Tiffin University Men's Baseball

Wilkins.  Nick Rodesky signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014 after playing in the Pecos League with the Trinidad Triggers. Joe Peretta played for the Triggers in 2015 and Jordan Liette was a member of the Rockford Riverhawks of the Frontier League in 2012.  Prior to Wilkins' arrival to Tiffin, TU Athletic Hall of Famer Gregg Prenzlin played two seasons with the Canton Crocodiles in the Frontier League ('97 and '98). In addition to Sendelbach being selected, the Dragons were represented by two more student-athletes on the All-Conference team. Nick Hueneburg was selected to the First-Team as a 3B and Elijah Sanabria was selected to the Honorable Mention Team as an outfielder. In just three years, Wilkins has had two first-team All-Conference award winners in Hueneburg and Garret Vernau (2014), one second-teammer in Tyler Nichols (2014), and six Honorable Mention members. Wilkins was an assistant coach at TU from 2006-07 and 2011-12. As the pitching coach (2011-12), he guided the staff in lowering the ERA from 7.30 to 5.08.  Wilkins helped mentor Pat Curtin and Jordan Liette, two key contributors in last seasons first ever trip to the GLIAC Tournament.  Curtin was the GLIAC Co-Player of the Year for his efforts on the mound, in the field and at the plate.  On the mound, he was 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA.  The Dragons went 14-2 in the last three weeks of the season and Leitte was a major contributor.  He was 4-0 with 29 strikeouts to just four walks and a 1.93 ERA in 28 innings during that stretch. Wilkins, also responsible for helping the development of the catchers, saw K.C. Weber earn All-GLIAC honors.  He caught in 43 games and hit .299.  Weber was an extension of the coaching staff on the field and was as important as anyone in that stretch run. Wilkins was an assistant coach at Pepperdine (2010), where his responsibilities included training the catchers, helping to develop the offense and coaching first base. He helped second-year catcher Nate Johnson grind through a 54-game season in 2010, in which he caught all but one of 473.1 innings pitched and threw out 17 base runners - the fourth highest season total in school history. At the plate, Johnson led all Waves with nine home runs and 36 RBI en route to being named to the All-WCC Honorable Mention squad. Wilkins spent the 2009 season coaching the catchers at Wake Forest, where he tutored Cape Cod All-Star catcher Mike Murray. Murray went on to sign with the San Francisco Giants. Prior to working at WFU, Wilkins spent more than a year at the Florida-based IMG Academies where he worked under former Cleveland Indians bench coach Ken Bolek as the full-time catching instructor.  He helped in the development of 2009 New York Yankees second-round draft pick J.R. Murphy.  Murphy hit .627 in the spring of 2009 with 11 home runs in 102 at-bats. He added 34 extra-base hits and struck out just four times.  Murphy was the backup catcher to Brian McCann for the New York Yankees this past season. Prior to IMG, in Wilkins' first stint at TU, he coordinated the recruiting efforts that helped in the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II and developed athletic marketing fundraising ideas to improve facilities. At Heminger Field, a new press box, back stop and pro-style seating have been added. A locker room, lounge area and coaches offices attached to the home dugout were completed in 2011. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, Wilkins coached in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.  In 2006, he was the third base coach and worked with the hitters, catchers, outfielders and infielders for the Delaware Cows.  In 2007, Wilkins was the head coach for the Stark County Terriers. As head coach of the Terriers, he worked with players from such collegiate programs as Wake Forest, Kent State and Cincinnati. Wilkins began his coaching career at Dublin (Ohio) Scioto High School in 2005, working with the catchers and serving as the off-season hitting instructor. Wilkins earned four letters at Ohio State, earning All-Big-10 second team honorsand being named the Most Outstanding Player at the Big Ten Tournament as a senior. His walk off home run vs. Indiana helped the Buckeyes cruise to the 2002 tournament title.  OSU won two Big Ten regular season championships, one tournament championship and advanced to three NCAA Tournaments, including a Super Regional appearance in 1999, during Wilkins collegiate career. Wilkins played professionally for three years, spending time in the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks farm systems. He led the Northwest Leagues Yakima Bears in hitting in 2002. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Wilkins graduated from Ohio State in 2005 with a degree in human ecology and a specialization in consumer affairs. He earned his masters of business administration in 2007 from Tiffin University. Wilkins lives in Tiffin with his newly-wedded wife Vickie (Galaska) Wilkins and their dog (Cooper), an Airedale.  -  Richardson enters his third season with the Tiffin University baseball program and serves as the Associate Head Coach in charge of coaching the Hitters, Outfielders and Recruiting.  Richardson also helps to coordinate video analysis for the program. The 2015 season saw the Dragon Offense explode under Coach Richardson as they experienced increases in nearly every offensive category; runs scored, RBIs, hits, extra base hits, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and walks.  At the conclusion of the 2015 regular season the Tiffin Offense lead the GLIAC Conference in total hits with 492.  More impressively the Dragons increased their offensive run production by 45%, scoring 98 more runs in 2015 while averaging 9.82 hits per game and drawing 3.76 walks per game.   In 2014 Richardson served as the programs Pitching Coach and his work with the staff helped them to decrease their team ERA from 4.24 (2013) to 3.82 (2014).  Under Richardson the pitching staff got stronger as the 2014 season progressed as the Dragons posted a 3.42 ERA in GLIAC Conference play (2014), the lowest in the programs' history and a 1.60 improvement from the season prior (5.02 - 2013).  In addition to having two Dragon Hurlers earn All-GLIAC selections (Tyler Nichols, 2nd Team & Logan Sendelbach, Honorable Mention) Richardson had two pitchers sign professional contracts (Joe Perretta, '14 - Trinadad Triggers, Pecos League and Nick Rodesky '13 - Philadelphia Phillies). Prior to coaching at TU Richardson served as a Hitting, Infield and Catching Coach at Judson University (2012-2013), Video Coordinator/Internal Scout for the Chicago Cubs Single A Affiliate (2013), the GM of Baseball Operations for USA Baseballs Great Lakes NTIS Program (2009-2013), Varsity Assistant at St. Charles North High School (2007-2012) and Assistant Coach at Elgin Community College (2001-2005).  Richardson graduated from West Chicago Community High School in 1997 where earned four varsity letters in baseball, three unanimous All-DuPage Valley Conference selections, two All-Area selections and held four school records upon graduation: career doubles (35), career home runs (15), single season doubles (23) and most saves in a season (6).  His 23 doubles in his senior year at West Chicago High School ranks 3rd all time in Illinois High School Baseball Association history.  Richardson went on to Elgin Community College where he was a two-time first team All-Skyway Conference selection and a two-time first team All-NJCAA Region IV selection.  Parlaying his success at the junior college level Richardson transferred to the University of South Carolina-Upstate where he lead the team in On-Base Percentage and finished second in Batting Average.  A native of Southern California, Richardson graduated from Judson University with a BA in Organizational Leadership and earned his MA in Psychology from National Louis University.  He currently resides in Tiffin with his wife Kathy and daughters Sydney (3) and Delaney (1).     Drew Patton is in his first season as an assistant coach at Tiffin University.  He has 17 years of college coaching experience.  Patton spent the previous 12 years as the pitching coach at GLIAC opponent, Ashland University.  His pitching staffs compiled a team record of 436-228 (.656%).  During that time, he guided Ashland pitching staffs to the 2006 and 2008 NCAA Division II World Series and 8 NCAA Regional appearances.  His tenure included 1 ABCA All-American Pitcher, 3 Daktronics All-American Pitchers, 4 NCBWA All-American Pitchers, 9 ABCA All-Regional Pitchers 3 GLIAC Pitchers of the Year, and 13 First Team All-GLIAC Pitchers.  Among his pitchers, Ajay Meyer was a finalist for the Tino Martinez Award (NCAA Division II player of the year) in 2011 and Josh Davidson led the nation in victories with 14 in 2006. Under Coach Pattons tutelage, Ashland set a number of single season team records including:  most innings pitched, most strikeouts, most shutouts, most consecutive wins, most GLIAC wins, and most consecutive GLIAC wins.  In addition to the team accomplishments, he helped pitchers set individual career records including:  wins (37), saves (14), strikeouts (second, 313), innings pitched (second, 344), and appearances (second, 79). Patton coached nine pitchers who went on to pitch professionally, including one at the Major League level.  Two of his former pitchers are currently college pitching coaches:  Cody Castle at Marietta College and Mike Birkbeck at Kent State University. Patton was a four year letter winner at the University of Akron, a two time co-captain, and was named the 1978 University of Akron Pitcher of the Year.  After his playing career came to a close, he spent five years at the University of Akron as an assistant coach under the guidance of Head Coach Dave Fross.  He graduated from Akron with a BSEd in Physical Education. A native of Amherst, Ohio, Patton resides in Ashland, Ohio with his wife, Beth, who is an associate professor at Ashland University.  They have two grown children:  their son, Matt and his wife Lauren live in Lincoln, Nebraska and their daughter, Molly and her husband Tyler live in Akron, Ohio.     Brandon Cantrill enters his 1 season with the Dragons.  His responsibilities include working with the infielders, assisting coach Richardson with the hitters, and serving as the programs JV Head Coach. Prior to Tiffin, Cantrill spent the previous two years at his Alma Mater, Oberlin College.  During his two years at Oberlin he primarily worked with infielders and hitters while serving as the teams 1 base coach.  Cantrill was apart of a record-breaking season in 2013, which saw the Yeomen clinch a birth in the conference tournament for the first time in school history.  During that season Brandon helped guide four players to All North Coast Athletic Conference selections and two All-NCAC Tournament Team selections.  Brandon began his coaching career as a varsity assistant at Elyria Catholic High School in Elyria, Ohio in the spring of 2012.  Over the past three years Cantrill has served as a head coach and trainer for two summer baseball organizations (Lake Erie Warhawks, North Coast Vipers) as well. Cantrill graduated from Oberlin College in 2011.  He was a four-year starter for the Yeomen while playing multiple positions and served as team captain during his senior season campaign.  In 2010 he was an All-NCAC selection at catcher, but he also spent time in the starting rotation, shortstop, and third base.  He is a native of Collins, Ohio and graduated from Western Reserve High School in 2007. Brandon is working towards his MBA with a focus in Sports Management. Hubbard enters his 1st season with the Dragons, where he will serve as the teams Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. His other responsibilities will include, assisting with the daily operations of the program, assisting Coach Patton with the pitchers, and the development of the Dragons outfielders. He holds certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and is certified in various areas by the American Red Cross. Prior to arriving Tiffin, Hubbard spent the 2014-2016 seasons assisting the Georgia Tech Strength and Conditioning Program. At Tech, Hubbard assisted in all aspects of player development with the baseball team while also being involved with footballs strength and conditioning program. In the season prior to coming to Tiffin, Hubbard helped the development of five Major League Baseball draft selections and two National Football League draft selections in 2016 alone. Hubbard attended and was a pitcher for the Canisius College Golden Griffins, before continuing to East Carolina University where he completed his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a specialty as an Exercise Specialist and Physiologist. He is currently working towards his Masters of Business Administration with a focus in Sports Management. A native of Angola, New York, Hubbard graduated from Lake Shore High School in 2010 where he was a three sport captain and letter winner for the baseball, basketball, and football teams. He is the son of Rick and Paolina Hubbard, and has one older sister, Kaileigh.

Patton spent the previous 12 years as the pitching coach at GLIAC opponent, Ashland University.  His pitching staffs compiled a team record of 436-228 (.656%).  During that time, he guided Ashland pitching staffs to the 2006 and 2008 NCAA Division II World Series and 8 NCAA Regional appearances.  His tenure included 1 ABCA All-American Pitcher, 3 Daktronics All-American Pitchers, 4 NCBWA All-American Pitchers, 9 ABCA All-Regional Pitchers 3 GLIAC Pitchers of the Year, and 13 First Team All-GLIAC Pitchers.  Among his pitchers, Ajay Meyer was a finalist for the Tino Martinez Award (NCAA Division II player of the year) in 2011 and Josh Davidson led the nation in victories with 14 in 2006. Under Coach Pattons tutelage, Ashland set a number of single season team records including:  most innings pitched, most strikeouts, most shutouts, most consecutive wins, most GLIAC wins, and most consecutive GLIAC wins.  In addition to the team accomplishments, he helped pitchers set individual career records including:  wins (37), saves (14), strikeouts (second, 313), innings pitched (second, 344), and appearances (second, 79). Patton coached nine pitchers who went on to pitch professionally, including one at the Major League level.  Two of his former pitchers are currently college pitching coaches:  Cody Castle at Marietta College and Mike Birkbeck at Kent State University. Patton was a four year letter winner at the University of Akron, a two time co-captain, and was named the 1978 University of Akron Pitcher of the Year.  After his playing career came to a close, he spent five years at the University of Akron as an assistant coach under the guidance of Head Coach Dave Fross.  He graduated from Akron with a BSEd in Physical Education. A native of Amherst, Ohio, Patton resides in Ashland, Ohio with his wife, Beth, who is an associate professor at Ashland University.  They have two grown children:  their son, Matt and his wife Lauren live in Lincoln, Nebraska and their daughter, Molly and her husband Tyler live in Akron, Ohio.     Brandon Cantrill enters his 1 season with the Dragons.  His responsibilities include working with the infielders, assisting coach Richardson with the hitters, and serving as the programs JV Head Coach. Prior to Tiffin, Cantrill spent the previous two years at his Alma Mater, Oberlin College.  During his two years at Oberlin he primarily worked with infielders and hitters while serving as the teams 1 base coach.  Cantrill was apart of a record-breaking season in 2013, which saw the Yeomen clinch a birth in the conference tournament for the first time in school history.  During that season Brandon helped guide four players to All North Coast Athletic Conference selections and two All-NCAC Tournament Team selections.  Brandon began his coaching career as a varsity assistant at Elyria Catholic High School in Elyria, Ohio in the spring of 2012.  Over the past three years Cantrill has served as a head coach and trainer for two summer baseball organizations (Lake Erie Warhawks, North Coast Vipers) as well. Cantrill graduated from Oberlin College in 2011.  He was a four-year starter for the Yeomen while playing multiple positions and served as team captain during his senior season campaign.  In 2010 he was an All-NCAC selection at catcher, but he also spent time in the starting rotation, shortstop, and third base.  He is a native of Collins, Ohio and graduated from Western Reserve High School in 2007. Brandon is working towards his MBA with a focus in Sports Management. Hubbard enters his 1st season with the Dragons, where he will serve as the teams Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. His other responsibilities will include, assisting with the daily operations of the program, assisting Coach Patton with the pitchers, and the development of the Dragons outfielders. He holds certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and is certified in various areas by the American Red Cross. Prior to arriving Tiffin, Hubbard spent the 2014-2016 seasons assisting the Georgia Tech Strength and Conditioning Program. At Tech, Hubbard assisted in all aspects of player development with the baseball team while also being involved with footballs strength and conditioning program. In the season prior to coming to Tiffin, Hubbard helped the development of five Major League Baseball draft selections and two National Football League draft selections in 2016 alone. Hubbard attended and was a pitcher for the Canisius College Golden Griffins, before continuing to East Carolina University where he completed his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a specialty as an Exercise Specialist and Physiologist. He is currently working towards his Masters of Business Administration with a focus in Sports Management. A native of Angola, New York, Hubbard graduated from Lake Shore High School in 2010 where he was a three sport captain and letter winner for the baseball, basketball, and football teams. He is the son of Rick and Paolina Hubbard, and has one older sister, Kaileigh.