Scottsdale native Jon Wente will return to the Grand Canyon State to lead the GCU pitching staff, Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz announced on Wednesday. Wente’s official appointment as Lopes pitching coach is contingent on the successful completion of university hiring processes.
Wente spent the past six seasons on the coaching staff at UT Arlington, most recently holding the position of associate head coach, recruiting coordinator and pitching coach.
“I am very excited and blessed to have this opportunity at GCU,” Wente said. “I’m excited to get to work with some great pitchers and build on their successes. After talking with Andy, I believed in his vision of GCU and the baseball program and knew this was the place for me and my family. Both Coach Stankiewicz and Coach Wallis are great coaches and great people, and I can’t wait to be a part of the program.”
Wente’s deep ties to baseball in Arizona trace back to nearly a decade as head coach at Central Arizona College from 2006 to 2014, when he led the Vaqueros to an impressive 402-165 (.709) record. He was the pitching coach and the recruiting coordinator at the junior college from 1998 to 2002. His playing career featured stops at Brophy Prep, Central Arizona and Arizona State before concluding at McNeese State.
“We’re excited to have Jon join us as our new pitching coach,” Stankiewicz said. “He began his playing and coaching career here in the state, so we welcome him home. Jon has been a winner in every facet of his career. We believe he will bring that same competitiveness and drive to succeed to our program. We were looking for someone who is well respected in the baseball community, tireless on the recruiting trail and can develop pitchers. Jon Wente is all of that.”
GCU is expected to return 12 of its 14 pitchers from last season’s staff that featured a 3.44 earned run average against the nation’s 30th-toughest schedule. Returners include Pierson Ohl, Jack Schneider and Dawson McCarville, who each started four games in the shortened season.
Wente built a high-performing pitching staff over his time at UT Arlington, culminating in a 2020 staff that featured an exceptional 2.42 team ERA, a mark that ranked 18th nationally. The Mavericks allowed 6.33 hits per nine innings, good for the 14th-best mark in Division I. UTA was off to a 12-4 start this year, featuring wins over top-25 teams Dallas Baptist and TCU.
Of the nine players who were drafted in Wente’s time at UTA, five of his pitchers were selected. The Mavs claimed a Sun Belt Western Division Championship in 2017 with a pitching staff that led the league in saves (18) and finished second in ERA (3.27).
Prior to holding his position at UTA, Wente built an impressive resume in the junior college ranks. As head coach at Central Arizona, his teams won six consecutive Region I championships, spanning 2007 to 2012. He earned his first head coaching opportunities at Odessa (Texas) College and Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College.
His baseball journey has led him to cross paths with the likes of Matt Harvey, Ian Kinsler and Freddie Freeman, and he also had the opportunity to play under legendary coach Pat Murphy at Arizona State.
Like Stankiewicz, Wente has experience coaching for USA Baseball. He helped lead the 18U team to a silver medal in the World Championships in Cuba in 2006, coaching the likes of Harvey, Freeman, Blake Beavan and Mike Moustakas.
Wente is joined back in Phoenix by his family, including his wife, Sandra, and their son, Tyler.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Jon is going to be an asset to Grand Canyon University. With his leadership, pitching knowledge and recruiting experiences, he will have an immediate impact on the program. He’s always been dedicated to developing relationships with the student-athlete. That, in turn, will leave a lasting impact on the program.”
– Skip Johnson, Oklahoma head coach
“Jon will be a great addition to Andy’s staff. He is a great recruiter as well as a developer of pitchers. Jon has a great feel for game management as well.”
– Darin Thomas, UT Arlington head coach
“I was stoked to hear Jon was named the pitching coach for GCU. Jon is such an incredible coach, and I wish him nothing but the best in this new position. He is the reason I’ve had so much success in baseball and life. He is a coach who wants to see you succeed on and off the field, and I think he will be a great fit for this program. I can’t wait to watch him and the GCU baseball program this year. GO LOPES!”
– Joel Kuhnel, Cincinnati Reds pitcher
