FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Saluki Baseball has added Andy Judkins to the staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2013 season. He has over four years experience coaching college baseball, and his duties include working with the catchers in addition to assisting with the hitters.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the SIU baseball program,” Judkins said. “The Salukis have a great history, and I am looking forward to continuing the rich tradition. I hope I can help the baseball program continue its success.”
Judkins spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with Central Arizona College where he also worked with catchers and hitters. Central Arizona was the national runner up in the 2011 NJCAA World Series and advanced to districts in 2012. In his two years with Central Arizona, six Vaqueros players were selected in the MLB draft. That list includes 2011 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year Keenyn Walker, who was taken by the White Sox with the 47th overall pick and Fernando Perez, who was a third round pick of the Padres in 2012.
“We are very fortunate to have someone with Andy’s experience and knowledge join our staff,” Head Coach Ken Henderson said. “Finding someone to work with our catchers was a priority, and Andy does a tremendous job in that area. He has a great work ethic and will be a huge asset to Saluki Baseball.”
This past summer Judkins was the manager of the Thunder Bay (Ontario) Border Cats of the Northwoods Collegiate League. Prior to his time in Thunder Bay, he spent two years as an assistant coach for the Rochester (Minn.) Honkers, also in the Northwoods League.
Judkins worked as a graduate assistant coach at Minnesota State University for two years while working on his master’s degree in sports administration. He helped the Mavericks to two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) title as well as one North Central Regional Championship and a spot in the 2010 Division II World Series. In his two years there, three players were taken in the MLB draft.
He graduated from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn. where he majored in sport management and exercise science. There he played two seasons as an outfielder and was named first team All-NSIC in 2007. He played in the Northwoods League with the St. Cloud (Minn.) Riverbats in the summer of 2006 while current SIU assistant coach Ryan Strain was an assistant coach. Judkins began his college career as an outfielder at Iowa Central Community College where he started two years and helped the team to the NJCAA World Series in 2004 and a district tournament appearance in 2005.
