Francis Marion University Men's Baseball

Inabinet's two years as Griffin's assistant. This past season, Inabinet guided the Patriots to a 26-23 mark and a ninth-place finish during the Peach Belt Conference regular season.  Three FMU players garnered All-Conference accolades and two earned Academic All-PBC recognition. In 2015, FMU posted a 28-19 mark and placed seventh during the PBC regular season. Three Patriots earned first-team All-Conference recognition, three gained All-Region honors, one picked up Academic All-PBC accolades, and one was named All-American.  FMU ranked seventh nationally in scoring, averaging 8.5 runs per contest and 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.9). In 2014, Francis Marion registered a 28-22 overall record and placed ninth during the Peach Belt regular season.  Francis Marion was eliminated from the conference tournament by the eventual champion. During the 2013 campaign, the Patriots posted a 28-20 mark and finished sixth during the Peach Belt regular season -- only one win shy of placing second.  In 2012, Francis Marion finished with a 40-18 record and made a fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament where the Patriots reached the regional title game for the third consecutive season.  The Patriots tied for second during the PBC regular season, reached the semifinals of the PBC Tournament, and were ranked seventh nationally in the final Top 25 poll.  FMU has posted 40-win campaigns each of the past three seasons.  In the final NCAA stats, the Patriots ranked among the Top 20 in three statistical categories: fifth in total hits (658), ninth in fewest walks allowed per nine innings (2.68), and 13th in sacrifice bunts (59).  Francis Marion also ranked 25th in earned run average (3.42), 28th in runs scored (385), 33rd in doubles (103), 37th in batting average (.314), 48th in strikeouts per nine innings (7.3), and 50th in scoring (6.6 runs per game). In 2011, Francis Marion equaled the school record for wins with a 41-16 mark, won the Peach Belt Conference regular-season crown, received its third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, and reached the regional title game for the second year in a row.  The Patriots ranked ninth in the final 2011 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Top 30 poll, the third such end-of-the-season Top 10 ranking in school history (and the second year in a row).  In addition to Inabinet earning PBC Coach of the Year honors, FMU also achieved a conference first by garnering Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Freshman of the Year awards. Nationally, the Patriots ranked among the Top 20 in ten statistical categories: second in sacrifice flies (40), third in sacrifice bunts (75), fourth in hits (629) and hit-by-pitches (93), fifth in fewest walks allowed per nine innings (2.41), 11th in fielding percentage (0.971), 14th in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (7.65), 15th in earned run average (2.83), 16th in triples (20), and 17th in runs scored (407).  FMU ranked 21st in win-loss percentage (0.719),  22nd in team batting average (0.323), and 37th in runs per game (7.1). In 2010, FMU was 40-14, the second-most wins in team history, and the Patriots tied for the PBCs East Division crown. For the first time, FMU was selected to host the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament where the Patriots placed second. Francis Marion ended the year ranked 10th in the final Top 30 poll.  At the conclusion of the season, the Patriots were ranked among the Top 20 nationally in six statistical categories, including eighth in sacrifice bunts (56), 13th in earned run average (3.67) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (8.63), 14th in won-loss percentage (.741), 15th in fielding percentage (.967), and 20th in players being hit-by-pitches (83). In 2009, FMU posted a 38-15-1 record, finished second during the PBC regular season, won the PBC Tournament title, and earned its fourth national tournament bid in the past seven years, placing third at the regional. The Patriots were ranked 14th in the final Top 30 poll. In the NCAA end-of-the-season team rankings, the Patriots ranked in the top 50 of 13 different categories: including 29th in fielding percentage (.965), 39th in batting average (.333), and 42nd in team ERA (4.34). In 2008, FMU went 34-20, tied for third in the PBC regular-season standings, and ended the year ranked 27th. The Patriots ranked in the Top 20 nationally in six different statistical categories.  The 2007 Patriot team was 36-18, placed third during the PBC regular season, and ended the year ranked 29th.  Each of the those two seasons saw FMU narrowly miss out on a bid to the Division II national tournament. In 2006, Inabinet directed the Patriots to a program-best 41-18 record, a No.6 national ranking, and the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series.  The Patriots were ranked as high as third in the national poll during the 2006 campaign and spent seven weeks in the Top 10. FMU placed second in the Peach Belt regular-season standings.  Following the 2006 season, Inabinet was selected as the ABCA/Diamond Sports Company Coach of the Year for the South Atlantic Region. In 2005, he led FMU to a 34-16-1 record, a No. 14 national ranking, and an NCAA post-season invitation. During the 2005 campaign, he captured his 200th career win, and FMU's 34 wins was one shy of the then team record. Ten of the 16 losses were to nationally ranked opponents. FMU's team ERA of 3.11 was the lowest for a Patriot staff since 1980 and ranked eighth in NCAA II. The Patriots placed third in the PBC standings. In 2004, Inabinet guided the Patriots to a 29-17 record and a fifth-place finish during the PBC regular season. FMU won 10 of its final 11 contests and spent six weeks in the Division II Top 30 poll, including one week at No. 7, the program's then highest ranking ever. The team's ERA of 3.47 led the PBC and ranked 11th nationally. In 2003, he directed FMU to a 30-20 mark, a No. 18 national ranking, and a third-place finish at the NCAA's South Atlantic Regional. Picked to finish eighth in the PBC preseason coaches' poll, the Patriots finished third in the PBC with an 18-10 mark, only one-half game away from winning the program's first-ever conference title. The 18 conference wins were a team record.  Playing an extremely tough schedule in 2003, FMU was 10-10 against Top-30 opponents.  In Inabinet's first two seasons at the helm of the Patriots, FMU posted records of 24-27 in 2001 and 26-27 in 2002. Prior to joining the FMU staff in 1999, he served as head coach at North Greenville College for six seasons, recording a 155-122 mark (84-54 as a 4-year institution). He guided the Mounties program from junior college status to a four-year program in 1996. After making that transition, North Greenville was 14-21 in 1996, 34-17 in 1997, and 36-16 in 1998, including a pair of second-place finishes in the Mid-South Conference his last two years. In 1995, Inabinet was named the Louisville Slugger "Coach of the Year" for the NJCAA Region X, as the Mounties posted a 31-22 record and won the region title. Inabinet earned both the B.S. degree in history and the M.A.T. degree in secondary education (social sciences) from Winthrop University. As an undergraduate student, he was a four-year letterman on the Eagle baseball team. Following his playing career, he served as a graduate assistant coach at Winthrop from 1989 to 1991. He also was the head baseball coach at The Catawba School for one year (1992). Inabinet is director of the annual FMU Baseball Camp held during the summer. He is married to the former Kimberly Reese, and the couple has one child, Reese.  His Patriot squads have taken part in the award-winning "Dads in the Dugout" community service program. (8-2016) Art Inabinet, 45, is entering his 11th season as head baseball coach at Francis Marion University and his 13th year overall at the university. He owns a 332-192-2 coaching mark at FMU, and a career coaching record of 416-246-2 in 13 seasons at the four-year collegiate level.  In seven of his 10 seasons as head coach, the Patriots have won 30 games, and five times FMU has earned invitations to the NCAA Division II national tournament.  Seven times during his tenure the Patriots have appeared in the final Top 30 national poll at the conclusion of the season, and dating back to the 2005 season, the Patriots have appeared in 95 of the past 101 national polls.  Eleven Francis Marion players have been chosen in the Major League Baseball draft over the past nine years, and seven are currently playing professionally. The St. Matthews, S.C., native served as a Patriot assistant for two seasons (1999-2000) before succeeding long-time head coach Gerald Griffin as the second head coach in the program's history. The Patriots posted a combined 37-48 record during Inabinet's two years as Griffin's assistant. This past season, FMU was 40-14, the second-most wins in team history, and the Patriots tied for the Peach Belt Conferences East Division crown. For the first time, FMU was selected to host the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament where the Patriots placed second. Francis Marion ended the year ranked 10th in the final 2010 Collegiate Baseball Magazine NCAA Division II Top 30 poll. In 2009, FMU posted a 38-15-1 record, finished second during the PBC regular season, won the PBC Tournament title, and earned its fourth national tournament bid in the past seven years, placing third at the regional. The Patriots were ranked 14th in the final Top 30 poll. In the NCAA end-of-the-season team rankings, the Patriots ranked in the top 50 of 13 different categories: including 29th in fielding percentage (.965), 39th in batting average (.333), and 42nd in team ERA (4.34). In 2008, FMU went 34-20, tied for third in the PBC regular-season standings, and ended the year ranked 27th. The Patriots ranked in the Top 20 nationally in six different statistical categories.  The 2007 Patriot team was 36-18, placed third during the PBC regular season, and ended the year ranked 29th.  Each of the those two seasons saw FMU narrowly miss out on a bid to the Division II national tournament. In 2006, Inabinet directed the Patriots to a program-best 41-18 record, a No.6 national ranking, and the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series.  The Patriots were ranked as high as third in the national poll during the 2006 campaign and spent seven weeks in the Top 10. FMU placed second in the Peach Belt regular-season standings.  Following the 2006 season, Inabinet was selected as the ABCA/Diamond Sports Company Coach of the Year for the South Atlantic Region. In 2005, he led FMU to a 34-16-1 record, a No. 14 national ranking, and an NCAA post-season invitation. During the 2005 campaign, he captured his 200th career win, and FMU's 34 wins was one shy of the then team record. Ten of the 16 losses were to nationally ranked opponents. FMU's team ERA of 3.11 was the lowest for a Patriot staff since 1980 and ranked eighth in NCAA II. The Patriots placed third in the PBC standings. In 2004, Inabinet guided the Patriots to a 29-17 record and a fifth-place finish during the PBC regular season. FMU won 10 of its final 11 contests and spent six weeks in the Division II Top 30 poll, including one week at No. 7, the program's then highest ranking ever. The team's ERA of 3.47 led the PBC and ranked 11th nationally. In 2003, he directed FMU to a 30-20 mark, a No. 18 national ranking, and a third-place finish at the NCAA's South Atlantic Regional. Picked to finish eighth in the PBC preseason coaches' poll, the Patriots finished third in the PBC with an 18-10 mark, only one-half game away from winning the program's first-ever conference title. The 18 conference wins were a team record.  Playing an extremely tough schedule in 2003, FMU was 10-10 against Top-30 opponents.  In Inabinet's first two seasons at the helm of the Patriots, FMU posted records of 24-27 in 2001 and 26-27 in 2002. Prior to joining the FMU staff in 1999, he served as head coach at North Greenville College for six seasons, recording a 155-122 mark (84-54 as a 4-year institution). He guided the Mounties program from junior college status to a four-year program in 1996. After making that transition, North Greenville was 14-21 in 1996, 34-17 in 1997, and 36-16 in 1998, including a pair of second-place finishes in the Mid-South Conference his last two years. In 1995, Inabinet was named the Louisville Slugger "Coach of the Year" for the NJCAA Region X, as the Mounties posted a 31-22 record and won the region title. Inabinet earned both the B.S. degree in history and the M.A.T. degree in secondary education (social sciences) from Winthrop University. As an undergraduate student, he was a four-year letterman on the Eagle baseball team. Following his playing career, he served as a graduate assistant coach at Winthrop from 1989 to 1991. He also was the head baseball coach at The Catawba School for one year (1992). Inabinet is director of the annual FMU Baseball Camp held during the summer. He is married to the former Kimberly Reese, and the couple has one child, Reese. In nine of his 16 seasons as head coach, the Patriots have won 30 games, and seven times FMU has earned invitations to the NCAA Division II national tournament.  Nine times during his tenure the Patriots have appeared in the final Top 30 national poll at the conclusion of the season, and between the 2005 season and the 2013 campaign, the Patriots appeared in 127 of the 153 national polls.  Twelve Francis Marion players have been chosen in the Major League Baseball draft over the past 14 years, and five are currently playing professionally. The St. Matthews, S.C., native served as a Patriot assistant for two seasons (1999-2000) before succeeding long-time head coach Gerald Griffin as the second head coach in the program's history. The Patriots posted a combined 37-48 record during Inabinet's two years as Griffin's assistant. This past season, Inabinet guided the Patriots to a 26-23 mark and a ninth-place finish during the Peach Belt Conference regular season.  Three FMU players garnered All-Conference accolades and two earned Academic All-PBC recognition. In 2015, FMU posted a 28-19 mark and placed seventh during the PBC regular season. Three Patriots earned first-team All-Conference recognition, three gained All-Region honors, one picked up Academic All-PBC accolades, and one was named All-American.  FMU ranked seventh nationally in scoring, averaging 8.5 runs per contest and 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.9). In 2014, Francis Marion registered a 28-22 overall record and placed ninth during the Peach Belt regular season.  Francis Marion was eliminated from the conference tournament by the eventual champion. During the 2013 campaign, the Patriots posted a 28-20 mark and finished sixth during the Peach Belt regular season -- only one win shy of placing second.  In 2012, Francis Marion finished with a 40-18 record and made a fourth straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament where the Patriots reached the regional title game for the third consecutive season.  The Patriots tied for second during the PBC regular season, reached the semifinals of the PBC Tournament, and were ranked seventh nationally in the final Top 25 poll.  FMU has posted 40-win campaigns each of the past three seasons.  In the final NCAA stats, the Patriots ranked among the Top 20 in three statistical categories: fifth in total hits (658), ninth in fewest walks allowed per nine innings (2.68), and 13th in sacrifice bunts (59).  Francis Marion also ranked 25th in earned run average (3.42), 28th in runs scored (385), 33rd in doubles (103), 37th in batting average (.314), 48th in strikeouts per nine innings (7.3), and 50th in scoring (6.6 runs per game). In 2011, Francis Marion equaled the school record for wins with a 41-16 mark, won the Peach Belt Conference regular-season crown, received its third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, and reached the regional title game for the second year in a row.  The Patriots ranked ninth in the final 2011 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Top 30 poll, the third such end-of-the-season Top 10 ranking in school history (and the second year in a row).  In addition to Inabinet earning PBC Coach of the Year honors, FMU also achieved a conference first by garnering Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Freshman of the Year awards. Nationally, the Patriots ranked among the Top 20 in ten statistical categories: second in sacrifice flies (40), third in sacrifice bunts (75), fourth in hits (629) and hit-by-pitches (93), fifth in fewest walks allowed per nine innings (2.41), 11th in fielding percentage (0.971), 14th in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (7.65), 15th in earned run average (2.83), 16th in triples (20), and 17th in runs scored (407).  FMU ranked 21st in win-loss percentage (0.719),  22nd in team batting average (0.323), and 37th in runs per game (7.1). In 2010, FMU was 40-14, the second-most wins in team history, and the Patriots tied for the PBCs East Division crown. For the first time, FMU was selected to host the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament where the Patriots placed second. Francis Marion ended the year ranked 10th in the final Top 30 poll.  At the conclusion of the season, the Patriots were ranked among the Top 20 nationally in six statistical categories, including eighth in sacrifice bunts (56), 13th in earned run average (3.67) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (8.63), 14th in won-loss percentage (.741), 15th in fielding percentage (.967), and 20th in players being hit-by-pitches (83). In 2009, FMU posted a 38-15-1 record, finished second during the PBC regular season, won the PBC Tournament title, and earned its fourth national tournament bid in the past seven years, placing third at the regional. The Patriots were ranked 14th in the final Top 30 poll. In the NCAA end-of-the-season team rankings, the Patriots ranked in the top 50 of 13 different categories: including 29th in fielding percentage (.965), 39th in batting average (.333), and 42nd in team ERA (4.34). In 2008, FMU went 34-20, tied for third in the PBC regular-season standings, and ended the year ranked 27th. The Patriots ranked in the Top 20 nationally in six different statistical categories.  The 2007 Patriot team was 36-18, placed third during the PBC regular season, and ended the year ranked 29th.  Each of the those two seasons saw FMU narrowly miss out on a bid to the Division II national tournament. In 2006, Inabinet directed the Patriots to a program-best 41-18 record, a No.6 national ranking, and the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series.  The Patriots were ranked as high as third in the national poll during the 2006 campaign and spent seven weeks in the Top 10. FMU placed second in the Peach Belt regular-season standings.  Following the 2006 season, Inabinet was selected as the ABCA/Diamond Sports Company Coach of the Year for the South Atlantic Region. In 2005, he led FMU to a 34-16-1 record, a No. 14 national ranking, and an NCAA post-season invitation. During the 2005 campaign, he captured his 200th career win, and FMU's 34 wins was one shy of the then team record. Ten of the 16 losses were to nationally ranked opponents. FMU's team ERA of 3.11 was the lowest for a Patriot staff since 1980 and ranked eighth in NCAA II. The Patriots placed third in the PBC standings. In 2004, Inabinet guided the Patriots to a 29-17 record and a fifth-place finish during the PBC regular season. FMU won 10 of its final 11 contests and spent six weeks in the Division II Top 30 poll, including one week at No. 7, the program's then highest ranking ever. The team's ERA of 3.47 led the PBC and ranked 11th nationally. In 2003, he directed FMU to a 30-20 mark, a No. 18 national ranking, and a third-place finish at the NCAA's South Atlantic Regional. Picked to finish eighth in the PBC preseason coaches' poll, the Patriots finished third in the PBC with an 18-10 mark, only one-half game away from winning the program's first-ever conference title. The 18 conference wins were a team record.  Playing an extremely tough schedule in 2003, FMU was 10-10 against Top-30 opponents.  In Inabinet's first two seasons at the helm of the Patriots, FMU posted records of 24-27 in 2001 and 26-27 in 2002. Prior to joining the FMU staff in 1999, he served as head coach at North Greenville College for six seasons, recording a 155-122 mark (84-54 as a 4-year institution). He guided the Mounties program from junior college status to a four-year program in 1996. After making that transition, North Greenville was 14-21 in 1996, 34-17 in 1997, and 36-16 in 1998, including a pair of second-place finishes in the Mid-South Conference his last two years. In 1995, Inabinet was named the Louisville Slugger "Coach of the Year" for the NJCAA Region X, as the Mounties posted a 31-22 record and won the region title. Inabinet earned both the B.S. degree in history and the M.A.T. degree in secondary education (social sciences) from Winthrop University. As an undergraduate student, he was a four-year letterman on the Eagle baseball team. Following his playing career, he served as a graduate assistant coach at Winthrop from 1989 to 1991. He also was the head baseball coach at The Catawba School for one year (1992). Inabinet is director of the annual FMU Baseball Camp held during the summer. He is married to the former Kimberly Reese, and the couple has one child, Reese.  His Patriot squads have taken part in the award-winning "Dads in the Dugout" community service program. (8-2016) Art Inabinet, 45, is entering his 11th season as head baseball coach at Francis Marion University and his 13th year overall at the university. He owns a 332-192-2 coaching mark at FMU, and a career coaching record of 416-246-2 in 13 seasons at the four-year collegiate level.  In seven of his 10 seasons as head coach, the Patriots have won 30 games, and five times FMU has earned invitations to the NCAA Division II national tournament.  Seven times during his tenure the Patriots have appeared in the final Top 30 national poll at the conclusion of the season, and dating back to the 2005 season, the Patriots have appeared in 95 of the past 101 national polls.  Eleven Francis Marion players have been chosen in the Major League Baseball draft over the past nine years, and seven are currently playing professionally. The St. Matthews, S.C., native served as a Patriot assistant for two seasons (1999-2000) before succeeding long-time head coach Gerald Griffin as the second head coach in the program's history. The Patriots posted a combined 37-48 record during Inabinet's two years as Griffin's assistant. This past season, FMU was 40-14, the second-most wins in team history, and the Patriots tied for the Peach Belt Conferences East Division crown. For the first time, FMU was selected to host the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament where the Patriots placed second. Francis Marion ended the year ranked 10th in the final 2010 Collegiate Baseball Magazine NCAA Division II Top 30 poll. In 2009, FMU posted a 38-15-1 record, finished second during the PBC regular season, won the PBC Tournament title, and earned its fourth national tournament bid in the past seven years, placing third at the regional. The Patriots were ranked 14th in the final Top 30 poll. In the NCAA end-of-the-season team rankings, the Patriots ranked in the top 50 of 13 different categories: including 29th in fielding percentage (.965), 39th in batting average (.333), and 42nd in team ERA (4.34). In 2008, FMU went 34-20, tied for third in the PBC regular-season standings, and ended the year ranked 27th. The Patriots ranked in the Top 20 nationally in six different statistical categories.  The 2007 Patriot team was 36-18, placed third during the PBC regular season, and ended the year ranked 29th.  Each of the those two seasons saw FMU narrowly miss out on a bid to the Division II national tournament. In 2006, Inabinet directed the Patriots to a program-best 41-18 record, a No.6 national ranking, and the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series.  The Patriots were ranked as high as third in the national poll during the 2006 campaign and spent seven weeks in the Top 10. FMU placed second in the Peach Belt regular-season standings.  Following the 2006 season, Inabinet was selected as the ABCA/Diamond Sports Company Coach of the Year for the South Atlantic Region. In 2005, he led FMU to a 34-16-1 record, a No. 14 national ranking, and an NCAA post-season invitation. During the 2005 campaign, he captured his 200th career win, and FMU's 34 wins was one shy of the then team record. Ten of the 16 losses were to nationally ranked opponents. FMU's team ERA of 3.11 was the lowest for a Patriot staff since 1980 and ranked eighth in NCAA II. The Patriots placed third in the PBC standings. In 2004, Inabinet guided the Patriots to a 29-17 record and a fifth-place finish during the PBC regular season. FMU won 10 of its final 11 contests and spent six weeks in the Division II Top 30 poll, including one week at No. 7, the program's then highest ranking ever. The team's ERA of 3.47 led the PBC and ranked 11th nationally. In 2003, he directed FMU to a 30-20 mark, a No. 18 national ranking, and a third-place finish at the NCAA's South Atlantic Regional. Picked to finish eighth in the PBC preseason coaches' poll, the Patriots finished third in the PBC with an 18-10 mark, only one-half game away from winning the program's first-ever conference title. The 18 conference wins were a team record.  Playing an extremely tough schedule in 2003, FMU was 10-10 against Top-30 opponents.  In Inabinet's first two seasons at the helm of the Patriots, FMU posted records of 24-27 in 2001 and 26-27 in 2002. Prior to joining the FMU staff in 1999, he served as head coach at North Greenville College for six seasons, recording a 155-122 mark (84-54 as a 4-year institution). He guided the Mounties program from junior college status to a four-year program in 1996. After making that transition, North Greenville was 14-21 in 1996, 34-17 in 1997, and 36-16 in 1998, including a pair of second-place finishes in the Mid-South Conference his last two years. In 1995, Inabinet was named the Louisville Slugger "Coach of the Year" for the NJCAA Region X, as the Mounties posted a 31-22 record and won the region title. Inabinet earned both the B.S. degree in history and the M.A.T. degree in secondary education (social sciences) from Winthrop University. As an undergraduate student, he was a four-year letterman on the Eagle baseball team. Following his playing career, he served as a graduate assistant coach at Winthrop from 1989 to 1991. He also was the head baseball coach at The Catawba School for one year (1992). Inabinet is director of the annual FMU Baseball Camp held during the summer. He is married to the former Kimberly Reese, and the couple has one child, Reese.

Francis Marion University director of athletics Murray Hartzler announced on Friday (May 31) the hiring of Jeff Jefferson as the University’s new baseball head coach. Jefferson, 35, takes over the reins from Art Inabinet, who announced his retirement earlier this month after 24 seasons at the helm of the program. A native of Danville, Va., Jefferson comes to Francis Marion after 10 seasons as an assistant coach at UNC Pembroke.  During his time on the Braves’ bench, UNCP made six trips to the NCAA Tournament, registered a .673 winning percentage, and appeared in national polls during eight of the 10 seasons.  The Braves posted a team batting average of better than .322 and averaged more than nine runs per game over that decade. He was responsible for all recruiting efforts of the program and worked with both coaching and instruction for positional players and the pitching staff.  He helped develop 44 All-Conference selections, 21 Academic All-Conference honorees, numerous All-Region picks, and a handful of All-Americans. “I am very excited about this opportunity and extremely grateful for the trust (FMU president) Dr. (Fred) Carter and Murray have placed in me,” Jefferson said.  “I am also thankful for my time at UNC Pembroke, especially the commitment that head coach Paul O’Neil made to a young assistant coach 10 years ago.” “I want to express my thanks to coach Inabinet for what he accomplished with the Patriot program, and I am honored to have the chance to build on the legacy that FMU baseball has established over the past 52 seasons. “The challenge now is to hit the ground running.  I will make initial contacts with all returning players, and those newcomers already committed to the program for the 2025 season.  I will also look to recruit as many impactful student-athletes as I can before school starts in August.  I hope to establish a style of play and a winning mentality that fans, students, and alumni can be proud of.”    “We are very pleased to have Jeff join the Francis Marion athletic family,” Hartzler said.  “During the coaching search, it became obvious that Jeff stood out as someone who was ready to lead a program, and develop a program that could be a challenger for the conference title and NCAA Tournament appearances. “He has a proven track record of recruiting and developing quality student-athletes that excel on and off the field.  He also arrives at Francis Marion with a familiarity for both the conference and region.” Jefferson is a 2011 graduate of Liberty University, where he was a four-year member of the Flames baseball program.  He played in 134 career games, was part of four 30-win seasons, and served as team captain as a senior.  He later earned a master’s degree in health promotions at Concord University. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Concord, where he spent two seasons, 2012 and 2013.  The 2013 squad produced a record-setting 36-20 mark, won the WVIAC championship, and appeared in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. He spent the 2014 season as an assistant at Shepherd University, during which time the Rams tied the program record for wins in a season with a 39-14 mark, won the inaugural Mountain East Conference regular-season title, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament. He also spent two seasons as an assistant with the New Market Rebels, a summer collegiate team in Virginia. Jefferson becomes only the third head coach in the FMU program’s 52-year history, joining Gerald Griffin (655-433-1 record in 28 seasons) and Inabinet (704-478-2 record in 24 seasons).  Francis Marion has an all-time winning percentage of nearly .600 with a 1,359-911-3 mark.

McCarty begins his first season as associate head coach at Francis Marion University. McCarty comes to FMU after 12 seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division II Shepherd University.  During that time he recorded a 349-208-2 mark, captured four Mountain East Conference titles, and made four NCAA Tournament appearances.  Twice, he was named the conference coach of the year and in 2014 earned NCBWA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year accolades. During his dozen seasons as the head man in the Rams' dugout, his teams produced 10 winning seasons, including six 30-win campaigns.  Under his guidance, Shepherd players garnered All-Region honors on 85 occasions and All-America recognition on 31 occasions.  His squads produced four MEC Player of the Year honorees and four Pitcher of the Year award winners. McCarty had 15 players move on to the professional ranks, including 2011 first-round pick Cory Spangenberg and current Colorado Rockies starting center fielder Brenton Doyle. McCarty earned his bachelor’s degree in fitness and exercise science with a minor in athletic coaching from Shepherd in 2010. He played for the Rams during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. In 2008, he earned NCBWA All-America accolades after posting an 8-2 pitching record with a 1.91 earned run average and a .353 batting average at the plate. In 2009, McCarty set a program single-season record for strikeouts with 94 in 80 innings of work. Following his playing career, McCarty gained valuable coaching experience in collegiate summer leagues, including with the Winchester Royals (2010) and Front Royal Cardinals (2012) of the Valley Baseball League and the North Adams Steeplecats (2011) of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He then served as an assistant at Shepherd before being named interim head coach in 2012 and permanent head coach in 2013. McCarty is a long-time member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). (7-2024)  

Bender begins his first season as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Francis Marion University. Bender earned an associate of arts degree from South Florida State College in 2014, a B.S. degree in psychology from Alabama State University in 2016, and a M.S,. degree in coaching from the University of the Cumberlands in 2020.  He also did undergraduate work at Long Island University Brooklyn. He was a member of the baseball team for one season each at LIU Brooklyn and South Florida State, and spent two seasons on the diamond at Division I Alabama State. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Ida Baker High School in 2017.  He then spent one year on the staff at Indian River State College, while also working as a coach in the Southwest Florida Baseball for five summers (2017-2021). He moved up to the four-year collegiate ranks in 2018 and was an assistant (pitching coach) at the University of the Cumberlands for the 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons. Bender immediately elevating the Patriots' pitching staff, and in both 2019 and 2021 helped produce the conference Pitcher of the Year.  In 2020, the Patriots pitching staff ranked in the top ten in the NAIA in both opponent batting average (.215) and earned run average (3.080), while ranking 23rd in total batters struck out before the COVID-19 shutdown.  In 2021, the Cumberland staff was one of the most dominant in all of NAIA -- breaking the school’s strikeout record for a single season (510) and ranking third nationally for team ERA (3.39) and seventh in total batters struck out. For the past three seasons, he has been the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgia Southwestern State University.  The Hurricanes recorded 96 wins in those three seasons and made one appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. In his first year (2022), the Hurricanes led the Peach Belt Conference in ERA, strikeouts, opponents batting average, and fewest home runs allowed.  The staff also shattered the school record for strikeouts in a season by more than 100.  He helped develop the program’s first-ever first-team All-American pitcher, and a GSW hurler won the first of three consecutive PBC Pitcher of the Year awards. In 2023, the Hurricanes led the PBC in pitching and broke the same school record punch outs in a season. Two pitchers earned All-Region recognition and GSW won a school-record 34 games and captured the PBC regular-season and tournament titles.  Last season (2024), GSW won 35 games. Bender helped recruit an offense that not only led the PBC in almost every major category, but also finished 15th in Division II in hits and 16th in runs per game.  Three of the Hurricane pitchers garnered All-Conference honors, and two ranked third and seventh nationally in Division II in total strikeouts. For the third straight year, the staff broke the program's single-season strikeout record by fanning 518 hitters in only 53 games.  (7-2024)