Pitching Coach/Recruiting Widely regarded as one of the top pitching coaches in college baseball, Jerry Meyers is in his sixth season on Coach Ray Tanner's South Carolina staff. He joined the Gamecocks August 12, 1996 after one season as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Old Dominion University. Under Meyers the 2002 South Carolina pitching staff compiled a 45-22 record and advanced to the College World Series for the second consecutive year. The 2002 Gamecock staff compiled a 57-18 record, won the Southeastern Conference Championship and advanced to the championship game of the College World Series in Omaha. In seven seasons with Meyers coaching the Gamecock pitchers the record is 319-135, a winning percentage of .703. The Gamecocks have won two Southeastern Conference championships and have won the SEC Eastern Division title four of the past five years. A Meyers coached pitcher has been a first team All-American in each of the past four seasons. David Marchbanks compiled a 15-3 record in 2003 and was named Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year in addition to All-America honors. Marchbanks was one of three USC pitchers drafted and signed by professional baseball in 2003. Steven Bondurant signed with Oakland and Chris Hernandez with Pittsburgh. Relief pitcher Blake Taylor led the nation in saves with a school record 21 in 2002. Relief pitcher Lee Gronkiewicz also led the nation is saves in 2001 with 19. Both of them moved on to professional baseball. Gronkiewicz and Taylor signed with the Cleveland Indians. The 2000 South Carolina pitching staff led the nation in wins with 56 as South Carolina won the SEC Championship with a 25-5 conference record. Pitcher Kip Bouknight, finished with a 17-1 record and won the Golden Spikes Award as the nation's top collegiate player. He won a total of four National Player of the Year awards and four junior Gamecock pitchers were chosen in the June 2000 free agent draft. Bouknight, a 21st round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2000, returned for his senior season and added 10 wins to finish with 45 career victories. He was drafted and signed with the Colorado Rockies. Three others from the 2000 staff were drafted and signed professional contracts. Peter Bauer by Toronto, Scott Barber by Arizona and Clint Collins by Cincinnati. In seven seasons at South Carolina, Meyers has had 17 of his pitchers sign professional contracts. Including stints at other schools, Meyers has coached 33 collegiate pitchers who have played professional baseball. Four pitchers coached by Meyers during his first three seasons at Carolina went on to professional baseball. Brett Jodie was drafted in the sixth round by the Yankees in 1998 and finished the 2001 season on the staff of the San Diego Padres. Patrick Sexton signed with the Mets in 1998. In 1999, Jason Pomar was drafted and signed with the Athletics and Randy Hadden was drafted and signed with the Dodgers. At Old Dominion University Meyers helped lead the Monarchs to the 1996 NCAA Atlantic Regional and his pitching staff established a school strikeout record. Prior to his year at Old Dominion, Meyers spent four years as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington where he worked with the pitchers and catchers. The 1995 Seahawk staff was ranked 11th nationally in earned run average (3.37) with two pitchers ranked among the nation's top 15 in strikeouts per nine innings. Two others -- Heath Altman, fifth by San Francisco in 1993, and Chris McBride, third by Toronto in 1994 -- were selected in the top five rounds of the free agent draft. Meyers also coached at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla., 1989-91 (ranked 4th nationally in 1989) where several pitchers went on to sign professionally or with Division I schools including Tim Davis (Seattle Mariners) and former Gamecock pitcher Scott Pace. Meyers managed the 1994 Winchester, Va., team in the Shenandoah Valley league to a second place finish. He is also a popular clinician and has worked camps at a number of institutions. He was a graduate assistant at the University of South Alabama, 1988-89. Born Jerald Ray Meyers March 8, 1965 at Harvey, Ill., Meyers grew up in Chesterton, Ind., where he attended Chesterton High School, earning four letters in baseball and basketball. He was a second team all-state selection in basketball. Meyers was a four year starting pitcher at Iowa State University where he was named to the All-Big Eight conference team his senior season. He was team captain as a junior and senior and was named the team's most valuable pitcher his senior season. Meyers received the Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management from Iowa State and the Master of Education in Physical Education from South Alabama in 1989. His emphasis was in exercise and movement technology. Meyers and his wife Christina have two daughters, Jaye Riley, born July 31, 1999 and Audrey Reese born December 31, 2001. |
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