Now in his fourth year at the helm of the Wake Forest program, head coach Rick Rembielak THE REMBIELAK FILE has returned the Demon Deacons to national prominence. Last season Rembielak continued the Dea- Born cons’ ascension by leading his squad to a runner-up finish at the ACC Championships and a berth in the August 5, 1960 NCAA Tournament. Rembielak officially became the 24th head baseball coach at Wake Forest University on June 29, Personal 2004. Wife -- Sharon "Rick has all the characteristics that are impor- Son -- Matthew (14) tant for us," said Wake Forest Director of Athletics Daughters -- Nicole (20), Ron Wellman upon Rembielak's hiring. "He has Megan (18) been a head coach for many years and been tremendously successful in that position. He Hometown is as high-quality as they come in the devel- Cleveland, Ohio opment of collegiate players. "He is not only recognized as an excel- College lent recruiter, but understands the impor- 1988 -- Univ. of Akron (B.A. in business education) tance of top-caliber student-athletes, both on the field and in the classroom," Wellman 1992 -- Kent State Univ. said. "He has an outstanding record in terms (M.A. in sports administration) of graduating his student-athletes, as well as winning numerous conference champi- Athletics onships." 1979-81 -- Miami (Ohio) University "What attracted me to Wake Forest was the uni- versity's excellent reputation," Rembielak said. "It is the perfect combination of academics and athletics. I cannot think of a better place to further my career than at Wake Forest. It is an ideal po- sition." In three seasons with the Demon Deacons, Rembielak has a record of 95-81 overall and 42-47 in ACC contests. In 14 years as a head coach, including 11 seasons at Kent State, Rembielak has amassed a record of 468-332-1 (.589). In 2007, Rembielak led Wake Forest to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. The Deacons’ postseason bid was due in large part to their strong showing at the 2007 ACC Championships. Wake qualified for the conference tournament as the No. 8 seed but went 2-1 in pool play to advance to the final game. The Deacs came up just short in the finals falling 3-2 to North Carolina, which would go on to finish as runner-up at the College . Wake Forest became only the second No. 8-seeded team in league history to play in the title game. HEAD COACH RICK REMBIELAK HEAD COACH

16 2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL The Deacons were rewarded for their strong conference showing with a bid to the Round Rock, Texas, Regional where Wake Forest received the No. 3 seed. Wake fell to eventual CWS participant UC Irvine in the first round but rebounded to defeat Ivy League champion Brown in the second round. Facing the University of Texas in front of a hostile home crowd, Wake Forest took the No. 5-ranked Longhorns to 12 innings before bowing out of the postsea- son. Wake Forest finished the year 34-29 overall and 14-16 in the ACC. The Deacs ended the regular season by winning nine of the last 12 games, giving them a strong resume for postseason consideration. The Deacons had a penchant for playing close games in 2007, going 20-17 in contests decided by two runs or less. Wake Forest played in the most one-run games in the country last season, finishing the year 11-14 in one-run contests. Individually, a number of players had stellar seasons under Rembielak’s watch. First baseman Allan Dykstra was one of the top hitters in the country. Dykstra, who was named second team All-ACC and a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, hit .310 with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs. Dykstra tied for the ACC lead in home runs and finished in the top five in the conference in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. On the mound, relievers Josh Ellis and Eric Niesen had breakout campaigns. Ellis emerged as one of the top closers in the ACC in his final season on campus. Ellis finished with nine saves and a 3.20 ERA. He struck out 72 batters in 50.2 in- HEAD COACH RICK REMBIELAK nings pitched. Niesen began the year as a starter before transitioning to the bullpen where he took off. The lefty finished 6-5 with team-bests of 83 strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA. Both Ellis and Niesen were selected in the MLB Amateur Draft. Niesen signed as a third round pick of the New York Mets, while Ellis signed as an 11th-round se- lection of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In all Rembielak had five players, including signees, selected in the 2007 MLB Draft. Lefthanded pitchers Garrett Bullock (45th round by the Arizona Diamond- WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT REMBIELAK backs) and Mark Adzick (18th round by the ) did not sign pro- fessional contracts. In his second season at the helm in 2006, the Deacons continued to improve Danny Hall, head coach at Georgia Tech under Rembielak. Wake Forest finished with a record of 33-22 overall and 16-13 “I think Wake Forest made a great choice in Rick Rembielak. They are get- in ACC play. The Deacs won five more games than they did in 2005 and qualified ting a great coach who established Kent State as one of the premier pro- for the ACC Tournament as the No. 8 seed. grams in the Mid-American Conference and the Midwest. He has had Wake Forest got off to a hot start in 2006, winning 13 of its first 16 games. several high draft picks under his watch and he has done a great job in Along the way, the Demon Deacons registered back-to-back wins over No. 12- developing talent. Wake Forest is getting a great coach, a great person ranked Missouri and top-ranked Florida. and a great family. I am extremely excited for him and his new opportu- The Deacs had a season-best winning streak of 11 games from Feb. 21 - March nity.” 10 and also had a five-game streak in mid-March. On May 6, Wake Forest played the longest game in ACC history, a 20-inning af- Mike Gibbons, MLB scout of the fair with Florida State that ultimately lasted over five hours. The Seminoles came “Rick is one of the most respected coaches in all of college baseball by away with a 4-3 win in the Hooks Stadium marathon. professional scouts. He is absolutely terrific. He is a tremendous coach With a 16-13 mark in conference games, the Deacons qualified for the ACC and will do a wonderful job at Wake Forest.” Tournament as the No. 8 seed. Wake fell to top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Clemson in the first round before being ousted by fifth-seeded and No.19-ranked Miami. Tom Shields, MLB scout of the St. Louis Cardinals Several individuals had breakout seasons under Rembielak's tutelage in 2006. “Rick is a great coach. Wake Forest could not have hired a better person Allan Dykstra was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a Freshman All-American by several publications after hitting .324 with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs. in the entire country. In my mind, he is the absolute best coach in all of earned first team All-ACC honors and was drafted in the first America. He will get the most of his players. Every player that joins Rick’s round of the MLB Amateur Draft (17th overall) by the San Diego Padres. Ben program gets better, both mentally and physically. His kids are in high-de- Hunter was also a first team All-ACC selection after recording a league-best 14 mand come draft time. We knew that when we drafted one of his players saves. at Kent State that we would get a tremendous player that was ready for In Rembielak's first year in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest finished the 2005 cam- professional baseball.” paign 28-30 overall and 12-18 in the ACC. The Deacs not only improved their over- all win total from 2004 by 11 games, but also captured eight more games in league Bob Mayer, MLB scout of the Cleveland Indians play. In fact, six of Wake Forest's 12 ACC losses were by a single run. “Rick’s time was coming for an opportunity like this. He is a quality person In the end, the 11-game improvement in victories was the largest over one and will be extremely successful at Wake Forest. For years, Rick has done season since 1997. That season, Wake Forest won 37 games after winning just a tremendous job of landing talent that might have escaped under the 26 in 1996. The school record improvement from one season to the next is 15- MLB and major Division I radar screen. He brings those kids and then games set by the 1949 team which was the runner-up at the College World Se- turns them around in a couple years into MLB-ready talent. He is a first- ries. class coach.” The Deacs also picked up their first ACC Tournament victories in three seasons. Wake Forest, which had dropped four straight tournament games from 2002-2004,

2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL 17 recorded three victories at the 2005 ACC Tournament Michigan, 2-0, on May 24 in the MAC Tournament -- ousting Duke, Maryland and North Carolina. The semifinals. The Golden Flashes went on to win their Demon Deacons were the last remaining team from third MAC Tournament title. the state of North Carolina in the tournament. Rembielak surpassed Danny Hall (current head Wake Forest also registered its first win at Florida coach at Georgia Tech) for the most wins in Golden State in 10 years, snapping a 15-game losing streak Flashes baseball history when he picked up his 209th with a 12-inning, 13-10 triumph on April 10. The win against Toledo on April 9, 2000. In 1996, he Demon Deacons defeated No. 5 Miami, 13-6, on recorded his 100th career win in only his 154th game, March 19. The victory was the first for Wake Forest becoming the fastest Kent State coach to reach the over a top-five team since April 26, 2002. 100-victory mark. Rembielak arrived in Winston-Salem after an 11- In 2002, Rembielak guided the Flashes to the MAC year stint with Kent State of the Mid-American Con- Tournament crown for the second straight year. Kent ference (MAC). He remains the all-time winningest State lost its two games at the South Bend Regional, coach of any sport in Golden Flashes history with a but recorded 37 victories -- third most in his tenure. career record of 373-251-1 (.597). Against other His first team in 1994 team advanced to the MAC teams, Rembielak sports an even more impres- NCAA Regional Quarterfinals after the Flashes earned sive record of 200-100 (.667). an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. In 1995, the Rembielak won four Mid-American Conference Kent State's overall record improved to 40-18. regular season championships and three MAC tourna- During the 1997 campaign, Rembielak's squad ad- ment titles, including the 2004 Mid-American Confer- vanced to the championship game of the conference ence Tournament. The Golden Flashes made 12 tournament and tallied a 29-28 overall record -- win- consecutive appearances in the MAC Tournament. ning 20 of its final 29 contests. The Golden Flashes Dating back to 1992, when postseason play was re- finished the 1998 season at 27-28 overall and ad- instated, Kent State was the only MAC team to ap- vanced to the MAC Tournament for the seventh time pear in every tournament. in as many years. Rembielak was named the Mid-American Confer- The 1999 squad again finished with 30-plus wins ence Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2000 and by ending the season at 33-25 overall and 19-12 in 2003). In 1996, the Golden Flashes won the confer- Mid-American Conference play. ence regular-season title with a 21-7 league record The 2000 team claimed the regular-season MAC and a 30-20-1 overall mark. title and finished 40-18 overall. It was the second In 2001, Kent State won three games on the final time in Rembielak's seven years and sixth time in the day of the MAC Tournament to claim the title. The program's history that a Kent State team hit the 40- Golden Flashes then advanced to the NCAA Regional win plateau. where they knocked off Ohio State and Delaware to From 1988-93, Rembielak was an assistant coach finish runner-up to Mississippi State -- just one game for the Flashes under Hall. Kent State teams posted shy of the NCAA Super Regionals. a 208-117 (.640) record during that stretch and won In 2002, Rembielak reached the 300-win plateau MAC titles in 1992 and 1993 -- the program's first for his career when Kent State knocked off Central since 1964.

RICK REMBIELAK COACHING LEDGER

HEAD COACH RICK REMBIELAK HEAD COACH Year School Record Conference Record Postseason 1988 Kent State (assistant) 27-25 14-18 (6th) -- 1989 Kent State (assistant) 26-24 10-17 (8th) -- 1990 Kent State (assistant) 35-18 17-10 (3rd) -- 1991 Kent State (assistant) 34-22 19-11 (2nd) -- 1992 Kent State (assistant) 45-13 24-7 (1st) NCAA Regionals 1993 Kent State (assistant) 41-15 22-10 (t-1st) ------1994 Kent State (head coach) 33-17 18-7 (1st) NCAA Regionals 1995 Kent State (head coach) 40-18 19-10 (2nd) -- 1996 Kent State (head coach) 30-20-1 21-7 (1st) -- 1997 Kent State (head coach) 29-28 18-13 (3rd) -- 1998 Kent State (head coach) 27-28 17-12 (2nd East) -- 1999 Kent State (head coach) 33-25 19-12 (3rd East) -- 2000 Kent State (head coach) 40-18 20-6 (1st East) -- 2001 Kent State (head coach) 32-30 16-11 (2nd East) NCAA Regionals 2002 Kent State (head coach) 37-22 18-8 (2nd East) NCAA Regionals 2003 Kent State (head coach) 36-18 20-4 (1st East) -- 2004 Kent State (head coach) 36-27 14-10 (2nd East) NCAA Regionals 373-251-1 (.598) ------2005 Wake Forest (head coach) 28-30 12-18 (8th) -- 2006 Wake Forest (head coach) 33-22 16-13 (T-2nd Atlantic) -- 2007 Wake Forest (head coach) 34-29 14-16 (4th Atlantic) NCAA Regionals Totals 95-81 (.540)/ 468-332-1 (.585) 5 NCAA Berths

18 2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL In Rembielak's time at Kent State, 51 Golden Flashes have signed pro contracts, including 30 pitch- ers. A total of 13 former Kent State players were ac- tive at some level of professional baseball during 2002. His hurlers were named MAC Pitcher of the Year seven times (1990, 1992-96, 2003), and MAC Player of the Year and MAC Freshman of the Year twice. In 2001, standout John Van Benschoten became the Golden Flashes' second MAC Player of the Year fol- lowing Mike Gulan, who won the award in 1992. Van Benschoten was selected eighth overall by the Pitts- burgh Pirates in the 2001 MLB Amateur Draft. A former Miami (Ohio) University standout, Rem- bielak was a three-year letterwinner at shortstop for the Redskins from 1979 to 1981. He helped lead the Redskins to a 36-13-1 conference record, a MAC title in 1979 and a berth in the conference playoffs in 1981. In 1981, Rembielak was drafted in the 13th round by the . He played with teams affili- ated with the Orioles, and Milwaukee HEAD COACH RICK REMBIELAK Brewers. His best professional season was in 1985 ACCOMPLISHMENTS UNDER REMBIELAK with Winston-Salem, a Cubs affiliate. Rembielak  Coached one ACC Rookie of the Year  10 All-ACC Academic Team selections helped lead the team to the Carolina League title and  Coached two All-Americans  Coached one freshman All-American was named Most Valuable Infielder.  2007 ACC Tournament Runners-Up  Coached a Rotary Smith Award Finalist A Cleveland native who graduated from Central  2004 MAC Tournament Champions  Coached a Golden Spikes Award Finalist Catholic High School, Rembielak earned a bachelor's  2003 MAC Champions  Coached Nine All-Mideast first team selections degree in business education from the University of  2002 MAC Tournament Champions  Eight All-Mideast second team selections Akron in 1988 and earned a master's degree in sports  2001 MAC Tournament Champions  Four MAC Pitchers of the Year administration from Kent State in 1992. He is a mem-  2000 MAC Champions  21 All-MAC first team selections ber of the Greater Akron Baseball Hall of Fame and  1996 MAC Champions  16 All-MAC second team selections the Stark County Hall of Fame.  1994 MAC Champions  1994 NCAA Regional Appearance Rembielak, 47, and his wife of 23 years, Sharon  2001 NCAA Regional Appearance  26 All-MAC Tournament selections have two daughters, Nicole (20) and Megan (18) and  2002 NCAA Regional Appearance  Three MAC Tournament MVPs a son Matthew (14). Nicole is a junior at Wake Forest  2004 NCAA Regional Appearance  20 All-MAC Academic Team selections and a member of the school’s cheerleading squad.  2007 NCAA Regional Appearance  31 Draft Picks  Coached two first team All-ACC selections (including the 3rd, 8th, 17th and 34th overall)

REMBIELAK VS. OPPONENTS Akron ...... 30-11 Eastern Kentucky ...... 1-1 Michigan ...... 0-1 Quinnipiac ...... 1-0 UAB ...... 0-2 Eastern Michigan ...... 14-4 Middle Tennessee ...... 0-1 Richmond ...... 1-1 Appalachian State ...... 3-1 Elon ...... 3-3 Minnesota ...... 0-1 San Diego ...... 1-2 Arizona ...... 0-1 Findlay ...... 5-0 Mississippi State ...... 0-2 South Alabama ...... 0-2 Ball State ...... 22-15 FIU ...... 1-2 Missouri ...... 1-0 South Carolina ...... 1-2 Bowling Green ...... 25-17 Florida ...... 1-0 Mount Union ...... 1-0 South Carolina Aiken ...... 0-1 Boston College ...... 3-3 Florida State ...... 2-8 Navy ...... 1-0 Southwest Louisiana ...... 0-2 Brown ...... 3-1 Gardner-Webb ...... 1-0 Nebraska ...... 0-1 Texas ...... 0-1 Buffalo ...... 14-1 Georgia Tech ...... 3-13 New Mexico ...... 1-0 Texas A&M ...... 0-1 UC-Irvine ...... 0-1 Harvard ...... 0-1 North Carolina ...... 3-11 Toledo ...... 20-8 Central Michigan ...... 12-11 High Point ...... 5-1 UNC Greensboro ...... 4-0 Troy ...... 2-0 Charleston Southern ...... 3-1 Illinois ...... 0-2 NC State ...... 3-6 Vanderbilt ...... 3-4 Charlotte ...... 5-4 Indiana ...... 0-1 UNC Wilmington ...... 7-6 Virginia ...... 6-3 Cincinnati ...... 2-2 Jacksonville ...... 0-1 Northeastern Illinois ...... 0-1 Virginia Tech ...... 9-6 Clemson ...... 2-9 Kansas State ...... 0-1 Northern Illinois ...... 6-1 Wagner ...... 1-0 Cleveland State ...... 16-5 Kent State ...... 3-0 Northern Iowa ...... 1-0 Wake Forest ...... 1-1 Coastal Carolina ...... 14-4 Kentucky ...... 5-0 Northwestern ...... 0-1 Washington State ...... 1-0 Cornell ...... 1-0 Liberty ...... 1-0 Notre Dame ...... 1-1 West Virginia ...... 7-5 Dartmouth ...... 0-1 Lipscomb ...... 1-0 Ohio ...... 15-16 Western Carolina ...... 1-1 Davidson ...... 1-3 Louisville ...... 9-5 Ohio State ...... 2-3 Western Kentucky ...... 1-0 Dayton ...... 10-4 Lynn ...... 0-1 Ohio Wesleyan ...... 1-0 Western Michigan ...... 19-11 Delaware ...... 1-2 Marshall ...... 20-6 Oklahoma State ...... 1-3 Winthrop ...... 8-12 Delaware State ...... 1-0 Maryland ...... 8-2 Old Dominion ...... 1-2 Wooster ...... 1-1 Duke ...... 10-0 Massachusetts ...... 1-0 Oral Roberts ...... 0-3 Wright State ...... 15-7 Duquesne ...... 9-4 Miami (OH) ...... 27-21 Pittsburgh ...... 8-6 Xavier ...... 1-0 East Carolina ...... 1-0 Miami (FL) ...... 4-8 Purdue ...... 0-1 Youngstown State ...... 12-3-1

2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL 19 A former Demon Deacon All-American, Jon Palmieri enters his fourth year as a member of the Wake Forest THE PALMIERI FILE coaching staff. Palmieri works primarily with the hitters and the outfielders. Born “Jon is a natural and perfect fit for this staff and university,” head coach Rick Rembielak said. “He had an out- June 19, 1977 standing playing career, helping Wake Forest to back-to-back ACC Tournament Championships. He understands what this program is all about and what it takes to be successful in the Atlantic Coast Conference.” Education Palmieri had an immediate impact with the Deacon hitters in his first season in 2005. Catcher J.B. Tucker bat- Wake Forest, 1999 ted .252 with five home runs and 34 RBIs in 2004. Under Palmieri’s eye, Tucker exploded in 2005 batting .322 with -- B.A. communications 13 home runs and 65 RBIs. The same was the case for Ryder Mathias. Mathias batted just .269 with three home runs and 22 RBIs in 2004 but hit .316 with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs in 2005. In all, Wake Forest scored more runs, had more hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and recorded a higher on-base percentage in 2005 than in 2004. The Deacon hitters continued to improve under Palmieri in 2006. Matt Antonelli more than doubled his home run total from the year before with 11 homers in 2006. Under the watch of Palmieri, Antonelli hit .333 with 18 dou- bles and 38 RBIs. Allan Dykstra hit .324 with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs in his first season with Palmieri. Dykstra was named the ACC Rookie of the Year after leading the ACC in slugging percentage and OPS and finishing second Coaching Career in home runs. 2001 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox () Palmieri once again tutored a strong stable of hitters in 2007. He continued to help turn Dykstra into one of 2002 Chatham A’s (Cape Cod) the top offensive threats in the country. Dykstra, who was named second team All-ACC and a Golden Spikes 2002 Georgia Tech Outfield/Hitting Award semifinalist, tied for the ACC lead with 18 home runs and finished in the top five in the conference in on- College World Series base percentage and slugging percentage. 2003 Georgia Tech Outfield/Hitting Willy Fox, after transferring from Arizona State, had a breakout year under Palmieri in 2007. Fox hit .306 with NCAA Tournament six home runs and 59 RBIs in 100 games over two seasons at ASU. In 48 games at Wake Forest, Fox hit a team- 2004 Georgia Tech Outfield/Hitting leading .332 with five homers and 42 RBIs. Fox finished second in the ACC with a .430 batting average in confer- NCAA Tournament ence games. 2005- Wake Forest Outfield/Hitting Brett Linnenkohl also improved with Palmieri’s tutelage last sea- son. Linnenkohl entered the year as a career .259 hitter with six Playing Career home runs and 50 runs scored. In 2007, Linnenkohl hit .292 with 1999-01 Anaheim Angels/Montreal Expos eight homers and 50 runs scored. 1996-99 Wake Forest Prior to returning to Wake Forest, Palmieri spent three sea- 14th Round Pick in the 1999 MLB Draft sons as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech where he worked pri- marily with the Yellow Jacket hitters and outfielders. He helped the Jackets capture a pair of ACC titles and advance to the NCAA Super Regionals each year, highlighted by Georgia Tech’s ap- pearance in the 2002 College World Series. The Yellow Jackets won a school-record 52 games in 2002. Georgia Tech hit .330 as a team, including six regulars who batted .340 or higher and averaged more than eight runs per game. Georgia Tech was the top hitting team in the 2002 College World Series with a .392 team batting average. Palmieri joined the Tech program after a three-year career in professional baseball with the Anaheim Angels and Montreal Expos. He spent the summers of 2001 and 2002 as an assistant coach in the Cape Cod League, first with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox then with the Chatham A’s. In 2003, Palmieri was the head coach of the Riverpoint Royals of the NECBL in West Warwick, R.I. A two-time All-America selection, Palmieri was a standout first baseman with the Demon Deacons from 1998-99. In 1998, Palmieri was named third-team All-American and made the first-team All-ACC squad after batting .438 with a school-record 30 doubles. As a senior, he earned first-team All-America and All-ACC honors after batting .412 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and a school-record 112 hits. Following his senior campaign, Palmieri was selected in the 14th round by the Angels in the 1999 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. One of the top hitters in ACC history, Palmieri finished his career with the second highest batting average in ACC history (.395) at that time, while becoming just the fifth player in ACC history to collect at least 300 hits, 200 runs and 200 RBIs in his career. With 112 hits in both 1998 and 1999, he became just the second ACC player to record back-to-back seasons of 100

ASSISTANT COACH JON PALMIERI COACH ASSISTANT hits or more. Palmieri finished his career with an ACC record 82 doubles, while also ranking among the conference’s top-five all-time in hits (338) and RBIs (241). Palmieri still holds Wake Forest ca- reer records for doubles, hits and runs scored (230). In 2003, Palmieri was selected to the Atlantic Coast Confer- ence’s 50th Anniver- sary team -- a list of the 50 greatest players in the history of the league. Palmieri earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Wake Forest in 1999. He is married to the former Amanda Saylor, also a Wake Forest alum (1999).

20 2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL Greg Bauer is in his second season as an assistant coach with the Wake Forest baseball program. Bauer serves THE BAUER FILE primarily as the Demon Deacons' pitching coach. Born "Greg has been a very successful pitcher in both the collegiate and professional ranks and has accumulated an November 30, 1977 expansive base of pitching knowledge," said Wake Forest head coach Rick Rembielak upon Bauer’s hiring. "I feel that his philosophy fits extremely well into our program. Education "Hiring Greg wasn't much different than how we recruit a student-athlete. We want an individual who has the Wichita State, 2000 talent to succeed in the ACC, who has a winning background and who has the ideals that we are looking for at Wake -- B.S. exercise science and Forest. We feel we found those characteristics in Greg," added Rembielak. kinesiology (emphasis in Bauer came to Wake Forest after pitching for six seasons in the minor league ranks. Prior to his professional ca- chemistry and physics) reer, Bauer was an All-American hurler at Wichita State. His experience and knowledge paid immediate dividends for the Demon Deacon pitching staff. Most notably, Bauer helped turn Josh Ellis and Eric Niesen into one of the top bullpen tandems in the ACC. Ellis emerged as Wake Forest’s closer, finishing the year with 11 saves and 72 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched. Coaching Career Niesen transitioned from a starter to the bullpen midway through the year. As a reliever, Niesen had a 1.80 ERA 2006- Wake Forest Pitching with 50 strikeouts in 40.0 innings pitched. Both Ellis and Niesen were selected in the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft and signed professional contracts. Playing Career Bauer also helped Ben Hunter transition from the Deacons’ closer to a weekend starter. Hunter was an All- 2005 U.S. Olympic Baseball Team American closer in 2006 but transformed into a top-notch starter for the Deacs in 2007. Hunter went 5-1 with a 2000-05 Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, 2.52 ERA and 55 strikeouts in eight starts last season. Philadelphia Phillies With Bauer’s help, Garrett Bullock emerged as one of the ACC’s 1997-2000 Wichita State top starting pitchers last season. After starting the year as the

22nd Round Pick of the 2000 MLB Draft Sunday starter, Bullock progressed into Wake Forest’s No. 1 ASSISTANT COACH GREG BAUER starting hurler. Bullock finished 2007 with an ACC-best 13 pickoffs. Bauer spent six seasons playing professionally with the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies before beginning his collegiate coaching career. He was drafted three times before finally signing with the Dodgers after being taken in the 22nd round of the 2000 MLB Amateur Draft. Bauer spent four seasons in the Dodgers organization, pitching his way up to the Double-A level with the Jacksonville Suns. Primarily used as a relief pitcher, he was a Rolaids Relief finalist for the South Atlantic League in 2001. He led all Dodger farmhands in ERA and appearances for relief pitchers in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, Bauer was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals and attended Major League Spring Training with the team. He pitched for the Cardinals' Double-A affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies, during the 2004 season. In his final season of professional baseball in 2005, Bauer pitched for the Reading Phillies, the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent a season in each the Panamanian Winter League (2001), the Arizona Fall League (2002) and the Do- minican Winter League (2003). Bauer was an All-Star in the Panamanian League and posted a 0.00 ERA for Arizona Fall League champion Peoria. Bauer was also a member of the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team that competed in the World Base- ball Cup in Europe in 2005. While at Wichita State, Bauer was a part of four consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles from 1997-2000. He was a Collegiate Baseball All-American in 2000 and a three-time Ac- ademic All-American from 1998-2000. Bauer was also a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 1997 and the MVC Pitcher of the Year in 2000. During his college days, Bauer also spent two summers pitching for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod Summer Collegiate League in 1997 and 1998. He was a Cape Cod All-Star in 1997. He received his bachelor's degree in exercise science and kinesiology with an emphasis in chemistry and physics from Wi- chita State in 2000. "I'm excited to be a part of the Wake Forest baseball program. We have a lot of hard-nosed guys--guys that will buckle down and get after it," said Bauer upon his hiring in October of 2006. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to help them get better and succeed." Bauer and his wife, Lauren, have been married for four years.

2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL 21 ASSISTANT COACH MARSHALL CANOSA Marshall Canosa enters his fourth year as the volunteer assistant for the Demon Deacons. Canosa will continue THE CANOSA FILE to work primarily with the catchers. Born In his third season at Wake Forest in 2007, Canosa oversaw the tutelage of four Deacon catchers: Cory Hindel, March 18, 1980 Austin Jones, Mike Murray and Dan Rosaia. Defensively the group committed just a combined five errors all season. Offensively they combined for five home runs, 38 RBIs and 37 runs scored. Education Jones and Rosaia saw most of the action behind the plate. Jones finished Villanova, 2003 the season with a fielding percentage of .987 in 301 chances, while Rosaia -- B.A. secondary education did not commit an error in 109 chances. Canosa also helped Murray adjust to the collegiate game behind the plate. Murray saw action in 11 games as a catcher and 39 games overall. In 2006, Canosa worked with Jones and Rosaia. The duo split time behind the plate and combined to tally 13 doubles, seven home runs and Coaching Career 45 RBIs. Canosa also spent time mentoring freshman Hindel, who red- 2003 Metro (NY) Cadets shirted the 2006 season. 2004 University of Tennessee-Martin In 2005, Canosa’s tutelage yielded immediate results. Catcher J.B. Tucker 2004 Falmouth Commodores (Cape Cod) batted .252 with five home runs and 34 RBIs in 2004. With the help of Canosa 2005 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Cape Cod) and hitting coach Jon Palmieri, Tucker exploded in 2005 batting .322 2005- Wake Forest with 13 home runs and 65 RBIs. He also committed just two passed balls the entire season. Playing Career "We are thrilled to have Marshall Canosa with 2001-03 Villanova University our program for a fourth year," Rembielak said. "He 1999-00 University of Akron has a tremendous work ethic and a passion for the game of baseball that fits right in with the rest of our staff." In the summer of 2005, Canosa was part of the staff for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League. He worked primarily with the catchers and both Danny Lehmann (Rice) and Jordan Abruzzo (San Diego) were selected as 2005 All-Stars. Canosa was an assistant coach for the Falmouth Commodores in the summer of 2004. The Com- modores went 25-18 and captured the West Division Title and defeated Hyannis in the divisional playoffs before losing to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the championship series. Canosa, 27, came to Winston-Salem after one season as a graduate assistant at Tennessee-Martin. He not only worked with the Skyhawk catchers and hitters, but also served as the strength and conditioning coach. Prior to his stint at UT-Martin, Canosa spent the summer of 2003 as an assistant coach with the Metro (N.Y.) Cadets of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. Canosa played collegiately at Villanova University after transferring from the University of Akron. At Villanova, Canosa was a three-year starter at catcher and was a crucial component of the Wildcats lineup with his great defense and expertise in managing the pitching staff. A native of Pine Bush, N.Y., Canosa earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education with a concentration in social studies from Villanova in 2003. DEACON COACHING STAFF COACHING DEACON Canosa and his wife, Kati, reside in Winston-Salem.

DIRECTOR OF BASEBALL OPERATIONS FRED WORTH Fred Worth is in his first season as the director of baseball operations for the Wake Forest University base- THE WORTH FILE Born ball team after joining the staff this summer. As the director of baseball operations, his duties include coordi- July 26, 1952 nating the team’s daily schedule, team travel and meals, supervising the baseball youth camps and handling various other administrative responsibilities. Education A veteran high school and collegiate baseball coach in Ohio, Worth brings a wealth of experience to his Ohio University, 1974 position. He spent 21 years as a high school head coach, compiling a career record of 279-91. After three sea- -- B.A. Education sons at Lehman Catholic High in Sidney, Ohio, he became the head coach at Miami East High in Casstown, Ohio. University of Findlay, 1998 --M.A. Education Worth sent numerous players to college and professional baseball including former Oklahoma State great Mike Day who was named the College Catcher of the 1980s by ESPN. Worth earned 11 league coach of the year honors, five district coach of the year selections and was the coach of year for the state of Ohio in 1986 after leading Miami East to a 30-4 record. Coaching Career In 1995, Worth moved into the college ranks as the hitting coach for the University of Findlay in Findlay, 1974-77 Lehman Catholic HS (Sidney, Ohio) Ohio. During his 12 years with the Oilers, he helped produce 15 players who were named to the all-conference Head Coach 1977-95 Miami East HS (Casstown, Ohio) team. His 2007 Findlay squad broke every existing school offensive record while finishing among the national Head Coach Division II leaders with a .313 batting average and a .478 slugging percentage. 1995-2007 Univeristy of Findlay (Findlay, Ohio) A native of Troy, Ohio, Worth, 55, is a 1974 graduate of Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in edu- Assistant Coach - Hitting cation. He earned his masters in education administration from Findlay. A nationally-recognized guest speaker 2007- Wake Forest on the mental approach to hitting, Worth and his wife, Janet, are the parents of three children and four grand- Director of Baseball Operations children.

22 2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL David Bass Corey Jenkins Tal Jobe Sherry Long Mike Piscetelli Jeff Strahm Scott Wortman Strength & Operations Clubhouse Academic Marketing & Athletic Trainer Media Relations Conditioning Counselor Promotions

David Bass Mike Piscetelli Strength and Conditioning Coach Assistant Director of Marketing David Bass is in his fourth year at Wake Forest as Assistant Strength and Con- Mike Piscetelli is in his second year as an Assistant Director of Sports Marketing ditioning Coach. Bass works directly with the Deacon baseball team. and Promotions. In addition to working with the baseball team, Piscetelli also works Bass joined the Demon Deacons from James Madison University where he was with the Demon Deacon men's and women's and football teams. an assistant strength and conditioning coach for two years. While at JMU, Bass A native of Long Island, N.Y., Piscetelli earned a bachelors degree in psychology earned his master's degree in exercise physiology. from Wake Forest in 2005. In his time at Wake, Piscetelli was a four-year letterwin- He received an undergraduate degree in physical and health education from ner as a decathlete on the men's track & field team. As a student-athlete represen- Concord University in Athens, W. Va., in 2001. tative from the ACC, Piscetelli also served as chair of the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Corey Jenkins Prior to his position in the Marketing Department, Piscetelli worked in the Wake BASEBALL SUPPORT STAFF Assistant Director of Operations Forest Compliance Office as a Compliance Specialist in 2005-06. Corey Jenkins is in his first year as assistant director of operations, where he serves as gameday manager for the baseball, women’s basketball, field hockey Jeff Strahm and volleyball teams. Assistant Athletic Trainer Jenkins, a native of Athens, Ga., graduated from the University of Georgia in Jeff Strahm enters his 10th year with the Sports Medicine department and the 2005 with a BSED in Sports Studies. Following his graduation, Jenkins was an in- baseball team. Strahm works with the members of the baseball team on a day-to- tern in UGA’s Event Management Department, serving as the event manager for day basis in the prevention and treatment of injuries. the Bulldog track & field squads. Jenkins was also the tournament manager for Strahm has been Wake Forest’s athletic trainer during five NCAA Tournament the 2006 NCAA Baseball Regional and Super Regional Tournaments held in Athens. appearances and two ACC titles. Jenkins then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration from Strahm graduated from Kansas State in 1996 with a degree in kinesiology. He, Florida State University in 2007. At FSU, he served as a student assistant in the Fa- wife Sarah, son Levi and daughter Taryn live in Winston-Salem. cilities and Events Department and taught several undergraduate courses. Scott Wortman Tal Jobe Assistant Director of Media Relations Clubhouse Manager Scott Wortman is in his second year as Assistant Director of Media Relations. Tal Jobe, the unsung hero of the Wake Forest baseball program, is in his seventh He joined Wake Forest in July 2006 from Ohio Northern University where he year as Clubhouse Manager. was a graduate assistant for two years. Jobe graduated from Wake Forest in 1967 and played on the freshman basket- Wortman is the media contact for baseball, men's basketball, volleyball and ball team before spending 31 years as a high school assistant principal, teacher and men’s and women’s cross country. coach in North Carolina. Jobe coached Eastern Alamance High School to the 1991 A native of Van Wert, Ohio, Wortman earned his undergraduate degree in pro- 3A Boys Basketball North Carolina State Championship. fessional writing from Ohio Northern in 2004 and his master's in sport administra- Now “retired”, Jobe works part-time in the operations department of Wake For- tion from Bowling Green State University in 2006. est athletics. Jobe helps maintain the Hooks Stadium playing surface, the Wake Wortman and his fiance, Elizabeth, reside in Winston-Salem. Forest locker room, operates the stadium scoreboard on game days and does any- thing asked of him with a smile on his face.

Sherry Long Academic Counselor Sherry Long is in her sixth year in the athletic department and is certainly no stranger to Wake Forest. Long has worked on campus since 1995, spending time in the sociology de- partment, the counseling center and the office of the registrar. Long provides tutorial guidance as necessary and assists with study hall ses- sions. Long earned her bachelor of science degree in business administration from Salem College. She resides in Winston-Salem with her husband Bill. Their daughter, Jessica, graduated from Wake Forest in May 2005.

2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL 23 Ron Wellman, who has elevated Wake For- He is also a member of the NCAA THE RON WELLMAN FILE est athletics to its highest level ever and com- Diversity Leadership Strategic mitted to preparing the program for greater Planning Committee and chairs BOWLING GREEN, 1970 success in the future, is in his 15th year as di- the NCAA Baseball Academic En- 15TH YEAR AT WAKE FOREST rector of athletics. hancement Committee. Wellman Born Wellman, who was named athletic director is a on the TriStone Community May 2, 1948 in Celina, Ohio in October of 1992, is only the fifth man to as- Bank Board of Directors. sume the top position in the athletic depart- Wellman was honored as Family ment at Wake Forest during the modern era of the AstroTurf AD of the Year for Wife - Linda intercollegiate sports, following Pat Preston, the Southeast Region in 2002-03. Daughters - Angie, Nichole and Melissa Jim Weaver, Bill Gibson and Dr. Gene Hooks, Born in Celina, Ohio, he WFU’s athletic director from 1964 through earned his undergraduate degree Education 1992. from Bowling Green State Univer- Bowling Green State University Since taking control of WFU Athletics, sity, where he was a pitcher on 1970 - B.S. in Business and Health and Physical Wellman has seen Deacon athletic teams rise the baseball team. Education to national prominence in several sports while After receiving a master’s 1971 - B.S. in Education perennially competing for Atlantic Coast Con- from Bowling Green, he joined the ference championships. Wake Forest’s suc- faculty and coaching staff at Coaching cess in recent years has epitomized how Deacon teams are competing on a national Elmhurst (IL) College in 1971, Elmhurst College, 1971-80 level across the athletics board. serving as head baseball coach, Head baseball coach, assistant basketball In the fall of 2007, the Wake Forest men’s soccer team defeated Ohio State in assistant basketball and football coach, assistant football coach the College Cup to win its first national championship. The football team is in the midst coach and associate professor of Northwestern University, 1981-86 of its most successful stretch in school history, winning 20 games over the past two health and physical education. He Head baseball coach seasons and earning a pair of bowl bids which includes a 24-10 win over Connecticut compiled a 210-136 record as in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in 2007. The Deacon field hockey team made its eighth head baseball coach before leav- Administration consecutive appearance in the final four, while the women’s soccer team earned an ing to become the head baseball Elmhurst College, 1977-80 NCAA Tournament bid for the 12th consecutive season. coach at Northwestern. In five Athletic Director At the conclusion of the fall of 2007, Wake Forest was ranked sixth in the NACDA seasons with the Wildcats, Well- Mankato State University, 1986-87 Director’s Cup which awards points based on each school’s performance on the field. man’s teams posted a 180-97 Athletic Director Wake finished 23rd in the race for the Director’s Cup in 2006-07, the highest finish ever record and 15 players signed pro- Illinois State University, 1987-92 for the Deacons. fessional contracts. Among those Athletic Director The fall of 2006 was highlighted by a remarkable football season. The Deacons, moving to the Major Leagues was Wake Forest University, 1992-present picked to finish last in their division, stunned the experts by winning the ACC Champi- Joe Girardi, an Academic All- Athletic Director onship game – their first ACC title since 1970 – and earning a BCS bowl berth to the America catcher who became the FedEx Orange Bowl. Both the men’s soccer and field hockey teams advanced to their manager of the New York Yankees Awards, Honors and Notes respective final fours in 2006. The women’s cross country team qualified for the NCAA in 2007. Most tenured athletic director in the Atlantic Championships and senior Michelle Sikes earned the prestigious academic honor as Wellman and his wife Linda Coast Conference Rhodes Scholar. have three daughters — Angie, Elmhurst College Athletics Hall of Fame, 1985 The 2005-06 academic year was equally impressive. All totaled, 10 Wake Forest who works for ING in Atlanta and CCIW Baseball Coach of the Year; 1975, teams were ranked in the top 25 and placed at their respective NCAA championships. is married to Tim Lynde, a WFU 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981 The field hockey team reached its sixth straight final four, men’s golf tied for third place alumnus and former basketball at the NCAA Championships, and men’s soccer reached the round of 16. Individually, manager; Nicole, a pediatrician, and her husband, a former captain of WFU’s men’s Chris Barclay was the 2005 ACC Football Player of the Year, Jennifer Averill was named soccer team Kevin Rice, live in Winston-Salem; and Melissa, a teacher, and her hus- ACC Coach of the Year and Allan Dykstra and Christine Suggs were ACC Rookies of the band, Ben Norman, live in Greensboro. There are seven Wake Forest degrees between Year in baseball and field hockey. the Wellman’s daughters and their husbands. Off the playing fields, Wellman has spearheaded an effort to enhance the overall development of the student-athlete. He asks his coaches to stress academics and he DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS RON WELLMAN DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS has instituted programs to assist and develop student-athletes away from competition such as the annual Academic Excellence Banquet, a campus-wide affair which honors those student-athletes who have achieved in the classroom. Another obvious sign of the progress Wake Forest has made — and is continuing to make — under Wellman’s leadership is the ambitious facility improvement program that the athletic department has undertaken. The football stadium, BB&T Field, continues to receive multiple phases of cos- metic and structural changes. Prior to the start of the 2006 season, a brick façade was added to the interior of the stands, and a new state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface was in- stalled. In January, 2007, after an aggressive fund-raising campaign, coupled with gen- erous donations of supporters, the 35-plus year-old press box was imploded and con- struction on the new, spacious Deacon Tower began. Deacon Tower will provide a number of premium seating options, accommodations for the media as well as a main entry point for the stadium when it opens prior to the 2008 season. The dean of all ACC athletic directors, Wellman has taken an active role on the national level. Wellman previously served on the NCAA Division I Management Council and served as chairman in 2005-06. Recently he served as chairman of the NCAA Baseball Committee and directed the implementation of a new and expanded national tournament format, creating significant interest in that event. Wellman also serves as president of the Division I-A Athletic Directors’ Association.

24 2008 WAKE FOREST BASEBALL