Ashland University Men's Baseball

Schaly's 1,351 career wins are 20th-most in NCAA baseball history at all levels. His wins are the most in NCAA Division II baseball history. YEAR: 29th in 2025-26 PREVIOUS COLLEGE: Marietta '82; Iowa State '84 AT ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Has won 1,351 games as a collegiate head coach (1,351-740-7, .646), and 988 games guiding Ashland University's baseball team (988-522-4, .654). Inducted into American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame in January 2018. Early in the 2015 season, he made college baseball history with his late father, Don, himself an ABCA Hall of Famer, as they became the first father-son tandem at four-year institutions to each win 1,000 career games. The Eagles have played in the NCAA postseason 20 times under Schaly. They have won five regional championships and reached the NCAA Division II College World Series five times. The Eagles' most recent World Series appearance came in 2019. AU has won 40 or more games eight times under Schaly's direction. Schaly became NCAA Division II baseball's all-time wins leader in 2025, as he guided the Eagles to a 37-19 overall record and a 24-8 mark in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Ashland played in both the conference and regional tournaments. In 2024, Schaly coached is 2,000th career game as a collegiate head coach. Ashland finished 42-15 overall and 24-8 in the Great Midwest, as the Eagles won the Great Midwest regular-season title for the first time. Schaly was named the conference's Coach of the Year. Ashland played in the Great Midwest and the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional tournaments. The 2023 season, with Schaly's youngest team as a head coach, was one in which the Eagles went 33-21 overall and 22-10 in the Great Midwest. Ashland made both the conference and NCAA Division II postseason. In 2022, Ashland was 35-21, reached the D-II playoffs, and was the runner-up in both the Great Midwest regular season and tournament. The 2021 season saw the Eagles go 24-19 overall and 17-11 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, reaching the GLIAC Tournament for the final time. In 2019, Schaly oversaw a 48-15 Ashland team which won the GLIAC regular-season and tournament championships, as well as the Midwest Regional tournament title. The 48 wins ties the program record, and Ashland featured an All-American closer in senior right-hander Chris Slavik. The 2018 season saw the Eagles finish 33-22 and with another trip to the Midwest Regional tournament. That win total represented a 13-win improvement over 2017, one of the best one-season improvements in program history. In 2016, Ashland won a second consecutive GLIAC South Division title, as well as a share of the GLIAC regular-season championship. The Eagles went 2-2 at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional tournament in Quincy, Ill. Junior right-handed pitcher Brandyn Sittinger and sophomore third baseman J.P. Sorma each earned numerous national, regional and conference honors. In 2015, Ashland made the NCAA postseason and ended the season at 38-19. The Eagles won the GLIAC regular-season title, and the conference's first-ever South Division championship. Senior second baseman Stephen James had one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory, and earned three All-American citations and the GLIAC player of the year honor. The 2013 season saw the Eagles win their first GLIAC Tournament championship. AU ended the regular season ranked first in the Midwest Region. The Eagles went 1-2 at the regional tournament at Drury. AU ended the year with a 37-19 record. Sophomore pitcher Jake Baldwin was the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year, Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year and secured All-American honors. In 2014, the Eagles were hit with a rash of injuries. First baseman Tyler Gray was lost for the last half of the season and the starting rotation was decimated by arm injuries. Despite those obstacles, Schaly and the Eagles began the year nationally ranked, spent most of the season regionally ranked, played in the GLIAC Tournament and narrowly missed the NCAA postseason. The Eagles finished 24-21. In 2011, Schaly won the 900th game of his career. As usual, the Eagles spent most of the season ranked among the top teams in the region. AU finished the year 30-21, 19-15 in GLIAC play. Pitcher Ajay Meyer was recognized as an All-American by two organizations, was a finalist for the Tino Martinez Award (presented to the NCAA Division II player of the year) and was tabbed as the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year. The 2010 season saw the Eagles go 35-22, 21-12 in GLIAC play. Ashland advanced to the championship game of the GLIAC Tournament and was invited to the NCAA playoffs. The postseason bid was Ashland's fifth straight. The Eagles featured one of the most potent middle-of-the-order combinations in the nation in Jacob Petkac and Ben Minard. As usual, the Eagles spent the season regionally and nationally ranked. In 2009, the Eagles were 42-15-1. Ashland won the GLIAC regular season title with a 26-5-1 record. The Eagles were ranked third in the country - that's the highest national ranking in the program's history. AU advanced to the NCAA playoffs and was the top-seeded team in the region and hosted the regional championship tournament in Chillicothe, Ohio. AU boasted the 2009 GLIAC Player of the Year (Petkac) and the 2009 GLIAC Pitcher of the Year (Meyer). Schaly was recognized as the conference Coach of the Year. The AU boss has won that award seven times. History shows that Ashland teams under Schaly should never be overlooked or underestimated. The 2008 season was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Schaly and the Eagles. Fielding one of the youngest teams of his AU tenure, his team got on a roll just as the postseason rolled around. The Eagles went 4-1 at the North Central Regional Tournament to win that event. At the World Series, AU opened play with a 6-5 victory over two-time defending national champ Tampa. The two teams that defeated the Eagles at the Series, Mount Olive and Ouachita Baptist, advanced to the 2008 NCAA Division II championship game. AU's final record was 40-18. Schaly's 2002 team won a school-record 48 games. The top 11 single-season win totals in Ashland history have been recorded by Schaly-coached teams. The 2006 team that went to the World Series was 47-17. In 2007, the Eagles featured one of the top all-around players in the country in Casey Jirsa. The infielder was the 2007 GLIAC Player of the Year and for the second year in a row, was a first-team Academic All-America. Jirsa was also named the Small College Baseball Academic All-America of the Year. Since Schaly arrived at AU, the Eagles have had a conference Player of the Year nine times, conference Freshman of the Year four times and the Pitcher of the Year six times. Schaly has coached the region's Pitcher of the Year six times and Player of the Year on five occasions. What Schaly has accomplished at AU is a complete overhaul of the program. His first year on campus, the Eagles were 27-23. The next year (1999), they improved to 45-16 and advanced to the NCAA World Series. The 2002 team also advanced to NCAA Championships and became the first AU team to win a game at the World Series. Schaly has been recognized as the NCAA Division II region Coach of the Year five times. During his career, he's coached more than 50 players who have played professional baseball. BEFORE ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Schaly spent six years (1992-97) as the head coach at St. Leo. He won 40 or more games twice at the Florida school, and at one point had the Monarchs ranked first in the country. His 1996 team advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs, the first time in 18 years the team reached the postseason. That year, Schaly was recognized as the Sunshine State Conference coach of the year. Schaly's first collegiate head coaching job came at Berry (Ga.). He coached there from 1988-91 and started the baseball program from scratch. His record at Berry was 155-91. Three times, he led Berry to the NAIA playoffs. Schaly never won less than 35 games in a season during his time there and claimed one district title. Before becoming a head coach, Schaly served as an assistant at Kentucky (1985-87), Marietta (1984-85) and Iowa State (1982-84). Schaly played baseball at Marietta under his father, Don. The AU head coach earned All-America honors in 1981 and 1982, and in 1981, was named the most valuable player at the NCAA Division III World Series. Marietta won the national championship that season. A second baseman during his playing days, Schaly was an Academic All-America and is a member of the Marietta College Hall of Fame. Schaly's late father won 1,442 games as a head coach.  PERSONAL Schaly earned his undergraduate degree in physical education from Marietta in 1982 and his master's degree in physical education/administration from Iowa State in 1984. He was the president of the ABCA in 2012, and was only the fourth president from the Division II ranks. He also used to be a part of the All-America/Gold Glove Committee. Schaly and his wife, Becky, reside in Ashland. The couple has three children - Nicole, Adam and Drew - and five granddaughters - Noelle, Mariah, Laurel, Gianna and Stella. Adam was a pitcher on the baseball team at Stetson, and was the AU baseball program's graduate assistant in 2017-18. SCHALY YEAR-BY-YEAR Year     School             Record             Pct. 2025    Ashland           37-19               .661 2024    Ashland           42-15               .737 2023    Ashland           33-21               .611 2022    Ashland           35-21               .625 2021    Ashland           24-19               .558 2020    Ashland           10-4                 .714 2019    Ashland           48-15               .762 2018    Ashland           33-22               .600 2017    Ashland           20-29               .408 2016    Ashland           33-22               .600 2015    Ashland           38-19               .667 2014    Ashland           24-21               .533 2013    Ashland           37-19               .661 2012    Ashland           27-25               .519 2011    Ashland           30-21               .588 2010    Ashland           35-22               .614 2009    Ashland           42-15-1            .737 2008    Ashland           40-18               .690 2007    Ashland           38-19               .667 2006    Ashland           47-17               .734 2005    Ashland           32-16               .667 2004    Ashland           47-15               .758 2003    Ashland           37-20-1            .649 2002    Ashland           48-13               .787 2001    Ashland           38-18               .679 2000    Ashland           41-18               .695 1999    Ashland           45-16               .738 1998    Ashland           27-23-2            .540 1997    St. Leo             39-17               .696 1996    St. Leo             42-15               .737 1995    St. Leo             41-15               .732 1994    St. Leo             34-22               .607 1993    St. Leo             25-30               .455 1992    St. Leo             27-28               .491 1991    Berry               38-17-1             .691 1990    Berry               46-27-1             .630 1989    Berry               36-23                .610 1988    Berry               35-24-1             .593

YEAR: Fifth in 2025-26 PREVIOUS COLLEGE: Marietta '21 AT ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Cottom is in his first year as associate head coach for Ashland University's baseball team. He began his career with the Eagles as a graduate assistant in 2021-22, and spent the next three seasons as assistant coach. In the spring of 2022, Cottom relinquished his role as grad assistant and was added to the active roster due to injuries at the catcher position. He hit .314 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 18 games. BEFORE ASHLAND UNIVERSITY A former catcher at Marietta, Cottom earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference second-team honors as a senior, hitting .365 with 37 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, two home runs and 24 RBIs. That season, he also made just one error in 268 total chances (.996 fielding percentage). In his collegiate career, Cottom played in 132 games, posting 88 runs scored, 17 doubles, a triple, two home runs and 61 RBIs. In the summer of 2019, Cottom was involved in the Houston Astros' Intro to Amateur Scouting Internship. In the summer 2020, he was an intern with the Five Star Carolina Vipers in Charlotte, N.C. PERSONAL Cottom is a 2021 graduate of Marietta, majoring in Sports Management.

YEAR: Second in 2025-26 AT ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Entering second year as the Eagles' graduate assistant coach, working with pitchers. In 2024, the AU pitching staff finished with the second-best earned-run average, and was first in strikeouts in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. BEFORE ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Coached in the Back Bay Prospect League in 2023, where the Sandtown Anglers won the league with a record of 20-2 for the summer. Played for Lourdes from 2022-24. In 2023, he was 5-2 as a starting pitcher and earned second-team All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. Was with Owens Community College in 2020-21. Ranked top five in D3 JUCO in strikeouts, and helped the team to the World Series - being the team's Game 1 starter on the mound. At Lake Erie in 2019, got credit for his first collegiate win in first outing against a ranked Millersville team, throwing three scoreless innings in relief during the team's spring trip.

YEAR: First in 2025-16 PREVIOUS COLLEGE: Ohio Dominican '25 AT ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Hunt is in his first season as Eagle baseball's Director of Analytics & Technology. BEFORE ASHLAND UNIVERSITY Was a four-year member of Ohio Dominican’s baseball team from 2022-25, appearing in 38 games as a pitcher and making 18 starts. Earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from ODU in 2025, with minors in Mathematics and Data Science.

Ashland University Professor Emeritus Dr. Curt Ickes is a licensed psychologist who taught in the Psychology Department for more than 30 years. Trained in cognitive-behavioral techniques, he is particularly interested in the study and application of psychological factors which lead to optimal athletic performance. He earned his undergraduate degree at Ashland College and has graduate degrees from the University of Akron and Kent State University. Dr. Ickes is the author of Mental Toughness: Getting the Edge and Win the Next Pitch: Essential Mental Game Skills for Young Players. In addition to working with the Ashland University baseball and softball teams, Dr. Ickes has worked as a consultant with the local high school baseball and softball teams, the College of Wooster baseball team, and the Lake Erie Crushers of the independent Frontier League.