Pacific University Men's Baseball

Billings Boxers went 21-19 overall and 12-12 in the NWC during his first season in red and black in 2015, turning around a program that won 12 games in 2014 and just four conference contests.   Billings arrived at Pacific after 12 seasons leading the baseball program at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.  He is just the third Pacific head baseball coach since 1964, following in the footsteps of Chuck Bafaro (30 years) and Greg Bradley (19 years).   Billings earned 201 wins in his 12 seasons leading the Puget Sound program, gaining his 200th victory against Willamette on Apr. 27.  In 2014, Billings led the Loggers to a fourth place NWC finish and saw 11 players named to the All-NWC Team.   During his tenure, Puget Sound finished in the top half of the NWC standings six times and amassed 15 or more wins 10 times.  Billings high water mark came in 2011 when the Loggers finished second in the NWC with a 15-9 record.  He has coached 75 Puget Sound All-NWC selections, four All-West Region selections and a Third Team All-American in Mark Rockey (2009).   For five seasons, Billings combined his head coaching duties with summer work as an assistant coach for the Seattle Studs of the Pacific International League.  While on the teams staff, the Studs amassed 197 wins, won five league titles and advanced four times to the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series, finishing second in 2008.  Billings helped to coach a number of Division I players and future professional players, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.   In addition to his head coaching duties, Billings served as Puget Sounds athletic facilities manager.   Prior to taking the job at Puget Sound, Billings spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons as head coach at Pierce Community College in Lakewood, Wash., as well as serving two seasons on the staff of the Tacoma Stags U18 squad under former Puget Sound skipper Ken Garland.  He also spent two years as an instructor with the Wilkinson Baseball Academy.   A 1999 graduate of Puget Sound with a degree in physical education, Billings transferred to Puget Sound from Redlands in 1996.  A three-year starter at catcher or first base, Billings was a three-time letterwinner, two-time captain and led the NWC in RBIs in 1998.  He was named the Loggers most valuable player in 1998 earned All-NWC honors in 1999.   A native of the Tacoma area, Billings and his wife, Feather, are proud parents of a son, Benson (5). They reside in Beaverton.    Brian Billings

Jacob Upwood was named the Boxers head baseball coach in 2025 after 11 seasons as an assistant coach at North Park in Chicago, where he served as the Vikings pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and strength and conditioning coach. In his first season at Pacific, Upwood was voted the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Boxers to  a 16-8 record and regular season conference championship. With Upwood as Associate Head Coach, North Park won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season championship in 2024. The Vikings reached the CCIW postseason tournament eight times in 11 seasons. After pitching at Division III Ithaca College in New York, Upwood played professional baseball, including two seasons in the San Diego Padres organization.  Upwood started his coaching career in Syracuse, New York as an assistant at Onondaga Community College in 2006. He then won the 2013 American Association league championship as the pitching coach for the Gary SouthShore RailCats before joining the staff at North Park.   

Svarthumle works with the Boxers outfielders and also assists with hitting and base running.  He serves as the teams strength & conditioning coach and is the director for Pacifics successful camp program.   Svarthumle returned to Pacific after eight years of coaching at the club and high school levels.  He spent six seasons (2007-12) as a coach with the Westview High School program, serving at various times as head junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach.  During that time, Westview won three Metro League titles and the 2011 Oregon 6A state championship.  He also had roles with Westviews summer programs.   In 2011, Svarthumle was selected as the National High School Baseball Coaches Association (NHSBCA) Region 8 National Assistant Coach of the Year.   Svarthumle spent 2013 as an assistant coach for the 12U and 14U academy teams at the Northwest Diamond Sports Baseball Academy in Wilsonville.   Svarthumle enjoyed a successful two-year career for the Boxers, earning All-NWC honors as an outfielder in 2005.  In 2004, he was named as the Northwest Conference Baseball Student-Athlete of the Week and was a honorable mention for National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division III Hitter of the Week after going 14 for 16 in a four-game stretch against Lewis & Clark and Menlo.   Svarthumle transferred to Pacific from Southwestern Oregon CC .  A two-year starter, he was named the teams top hitter both seasons and participated in the NWAACCs 2003 Sophomore Showcase.   A graduate of Pacific in 2006, Svarthumle also earned his masters degree in education from Pacific in 2010.  Aaron Svarthumle

Ryan Krout was a first-team All-NWC first baseman for the Boxers and graduated as the all-time leader in doubles and is second all-time in RBI. He was a significant contributor on back-to-back conference championship teams as a player and joined the coaching staff immediately after graduation. Krout graduated from Pacific with a degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Biology, and was a Dean’s List honoree all four years.