USA Collegiate National Team Shuts out Urban Youth Academy Barons. 10-0 Photo By David Cohen, BHEphotos
DURHAM, N.C. – USA Baseball announced the coaching staff for the 2017 Collegiate National Team on Tuesday. Dave Snow, Troy Buckley (Long Beach State), Rick Vanderhook (Cal State Fullerton) and Larry Lee (Cal Poly) join John Savage (UCLA), who was named manager of the team in December, on the staff.
“We are excited to have this talented coaching staff led by Coach Savage take the reigns of the 2017 Collegiate National Team,” USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler said. “Each of these coaches have done an amazing job with their respective programs and we are thrilled to bring their leadership and expertise to our team this year.”
Savage is set to begin his 13th season as the head coach at UCLA, where he has posted a 419-301-1 record since 2005. He was named the 2015 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and has led the Bruins to three College World Series appearances as well as a national championship in 2013. He previously served as an assistant coach for the 2000 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team that finished its summer 27-3-1 and won a gold medal at Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands.
Snow, a four-time USA Baseball coaching alum, will return as a pitching coach in 2017 having served the same role in 2016. Last year’s staff finished the season with a 1.81 ERA and included Richard W. “Dick” Case Award winner Ricky Tyler Thomas. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for the 1995 Collegiate National Team as well as the Collegiate National Teams in the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. During these tours, the U.S. held a cumulative record of 106-31-1 and won a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics. Snow, a former Head Coach at L.A. Valley College, Long Beach State, and Loyola Marymount, retired from coaching after a 29-year career in 2001. He earned Co-National Junior College Coach of the Year accolades in 1982, and was named Baseball America’s Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1989. Snow has since served as a Scouting Consultant with the Colorado Rockies from 2003-2012 and was named Player Development Consultant with the San Diego Padres in February of 2015. Snow also served as an assistant coach on the 1984 National Champion baseball team at Cal State Fullerton.
Buckley will join Snow as a pitching coach in 2017. Entering his seventh season as the head coach at Long Beach State, Buckley has led the Dirtbags to a winning record in every season and guided them to postseason appearances in 2014 and 2016. Buckley started coaching at Long Beach State in 2001 and since then the Dirtbags have been ranked in the top five nationally in team ERA three times and have never ranked lower than 28th. In addition to his experience at Long Beach State, Buckley spent two years as the Minor League Pitching Coordinator with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also served as an assistant coach at Santa Clara for three years and coached in the Montreal Expos organization from 1996 to 1997.
Cal State Fullerton Head Coach Vanderhook joins the staff as the hitting and third base coach. Vanderhook will start his sixth season as the Cal State Fullerton skipper this year where his head coaching record stands at 232-126 (.543). In his time with the Titans, he has won five Big West Conference championships, five Big West Coach of the Year awards and has led his team to six straight postseason appearances. Prior to his time at Cal State Fullerton, Vanderhook spent three seasons with Savage as an assistant coach at UCLA. He previously served USA Baseball as a coach in the 2014 17U National Team Development Program.
Lee also joins the 2017 coaching staff as the team’s first base coach. Lee is currently the head coach at Cal Poly and 2017 marks his 15th season leading the program. He has led the Mustangs to eight 30-win seasons, 12 top-four Big West finishes and a 455-336-2 (.575) record. Lee served as the head coach at Cuesta College for 16 seasons before he took over at Cal Poly. He guided the program to nine Western State Conference titles, including six in a row from 1997 to 2002, and Cuesta produced a 267-119 record in conference games during his time there. He was also awarded conference coach of the year honors eight times. Prior to his time as a head coach, Lee served as an assistant coach at Cuesta and Cal Poly.
Drew Linder, who is a Student Manager for the Florida State baseball team, will serve as the bullpen coach and Tom Fleischman will be the team’s Coordinator. Certified Athletic Trainer Carl Stocklin and Press Officer Dan Gliot will also join the staff from UCLA, rounding out the full staff for the 2017 team
The 2017 Collegiate National Team will train at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, and compete against teams in the Coastal Plain League from June 20-26. The team will then host two international friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Cuba throughout North Carolina.
