAC Coach of the Year began his college coaching career. He 1994 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Head Coach 20-11 14-6 was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate 1995 St. Mary’s (Minn.), Head Coach 24-11 12-8 Athletic Conference (MIAC) Coach of the 1996 Iowa State, Assistant Coach 23-31 12-14 2nd Place in Big Eight Tourney Year in both 1990 and 1993 after leading 1997 Iowa State, Assistant Coach 21-31 6-21 2008 Bluejays St. Mary’s to MIAC championships in both 1998 Creighton, Assistant Coach 27-27-1 12-19 years. His 1990 pitching staff led Division 1999 Creighton, Assistant Coach 38-25 18-13 NCAA Regionals III schools with a 2.34 earned run average. 2000 Creighton, Assistant Coach 38-23 17-14 NCAA Regionals Between the years of 1991 and 1992, his 2001 Creighton, Assistant Coach 21-31 11-21 teams went on a 26-game winning streak.