STARKVILLE, Miss. – One of his first moves as head coach of the Mississippi State baseball team, Chris Lemonis announced the hiring of 22-year coaching veteran Scott Foxhall as the Diamond Dawgs’ new pitching coach on Friday.
Foxhall’s career features SEC experience as an established pitching coach and recruiting coordinator and four consecutive NCAA regional finals appearances at NC State. A total of 10 Wolfpack pitchers were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft under his watch the past four seasons.
“I am excited that Scott has joined our staff,” Lemonis said. “Our relationship goes back to our playing days, and he has done a tremendous job at every stop of his career. He is an outstanding pitching coach who has excelled in developing pitchers to perform at their highest levels. He also has six years of experience as a recruiting coordinator in the SEC. Most of all, he has a personality that fits our staff perfectly.”
In 22 years as a collegiate coach, Foxhall has seen 45 of his pitchers selected in the MLB Draft, including eight in the first 10 rounds. He’s also improved the draft status of pitchers under his tutelage by an average of 25 rounds. All eight players Foxhall has helped place in the first 10 rounds were undrafted prospects out of high school. The Greer, S.C., native has developed nine Major Leaguers in his coaching career.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Mississippi State baseball family,” Foxhall said. “The history, tradition and fan base of this storied program are the best in all of college baseball. I believe in the strong leadership of Chris Lemonis, and I am honored to work with the outstanding young men on this team as we prepare them to win championships. My family is excited to call Starkville home and be a part of this treasured university.”
Foxhall’s 2018 NC State staff finished second in the ACC in ERA (3.62), good for 33rd nationally. Under Foxhall’s coaching, Reid Johnston worked toward becoming the Wolfpack’s Friday night starter before earning Freshman All-America and ACC All-Freshman accolades.
Another one of Foxhall’s most recent individual success stories is Brian Brown, who, in 2018, became the first NC State player to earn ACC Pitcher of the Year honors since 2012 after starting 16 games and boasting a 2.74 ERA, a 7-2 record and 98 strikeouts. An All-America and First Team All-ACC selection, the Boston Red Sox picked Brown in the ninth round (280th overall selection) of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Foxhall’s pitching staffs consistently ranked within the ACC’s top tier in ERA, strikeouts and opponent batting average. NC State’s team earned run average did not finish above 4.13 in his four years.
When Foxhall took over the role at NC State in 2015, he was immediately challenged with repairing a staff that had lost six pitchers to graduation and the draft, including all three weekend starters. He responded by putting together a group that finished second in the conference with a 2.93 ERA.
That season, his staff ranked first in the country in hits allowed per nine innings, second in strikeouts and 15th in ERA as the Wolfpack made a run to the ACC championship game and NCAA regional championship round. Previously undrafted pitchers Curt Britt, Jon Olczak and Brad Stone were all selected and signed professionally. Brown won freshman All-American honors, while fellow freshman Tommy DeJuneas earned a spot with Team USA for the summer.
Prior to his success at NC State, Foxhall spent six years (2009-14) at Auburn as the team’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. In his final three seasons, the Tigers collected sub-4.00 earned run averages, including 3.40 and 3.34 marks in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Foxhall also proved himself to be a top recruiter, as his last four classes at Auburn ranked in the Top 25 nationally and peaked with a ninth-place ranking ahead of the 2013 season. Foxhall recruited the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft in right-hander Casey Mize.
Foxhall’s coaching career began at his alma mater, the College of Charleston, in 1996. As the Cougar pitching coach, Foxhall brought up the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year four times. In 2008, his staff led the conference in strikeouts (480) and saves (18), a year after his 2007 pitchers topped the SoCon in strikeouts (445) and opponent batting average (.275) while ranking second in the league with a 4.82 ERA.
In 2006, Foxhall’s CofC staff rated second nationally with a 3.02 ERA. Foxhall prepped Nick Chigges, who, in 2006, led the team with an 11-2 record and was named Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year for the first time. He earned the award again in 2007 and was drafted in the 13th round of that year’s MLB Draft.
The Cougars also led the conference in ERA (4.09) in 2005, a year after his 2004 staff helped lead CofC to a school- and conference-record 47 wins as opposing batters hit just .268.
Before his coaching days, Foxhall spent two seasons playing under Hal Baird at Auburn before pitching for three years at the College of Charleston from 1992-94. While earning a degree in education, he became one of the school’s all-time leaders in strikeouts (156), games started (28), complete games (nine) and innings pitched (193.2).
Foxhall and his wife, the former Laura Ballenger, have twin children, Kade and Kennedy.
For more information on the MSU baseball program, follow the team on Twitter, like the squad on Facebook and join the Diamond Dawgs on Instagram.
Foxhall’s Coaching History
YEAR SCHOOL POSITION
2018- Mississippi State Assistant Coach
2015-18 NC State Assistant Coach
2009-14 Auburn Assistant Coach
1996-2008 College of Charleston Assistant Coach
