Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Early in the 2006 season, Jim Schmitz won his 300th game at Eastern Illinois and in the process became the program's all-time wins leader.

 

Overall Schmitz has registered 575 career wins in 22 years as a head coach at Eastern (1995-present), Cincinnati (1987-90) and Wilmington (1984-86).

 

Under Schmitz, EIU has won four Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles, two OVC Tournament titles, posted a pair of runner-up finishes, and captured two West Division championships when the Panthers were a member of the Mid-Continent Conference.

 

A regular-season OVC championship and the program’s first-ever national ranking from Collegiate Baseball highlighted the memorable 2009 campaign.

 

From March 21 to April 10, 2009, EIU posted a 13-game winning streak. It was the longest of the program’s Division I era and the fifth longest streak in the country in 2009. After it was snapped in game two of a doubleheader at UT Martin, the Panthers hit nine home runs and scored 30 runs in the rubber game of the series the following day.

 

During the 13-game win streak, Schmitz recorded his 400th win as the leader of the program on April 5.

 

The Panthers, who lost back-to-back games only twice in 2009, enjoyed one of the finest offensive campaigns in program history, establishing a new single-season hits record (644). Eastern’s 92 home runs and the .362 team batting average both ranked second in program history, with the .362 clip also being the highest of the OVC era. The Panthers led the nation in batting average the weeks of April 20 and May 11 and were tops in the league in average, home runs and on-base percentage for much of the season.

 

Eastern won the four-team Bulls Baseball Classic in Tampa, Fla., the weekend of March 13-15, defeating South Florida, Bethune-Cookman and Oklahoma in three consecutive days. The Panthers eventually entered the Collegiate Baseball Top 30 national poll on April 6 and retained their ranking for another week. Ping!Baseball.com also ranked EIU among the Top 30 nationally from April 27 to May 18.

 

Brett Nommensen was leading the nation in on-base and slugging percentage in batting average when he suffered a broken hamate bone in his right wrist April 10, an injury that sidelined him until the OVC Tournament.

A number of players stepped up in Nommensen’s absence as EIU completed the journey to the conference title. Jordan Kreke became the third Panther to win OVC Player of the Year honors after recording a .507 average, nine home runs and 40 RBIs in the 18 conference games. He was also named a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American. Jordan Tokarz, Richie Derbak and Mike Recchia joined Kreke as First Team All-OVC selections.

 

Three Panthers were selected in the first 13 rounds of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the most EIU selections in a single draft since 1988. Tyler Kehrer went 48th overall to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Compensation Round A, the highest Panther picked since 1988. On day two of the draft, Brett Nommensen went in the eighth round to the Tampa Bay Rays and Jordan Kreke was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 13th round. All three players signed with their organizations and began their pro careers in Rookie Leagues.

 

Erik Huber (Carolina League with Lynchburg), Kehrer (Pioneer League with Orem) and Kreke (Appalachian League with Danville) were all part of Minor League championship teams in the summer of 2009.

 

Four wins in four days versus four different teams, a memorable postseason run that allowed EIU to capture the OVC Tournament title and qualify for the NCAA Tournament, highlighted the Panthers’ 2008 campaign.

Eastern was sent to the Lincoln, Neb., Regional of the NCAA Tournament where the team scored a combined 17 runs in its two losses.

 

The Panthers led the OVC in team ERA nearly the entire season. The pitching performed well in Paducah, but it was the monster weeks for Nommensen and Tokarz at the top of the order that allowed EIU to hold the lead for 28 of the 36 tournament innings. Both players hit safely in all six postseason games.

 

Tokarz, one of 17 new players on the roster when the season began, was named the OVC Tournament MVP and collected multiple hits in each of EIU’s six postseason games.

 

Besides team ERA, Eastern’s pitching staff also led the OVC in batting average against. The Panthers enjoyed a 157-115 advantage in extra-base hits.

 

In 2007, Schmitz graduated a 12-player senior class that rewrote the EIU record book. Huber batted better than .400 for the second year in a row and was the first OVC player selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft when the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him in the 12th round.

 

Ryan Campbell established new career marks for hits and doubles. Pitcher Chris Vaculik, along with breaking the program saves record, finished his career as just the third player in program history with 20 wins and 200 strikeouts.

 

Schmitz also won his 500th game as a collegiate head coach on March 24, 2007. Though he downplayed the milestone victory, his players and family were still very excited for him and honored to be part of the historic win.

 

Even though he is a three-time OVC Coach of the Year recipient, his best coaching job may have been in the spring of 2006. Eastern finished third in the OVC despite the team's uncharacteristically low power numbers and a pitching staff that was far from overpowering.

 

Instead it was what Schmitz calls the "base-hit approach" – as well as the conference's top defense and bullpen – that propelled EIU into the league's first division. The Panthers led the OVC in fielding percentage (.968), double plays turned (61) and saves (15), while also finishing second in batting average (.304). Eastern hitters struck out the fewest number of times in the conference as well.

 

Schmitz's EIU teams are no strangers to success. Despite being the northern-most school in the OVC, the Panthers have finished below .500 just three times since joining the league in 1997.

 

The 1999 team won the OVC Tournament title and, for the first time in program history, qualified for an NCAA Division I Regional, placing third at the Waco, Texas, Regional. The Panthers played nationally-ranked Baylor and Minnesota close and knocked No. 21 Arizona out of the tournament. Also, for the first time ever, Eastern posted consecutive 30-win seasons in 1998 and 1999.

 

The Panthers know how to score runs and play defense. In 2003, EIU finished 13th nationally in home runs per game (1.32) with an OVC-leading 75 overall. The 1.05 double plays per game ranked 18th in 2004.

 

Eight of the most prolific home run hitting teams in program history have been coached by Schmitz. The 1998 squad, which slugged a program-record 120, still holds the NCAA all-time record for hitting five consecutive home runs. On two occasions since, Eastern has hit four in a row. The Panthers tied another national record in 2002, hitting two grand slams in the same inning. Keith Laski, Kyle Haines and Tokarz have each homered twice in the same frame during Schmitz's tenure.

 

Arriving on campus just prior to the start of school in 1995, Schmitz inherited a team with no returning starting pitchers and captured the Mid-Continent Conference West Division title. Eastern’s record was 28-19 overall, 15-5 in the league. Although the Panthers were eliminated in the postseason tournament, he coached EIU to its best winning percentage (.596) in six seasons.

 

Schmitz guided the Panthers to yet another West Division title in 1996 with a record of 25-22, 15-3 in the division. He coached the Panthers to their first OVC regular season title in 1998 while setting records for wins, hits, runs and home runs. Eastern finished ranked nationally in home runs per game, winning percentage and batting average.

 

In 1999, EIU won its second straight regular-season crown and first-ever tournament championship, despite starting the year 0-11. Eastern knocked off Middle Tennessee, 8-7, in the first round and Eastern Kentucky, 9-4, in the semifinals before rallying for a 4-3 win over Middle Tennessee in the title game. He earned Coach of the Year honors during both championship seasons.

 

During the 2001 campaign, EIU set league records that might not be challenged for years to come. New benchmarks were established for consecutive OVC wins (17) and best start (17-0) en route to finishing 19-1. That regular-season title and Schmitz’s Coach of the Year award were both the third in a four-year span.

 

Since Schmitz took over at Eastern, 11 players have been selected in the Major League Baseball draft. Prior to Kehrer going 48th overall in 2009, pitcher Bobby Castelli had been the highest pick of the group, chosen in the 1998 fourth round. In 1999, pitchers Matt Gage and John Larson were drafted. Larson came back for his senior year and was drafted again in 2000. In 2004, infielders Chris Uhle and Haines went in the draft. To date, 19 of Schmitz’s players have been chosen in the MLB Draft.

 

Schmitz believes in giving back to the community, participating in a service program every fall and spring. Each fall the team assists with local Habitat for Humanity projects that benefit the underprivileged. Schmitz and Eastern have participated with Lake Land College’s Friends for a Day program. Service projects aren’t strictly kept to the Charleston-Mattoon area. A few years ago during a spring break trip in New Orleans, half the team visited a Children’s Hospital while the other half worked at an AIDS clinic.

 

Prior to EIU, Schmitz was an assistant coach under former Chicago Cub Don Kessinger at the University of Mississippi for four years. As recruiting coordinator, Schmitz’s 1993 recruiting class ranked No. 17 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball.

 

Schmitz was head coach from 1987-90 at Cincinnati, compiling a 103-101 record. The ’87 team set a school record with 31 wins. Twice Cincinnati reached the finals of the Metro Conference Tournament. During Schmitz’s tenure, Cincinnati recorded consecutive winning seasons for the first time since entering the Metro Conference. Nine of Schmitz’s players signed professional contracts.

 

He was the head coach at Wilmington (Ohio) College from 1984-86, which enjoyed its first winning season in eight years while Schmitz was head coach. Wilmington also had its first 20-win season and reached the NAIA District 22 playoffs for the first time ever in 1986.

 

Schmitz earned his undergraduate degree from Wilmington in 1979 and a master’s in sports administration from Ohio State University in 1986. He and his wife Kathy have three daughters, Casey, Abigail and Hannah.