FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue baseball program has added a pair of coaches to its staff, head coach Doug Schreiber announced. Jeff Duncan and Bobby Bartow have joined the staff to replace departed coaches Spencer Allen and Chadd Blasko.
"We’re very fortunate to have Jeff and Bobby join our program," Schreiber said. "They bring great energy to our team and have the extensive playing and coaching experience that will help us on the field and with recruiting."
Duncan, who will work the outfielders, team defense, hitters and base running, joins the Boilermaker staff after spending last season as the volunteer assistant at Auburn University. He has additional coaching experience as the Illinois Sparks’ head coach in 2008 and eight years as an instructor at the Diamond Sports Academy in Mokena, Ill., from 2001-08.
Duncan spent nine years as a player in professional baseball within the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations. He played two seasons in the Major Leagues with the New York Mets, spent six years at the Triple A level or higher and was named to three different all-star teams during his professional career.
Collegiately, he started every game as a true freshman and was named the runner up for the Big 12 Freshman of the Year at Iowa State in 1998. Duncan transferred to Arizona State as a sophomore and was named the top newcomer and All-Pac-10 in a vote by the league coaches in 1999. He batted .360 during his college career and was a seventh-round selection by the Mets in the 2000 draft.
Bartow, who will work with pitching coach Ryan Sawyers and the Boilermakers’ hurlers, comes to Purdue after four-year stint as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Brown Mackie College in Salina, Kan., where he helped guide the school to NJCAA II Region VI championships in 2008 and 2009.
Additionally, Bartow spent three summers on the coaching staff of the Salina Blue Jays, a semi-pro and collegiate league affiliated with the National Baseball Congress, including serving as the head coach in 2009.
As a player, Bartow earned a letter at Kansas in 2002 and was the team captain and an all-region honoree at Allen Community College from 2000-01. Allen appeared at the 2000 NJCAA College World Series.
The Boilermakers are currently in the midst of their annual Black and Gold series and will open the 2010 regular season at the second Big Ten-Big East Challenge in Tampa, Fla., in February.
