FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry announced Monday the return of former Golden Eagle pitching standout Todd McInnis as volunteer assistant coach.
McInnis replaces Brent Shelton, who resigned last month to take a scouting job in the Minnesota Twins organization.
“I want to thank Brent for his dedication and his hard work in our program last season and we wish him the best with the Twins as this was a great opportunity for him in his career,” said Berry. “Despite losing someone of great talent, I am excited about being able to have Todd rejoin us after playing the last two seasons in professional baseball. He provided great leadership for us during his playing days and we look forward to him beginning his coaching career here with us and helping to prepare our team for this spring.”
McInnis, a 25th-round selection by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, played for three different minor league clubs over his two professional seasons and made it as far as the Cardinals’ High-A team, Palm Beach of the Florida State League, in his final stop last summer.
He collected an overall 9-8 record in his two pro seasons, appearing in 40 games which included 30 starts. McInnis posted a 3.32 cumulative earned run average and fanned 110, while walking 38 in 179 innings during his pro career. During the 2011 summer season, McInnis garnered New York-Penn League mid-season All-Star honors and he was named a Short-Season All-Star by Baseball America.
As for his collegiate career, McInnis finished with school records of 33 victories along with innings pitched (395.1) and games started (68) and holds down second place on the career charts in strikeouts with 363.
The Brandon, Miss., native was the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year twice during his tenure, including his senior campaign in which he collected an 8-3 record to go along with a 2.65 ERA and 87 strikeouts over 98 2/3 innings as the ace of the Golden Eagle staff. He also earned third-team All-American honors by Collegiate Baseball during his final year as well as being named Freshman All-America in 2007.
McInnis also got drafted following his junior campaign, being tabbed in the 32nd round of the MLB First-Year Players Draft, but opted to return to Southern Miss for his final season.
