Sonoma State University Men's Baseball

Goelz Head Baseball Coach Alma Mater: San Francisco State University (1983) Twitter: John Goelz is back for his 32nd season as head coach of the Sonoma State baseball team in 2017.  The dean of head coaches at SSU and among baseball coaches in the conference, Goelz has built Sonoma State into one of the most respected programs in the nation.  In 2015, Goelz became the 16th head coach in NCAA Division II baseball history to win 1,000 games, and now sports a career record of 1,022-678-5. In 2014, Goelz led Sonoma State to its 10th conference championship, capturing the regular season banner on the final day of the regular season with a thrilling 10-7 victory over archrival Chico State at Raley Field in Sacramento as part of the annual Capital City Clash between the two squads -- SSU went 24-8 in conference play.  However, four consecutive losses -- two in the CCAA Tournament and two in the NCAA West Regional -- resulted in the Seawolves' end to the 2014 season after compiling a 27-18 overall record. Much of the success in 2014 could be attributed to Sonoma State's reputation for great starting pitching, thanks to the undisputed staff ace George Asmus.  He had been among the nation's leaders in earned run average all season long, finishing with a 1.25 ERA, which ranked first in the CCAA and seventh in the nation.  He went 6-1 with 55 strikeouts and gave up just seven walks in 72 innings of work.  In 279 batters faced, Asmus gave up just 12 extra base hits, 10 of which were doubles, and he didn't allow a home run until his final appearance of the season back on May 16 against No. 27 Dixie State. He was the third SSU starting pitcher in the last two years to be named to the All-American team. During Goelz's tenure, Sonoma State has seen unprecedented success, not only on the field, but in the classroom as well.  The Seawolves have qualified for the NCAA tournament 11 times in the past 19 seasons, including the 2013 year in which Goelz coached Harmen Sidhu, the Seawolves' ace pitcher that earned the Tino Martinez Award.  Equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in Division I football, the Tino Martinez Award is given annually to the best baseball player in Division II.  Not only did Sidhu earn that honor, as well as the 2013 NCAA Division II statistical champion for sporting a nation's-best 0.98 ERA in 82.2 innings of work, he was named the CCAA's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for his superb efforts on the field and in the classroom. Speak of the 2013 season, Goelz led Sonoma State to a 36-22 record, finishing fourth in the CCAA standings at 24-16.  As the No. 4 seed in the CCAA tournament, the Seawolves made it all the way to the tournament championship game, but came up just short of the title.  However, SSU qualified for the NCAA West Regional Tournament in St. George, Utah as the No. 2 seed, but after going 2-2 in the regional, Sonoma State would bow out of national title contention. It wasn't just the stellar play of Sidhu that helped SSU succeed in 2013, it was fellow pitcher Glenn Wallace, who was named the CCAA and West Region Baseball Pitcher of the Year.  Wallace went 9-2 with a 1.19 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 98 innings of work.  It complemented Sidhu's effort as Sidhu went 10-1 on the mound with 93 strikeouts.  Both Sidhu and Wallace, considered the best one-two punch in the nation, battled for the best ERA in all of Division II throughout the season. While Sonoma State is nationally renowned as an elite program now, that wasnt always the case.  After taking over a Sonoma State team in 1986 that had won just 50 games over the previous six seasons combined, Goelz wasted little time turning the school into a winner.  Following an eighteen-win season in 1986 (the most wins in school history at that time), Goelz delivered the schools first winning campaign in 1987 with a 30-20 record.  Winning seasons have become common place ever since, as Goelz has recorded 24, including 17 in the last 21 years. Named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) West Region Coach of the Year in 2011, Goelz led the Seawolves to the program's second-ever west region title, making an appearance in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships in Cary, N.C.  It was there that Sonoma State stunned then-top-ranked Grand Valley State in the opening round of the national tournament, halting what was a 32-game win streak for the Lakers.  However, the Seawolves' cinderella story came to a close with a pair of losses to West Florida and Southern Connecticut State and the season ended at 37-22. The 2008 season was, hands down, the most successful in the long, storied history of Sonoma State baseball.  After an unprecedented 29-1 start to the season, the Seawolves set a school record with 52 wins on their way to CCAA and NCAA West Regional championships.  Making their first trip to the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament, the Seawolves won their first two games and placed third in the nation. Individually, the Seawolves had four players drafted by major league teams and three named All-American.  For his efforts, Goelz was named CCAA Coach of the Year and NCAA West Region Coach of the Year, adding to an already overflowing trophy case. Coach Goelz has also seen 118 of his players sign professional contracts since his arrival in 1986 and in the past 12 years, 58 players have been drafted or signed to play professionally.  Baseball insiders certainly took notice in 2004 when SSU had four players taken in the first eleven rounds of the Major League Baseball draft.  Their draft performance ranked among the top Division I schools in the nation in terms of early round draft picks and they led all Division II teams with four draftees.  Two of those draft picks have played in the Major Leagues, Daniel Barone in 2007 with the Florida Marlins and Tommy Everidge in 2009 with the Oakland Athletics.  Another draft selection, but from the 2010 draft, from SSU also broke into the Major Leagues in 2015 when former SSU southpaw Scott Alexander was called up to the Kansas City Royals. In addition to their presence in the professional ranks, Goelzs former players have continued to make a difference in their communities both on and off the field.  Over 100 have gone on to coaching jobs at high schools and colleges throughout Northern California and the nation.   Goelz has seen 19 of his players go on to earn All-American honors and has coached eight conference player of the year award winners and six conference pitcher of the year honorees, in addition to one Tino Martinez Award winner (Harmen Sidhu in 2013), which is an award given to the best player in Division II baseball.  Goelz, himself, has earned conference coach of the year honors seven times (1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2007, 2008). As proud of these accomplishments as Coach Goelz is, he is just as proud of the fact that Sonoma State baseball boasts one of the best graduation rates in the conference.  Numerous ballplayers have earned All-Academic distinction and in 2007, Paige Dumont became just the third Academic All-America selection in Sonoma State history.  Harmen Sidhu was also named the CCAA's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2013, adding to the program's excellence in not just athletics, but academics. A pitcher during his playing days at San Francisco State, Goelz went on to be an assistant at San Francisco State to Al Figone from 1977-78 and to Orrin Freeman from 1979-82.  Freeman is currently the Assistant General Manager of the Florida Marlins.  During his time at SF State, the Gators enjoyed their greatest success, ranking in the national top twenty four times and participating in the NCAA West Regionals on three different occasions.  From 1984-85, Goelz was the varsity baseball coach at Albany High School, where he was also a teacher.  After a third-place finish in 1984, Goelz led his team to the Alameda County Athletic League championship, finishing the season with an 18-8 mark and a final East Bay ranking of 12th. Goelz resides in Rohnert Park with his sons John and Matthew.      

Adams Assistant Baseball Coach Alma Mater: Twitter: Gregg Adams returns to Sonoma State for his 12th season as an assistant coach in 2017.  Adams was also an assistant on Coach Goelzs staff from 1993-95 and returned to the same position at the start of the 2009 season.  A former player at Sonoma State, Adams competed on two championship teams, in 1991 and 1992, as a second baseman/designated hitter.  In fact, Adams hit the first NCAA Tournament home run in school history. Adams has traveled twice to China with Coach Goelz to appear in the Friendship Games.  He also runs Camp For A Cure, a charity camp dedicated to raising money to aid in the research and treatment of cancer and lupus.  Adams is a graduate of Sonoma State with a degree in Physical Education.

Hes Assistant Baseball Coach Alma Mater: Twitter: Dolf Hes is back for his 14th year as pitching coach with the Seawolves in 2017.  He played his collegiate baseball at Long Beach State, where he pitched in 1978 and 1979.  At the conclusion of his playing career, he signed a professional contract with the San Francisco Giants. From 1983-88, Hes coached at Long Beach State under coaches John Gonzalves and Dave Snow.  He was a member of the 1987 Long Beach State College World Series team. Hes was the head coach at Fullerton High School from 1989-95, where he won championships in four of his seven seasons at the helm.  From 1995-2003, he served under Dick Dietz, Kevin Mitchell, and Jeff Leonard with the Sonoma County Crushers of the Western Baseball League.  He was an integral part of their 1998 WBL Championship team and he coached former San Francisco Giants reliever Chad Zerbe.  Dolf lives in Rohnert Park with his wife Cathy and sons Justin and Casey.  Cathy was a student trainer at Long Beach State and currently teaches at Windsor Creek Elementary School.

Nackord Assistant Baseball Coach Alma Mater: Sonoma State University (2001) Twitter: Former Sonoma State pitcher Mike Nackord returns to the program for his 11th season as an assistant coach in 2017. Nackord earned a Master's degree in Kinesiology from SSU, graduating with distinction in 2012.  He also earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Sonoma State in 2001.  In addition to his coaching duties, he lectures for the SSU Kinesiology Department, emphasizing in Ethics and Theory in Coaching.  He also works to strengthen alumni relations with former SSU baseball players through social media and alumni day events.  Nackord also coordinates the Fall Ball program for high school players. Prior to his arrival as a student-athlete at Sonoma State in 1999 and 2000, Nackord was an All-Empire pitcher at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa.  He also competed for Santa Rosa Junior College.  In his first year at SSU, Nackord led the team with a 2.15 ERA in ten appearances, half of them as a starter.  As a senior in 2000, he was second on the team with 12 starts and fourth with 54.1 innings pitched.  In two seasons for Coach Goelz, Nackord compiled a 6-3 record with a 3.66 ERA. Following the 2000 season, Nackord was signed by the Feather River Mudcats. Nickname:  Nack