FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy baseball head coach Paul Kostacopoulos announced Thursday (Aug. 19) the addition of Ryan Mau to the coaching staff. As an assistant coach, Mau will work with the Mids’ pitchers and comes to the Naval Academy after five seasons at VMI.
"We are very excited to have Ryan here at Navy," said Kostacopoulos. "He brings a great deal of enthusiasm and talent to not only our program, but to the entire Naval Academy."
Mau, who served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at VMI, mentored four pitchers that were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft during his tenure at the school. He was also instrumental in helping lead the Keydets to their first-ever national ranking (in 2010). In his role as recruiting coordinator, Mau was influential in signing classes that received national recognition in each of the last two seasons.
In working with the pitchers at VMI, Mau developed staffs that consistently performed at a high level. In 2008, the pitching staff ranked among the top five in the nation in fewest walks allowed. This past season, VMI pitchers tied the school record with a combined 441 strikeouts, equaling a strikeout-per-nine innings average of 8.29, which was the third-best in school history.
Mau’s work with pitchers translated into success at VMI and beyond as four of his hurlers were selected in the MLB draft in the last four seasons. Corey Bachman was selected by the Chicago Cubs in 2007, Michael Bowman and Trey Barham by Colorado and Oakland, respectively, in 2008 and most recently, Travis Smink by Houston in 2009.
Prior to VMI, Mau spent two years at Marist College where he helped the Red Foxes to the 2005 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season and tournament titles. Mau also tutored both the MAAC Pitcher of the Year and Relief Pitcher of the Year during his time at Marist.
Mau began his collegiate coaching career at Charleston Southern where in just one year he lowered the staff ERA by two runs from the previous season and helped a pitcher garner Big South Player of the Year accolades.
While at Charleston Southern he also tutored two players – R.J. Swindel and Bobby Parnell – that went on to pitch in Major League Baseball.
Mau’s coaching success should come as no surprise; as a standout pitcher for the College of Charleston from 1998-2001, his single-season wining percentage of 1.000 and 1.79 ERA are still the best and second-best, respectively, in school history. He also ranks among the school leaders several key statistical categories, including: career victories, game started, ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched.
Following his collegiate career, Mau signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins where he pitched for two seasons.
A native of Lake Mary, Fla., Mau graduated from the College of Charleston in 2001 with a degree in communication. Mau and his wife, Leslie, have a daughter, Grace (five) and a son, Gabriel (one).
