Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mdstafford@bsu.edu
Mike Stafford enters his seventh season as pitching coach at Ball State in 2010 and his fifth season as the team's top assistant under head coach Greg Beals. Stafford was originally named Ball State's pitching coach in October 2003 and was promoted to the Cardinals' top assistant post, which includes major recruiting responsibilities, in July 2005.
Last season, the Cardinals finished the season as the top pitching staff in the Mid-American Conference under Stafford's tutelage. Ball State posted a conference best 5.54 team ERA on the season overall and a league low 5.62 ERA in MAC games. The Cardinals' staff allowed the fewest runs (366), earned runs (272) and hits (535) on the year. Senior left-hander Tom Mueller finished second in the MAC with a 1.46 ERA in 37.0 innings as he tied the Ball State single-season relief appearance record (29) for the second straight year.
In 2008 under Stafford's guidance, freshman right hander Kolbrin Vitek was named to Collegiate Baseball's Freshman All-America Team after posting a 6-1 record and a 5.65 ERA as a weekend starter. Also, senior closer Kyle Heyne picked up eight saves to take over sole possession of the Cardinals' career saves record with 32. Heyne was drafted for the second straight season as the San Diego Padres called his name in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball Draft.
In 2007, Stafford coached Heyne, who saved 10 games and won five more while tying the school record for career saves with 24. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 2007 MLB draft but decided to return for his final season as Ball State's closer in 2008. In addition to coaching Heyne, Stafford also tutored starting pitcher Ryan DeGeeter, who twice earned Mid-American Conference Scholar Athlete of the Week honors and picked up his second straight Academic All-MAC selection.
In 2006, his first season as the team's top assistant, Stafford helped the Cardinals to the MAC Tournament Championship and the NCAA Regional. He coached sophomore starter Ben Snyder, who finished with an 8-5 record and a MAC-best 108 strikeouts before being drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 2006 MLB draft. Snyder pitched Ball State to perhaps the biggest win in school history, when he shut down No. 1 seed Kentucky in the Cardinals' 3-1 first-round NCAA Regional victory. Stafford also coached Heyne, who completed his first season as the team's closer with a team-best 2.11 ERA and ranked second in the MAC with 12 saves. Heyne picked up the save in Ball State's win over Kentucky.
During the 2005 campaign, BSU senior reliever Erik Morrison was named the MAC Pitcher of the Year and was an All-MAC First Team selection after tying the league's single-season saves record with 15. Morrison, who finished the season with a 7-0 record and a 1.32 ERA, tied for fourth in the nation in saves and was one of five finalists for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award. He also picked up American Baseball Coaches Association & Rawlings All-America and Louisville Slugger All-America Second Team honors.
In addition to Morrison's success, Snyder was named the 2005 MAC Freshman of the Year after finishing the season with an 8-5 overall record. His eight victories tied for fifth in the league, while his 7-0 MAC mark was the best among all starters in the conference. A member of the 2005 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team, Snyder's 2.82 ERA in league-only contests ranked 13th in the MAC. Also, Joe Ness was selected in the sixth round of the MLB draft by the Cleveland Indians following the 2005 season.
Stafford joined the Cardinals after spending two seasons as the bullpen coach for the Columbus Clippers, the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees. At Columbus, his duties included warming up relievers during games, throwing batting practice and catching bullpens.
A 1998 graduate of Ohio State University, Stafford served as the pitching coach for the Columbus All-Americans of the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League from 2002-03.
Stafford continued his work with the Great Lakes League in the summers of 2004 and 2005, guiding the Grand Lake Mariners to a 23-17 overall record and a league-best 2.07 ERA in 2005, which earned him the league's Coach of the Year honor.
Prior to his coaching stints, Stafford spent four seasons as a pitcher in minor league baseball. A 41st round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1998 MLB Draft, Stafford split time playing at Medicine Hat, St. Catherine's and Hagerstown from 1998-99.
In 1999, Stafford moved to the New York Yankees organization, where he pitched for the Tampa Bay Yankees and led the team in appearances in 1999-2000. After his stay with the Yankees, he went to the Milwaukee Brewers, spending 2000-01 throwing for the California League's High Desert Mavericks.
A physical education major, Stafford was an All-Big Ten selection for Ohio State in 1998. The OSU single-season ERA and appearance leader in 1997 and 1998, Stafford was a member of the Buckeyes' Big Ten Championship teams in 1994 and 1995.
Stafford comes from baseball bloodlines. His father, Bill, pitched eight seasons for the New York Yankees, participated in five World Series and was on both the 1961 and 1962 World Championship teams.
