EAST LANSING, Mich. – Former Michigan State catcher Eric Roof has rejoined the program as a volunteer assistant coach, head coach Jake Boss announced on Thursday.
Roof replaces Jake Boss Sr., who retired following the 2012 season after 45 consecutive years of coaching baseball, including the past four as a volunteer assistant at MSU. Roof will primarily work with the catchers and hitters in addition to performing various administrative duties.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Eric Roof back at Michigan State as our new volunteer assistant,” said Boss. “Eric is an outstanding baseball mind, and he will be a very good coach who will work with catchers and hitters. His experiences not only as a captain here at MSU, but also in professional baseball the last four years, will enable him to be a valuable member of our coaching staff.”
Roof was a three-year letterwinner at Michigan State from 2007-09 and served as a captain his senior season. He compiled a .314 batting average in 136 career games, including 115 starts, to go along with 10 homers and 83 RBIs. A native of Paducah, Ky., Roof played his freshman season at St. Catherine (Ky.) College.
After batting .308 his junior year in 2008, Roof was selected in the 46th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by Detroit, but elected to return to MSU his senior year. He responded by starting all 54 games and led the Spartans in batting average (.345), hits (69), doubles (14), RBIs (41), slugging percentage (.525) and on-base percentage (.440). For his efforts, he was named Michigan State’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.
Following his impressive senior season, Roof jumped 28 rounds in the 2009 MLB Draft and was taken in the 18th round by the Tigers.
