June 23, 2008

TUCSON, Ariz. - Marshall University head baseball coach Jeff Waggoner was recently named All-Pavlovich Team Coach of the Year in "Collegiate Baseball" Newspaper.

Lou Pavlovich is an editor of "Collegiate Baseball" Newspaper and has been working with college baseball for over 30 years. For the last 19 years, he has put together a team that features a remarkable collection of coaches and athletes who typify what the game should be all about.

In just his second season at the helm, Waggoner led the Thundering Herd baseball program to its best ever season, compiling a school-record 30 wins and a spot in the 2008 Entergy Conference USA Baseball Championship game against NCAA Regional member Houston.

After posting a 21-32 overall record and a 5-18 mark in C-USA action in 2007, Marshall, predicted to finish ninth in C-USA, finished sixth in one of the toughest baseball leagues in the nation by posting 10 wins, its most since joining the conference in 2005.

Marshall entered the 2008 C-USA Championship as the sixth seed and defeated third seed and host Tulane twice, and No. 2 Southern Miss twice (both NCAA Regional participants), en route to its championship showdown with Houston. Marshall came up just one run short of its first NCAA Regional appearance since 1978, as the Cougars held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Herd.

Waggoner has done a magnificent job in his two years as skipper of the Herd. He has brought in several top performers including Nate Lape, a 2007 transfer from North Carolina, Adam Yeager and Steve Blevins, both 2008 transfers from Cincinnati, and freshman Victor Gomez among others.

"I think this is a great achievement for Jeff [Waggoner] and the direction of this program," pitching coach Tim Adkins stated. "We think this is a great testament to what he has accomplished in a short period of time."