FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
STANFORD, Calif.– Stanford Baseball announced the hiring of 16-year coaching veteran Rusty Filter as the team’s assistant and pitching coach. Filter, who tutored 2009 National Player of the Year Stephen Strasburg, takes over for Dave Nakama, who was named the top assistant at the University of Washington.
"We are really excited for Coach Filter to join our staff," said Head Coach Mark Marquess, who will be entering his 34th season in 2010. "We are fortunate to get a coach with his talent and experience to come aboard. I think our pitchers will truly benefit from his pitching philosophy."
With the combination of Marquess, assistant Dean Stotz and Filter, the trio likely has the most combined experience of any Division-I coaching staff, adding up to a combined 82 years.
Filter spent a combined 21 years on the San Diego State campus as both an assistant and a player. Over the past 16 years, the Aztecs have had 56 pitchers drafted for head coaches Jim Dietz and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.
In addition to Strasburg, who dominated hitters this past season en route to the No. 1 overall selection, closer Addison Reed was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association’s Stopper of the Year. Strasburg led the nation in strikeouts and ERA last year, earning every major player of the year award, including the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser Awards. Strasburg, a member of Team USA at the 2008 Olympics as well, was amongst the national top-five in ERA and strikeouts each of the last two seasons.
Under Filter’s guidance, San Diego State led the Mountain West Conference in ERA in six of the league’s first 10 seasons, ranking in the top-three in each of those years. Throughout his tenure, San Diego State went 522-442-3 (.541), winning at least 30 games 11 times, winning 41 games in 1997 and 2009.
Individually, four players have been named the MWC’s Pitcher of the Year, including Strasburg the last two years (2008, 2009), Bruce Billings (2005), and Scott Shoemaker (2004). So far in 2009, four of his hurlers– Cincinnati’s Aaron Harang, St. Louis’ Royce Ring, Boston’s Jason Masterson and San Francisco’s Alex Hinshaw, have pitched in the Majors.
In 1993 and 1994, Filter was the pitching coach for the Fairbanks Goldpanners of the Alaska Summer League. The Goldpanners went 35-19 in 1994 and 36-23 in 1996.
A converted catcher, Filter left amongst the Aztec top-10 in relief appearances (80) and saves (6). His 37 appearances as a senior in 1990 were the second-most by any reliever in San Diego State history. He totaled 10 saves and a 3.74 ERA to go along with an 8-4 career record. He went onto get drafted by Toronto in 1990.
In 1991 he began his coaching career as a junior varsity coach for San Diego State, serving as an assistant at his alma mater, Mission Bay High in San Diego in 1992 and 1993. The 1992 team won the CIF title. He graduated from San Diego State in 1990 with a degree in physical education. The 40-year old has a wife, Gina, daughters Reilly Nicole and Emily Claire and son, Russell Dean II.
