YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee announced today, June 4, that the interim tag will be removed and Eric Roof will officially be the seventh Head Coach in the history of the EMU Baseball team.
“I have been very pleased with Eric’s performance as the interim head coach,” said Wetherbee. “He has earned it every step of the way, beginning with the outstanding job he’s done with recruiting over the past few years, and continuing through this season with the terrific job he and his staff have done coaching the team on the field. It has become clear to me that he has established a long-term plan for the program to be successful, and I have no doubt he’s going to do just that.”
In 2018, Roof guided the Eagles to a 22-34 overall mark, including a 14-13 Mid-American Conference record and a sixth place finish in the conference standings. With the sixth place finish, EMU reached its third straight MAC Tournament, the first time they have gone to three consecutive since 2011-13. The non-conference schedule was highlighted by a 2-1 weekend series win over Oklahoma State, who, later on in the season, would become nationally ranked and receive an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament.
“First off I would like to thank Scott Wetherbee, Andy Rowdon, and the rest of his team for giving me this tremendous opportunity. I’m extremely excited to be able to continue leading this program,” Roof said. “I’m looking forward to continue growing the program and taking this rich history to new heights”
At the end of the season, Zachary Owings, Luke DeVenney, and Max Schuemann were awarded All-MAC honors, the first time EMU has had three honorees in a single season since 2012. Owings was named to the first team after finishing in the top 10 in the MAC in six offensive categories, including a .350 batting average, the highest for an EMU player since 2014.
As a team, EMU had its best team batting average since Roof’s arrival in 2015, batting .262, six points higher than the previous best mark of .257 in 2015. They also had the second most hits, runs, doubles, RBIs, on-base percentage points, and walks since 2015 as well. On the base paths, EMU once again finished in the top 20 in the country in stolen bases, ranking 20th in the nation and first in the MAC with 92 swipes.
On the pitching side, Roof’s hire of pitching coach A.J. Achter proved fruitful, as EMU had the second-best conference only ERA with a 3.69 mark, 36 points better then the next best team. DeVenney finished with a 2.49 ERA, which was third in the MAC and 70th in the nation, while his 1.93 conference-only ERA was second. The 2.49 ERA was also the lowest for an EMU starter since 2007.
Roof completed his fourth year in Ypsilanti after spending the first three as an assistant coach working with the Eagles’ hitters, outfielders and catchers. In 2015, the squad posted a record of 20-35 (9-18 MAC) before a MAC Tournament Semifinals appearance in 2016 when the Eagles went 23-36 (10-14 MAC). Last season, the Green and White posted a record of 27-35 (14-10 MAC) and a strong postseason run for its first MAC Tournament Championship game appearance since 2008.
Last season, the Eagles had five players drive in more than 25 runs led by Second Team All-MAC honoree John Montgomery. The left-handed slugger led Eastern in games (61), average (.289), hits (68), home runs (12), RBIs (49), total bases (117), and slugging (.498). He was one of the top home run hitting threats in the MAC, finishing tied for third. Additionally, outfielder Jordan Peterson had one of the best performances in EMU history against Northern Illinois, May 14, when he had four hits, including three home runs and nine RBIs. His efforts earned him not only MAC Player of the Week status, but also Collegiate Baseball News National Player of the Week accolades.
In 2016, the Eagle offense collected 19 more hits and scored 43 more runs in 2016 than in 2015. The team saw a power surge, slugging 35 points better this season, including clubbing 47 home runs, 28 better than 2015 and the most since 2010. The home run total ranked third in the MAC and 51st in the country.
In his first season coaching the catchers in 2015, Roof helped Tony DiLeo throw out 43 percent of base stealers, which led the Mid-American Conference. As a team, the Eagles threw out the second most would-be base stealers in the Conference.
Before arriving at Eastern Michigan in 2015, Roof spent two years as a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Michigan State University.
At MSU with Roof coaching the catchers, the Spartan mask men threw out 39 baserunners on attempted steals throughout the 2014 campaign, leading the Big Ten Conference. Roof coached Joel Fisher, the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year and Third Team All-Big Ten honoree, who was the conference leader in gunning down baserunners with 30. Following the season, Fisher was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Returning to East Lansing as a coach in 2013, the MSU battery caught 27 stealing on the base path while Spartan sluggers hit at a .281 clip to rank fourth in the conference.
Roof played three seasons in the minor leagues (2009-11) for the Tigers organization. He began his professional career in 2009 with the Oneonta Tigers in the Class A New York-Penn League before playing in the New York-Penn League for the Connecticut Tigers in 2010 as well as the West Michigan Whitecaps in the Class A Midwest League. Wrapping up his playing career in 2011, Roof appeared in 40 games with the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the Class A Advanced Florida State League.
As a student-athlete at Michigan State from 2007-09, Roof was a three-year letterwinner 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. Prior to arriving in East Lansing, the Paducah, Ky. native played his freshman season at St. Catherine (Ky.) College.
Roof batted .308 as a junior in 2008 and was rewarded by being selected in the 46th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Detroit Tigers; however, he elected to return to MSU for his senior year. The decision paid off as the team captain started 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 strong season, Roof was named Michigan State’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year and jumped 28 rounds in the 2009 MLB Draft as the Tigers picked him up in the 18th round.
Roof is not the only one in his family that has been successful on all levels of baseball. His father, Gene, played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos in the 1980s, and is currently a coach in the Detroit Tigers organization as the baserunning coordinator. Eric’s younger brother, Jonathan, was also a three-year letterwinner (2008-10) at MSU as a shortstop and was chosen in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by Texas. He is currently a graduate assistant for the University of Missouri baseball team. His older brother, Shawn, played at Illinois and was with the Frederick Keys, a High A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. He is now the manager for the Hillsboro Hops, the short season Class A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. His sister, Jacqueline, was a two-time All-American softball player at Campbellsville University.
