EAST LANSING - Michigan State today announced that they have named Jake Boss, Jr. their new head baseball coach replacing David Grews.
Boss will be introduced at a new conference tomorrow at 11:30am by MSU athletic director Mark Hollis at Kobs Field.
In just one season as head coach, Boss made an immediate impact at Eastern Michigan, guiding the Eagles to their second consecutive MAC West Division crown and first NCAA Regional appearance since 2003.
The Eagles swept through the MAC Tournament, winning all four games by a combined 21 runs, to notch the school’s fourth tournament title. The conference title capped a remarkable turnaround, as Eastern Michigan - picked to finish fifth in the division - closed the season on a hot streak, claiming 25 of 40 games and earning a berth in the NCAA field.
For his efforts, Boss was selected the 2008 MAC Coach of the Year and made history by becoming just the second coach in league history to win the MAC Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament in his first season.
Overall, the Eagles finished the season 15-8 in conference play and 25-32 overall. The Eagles were one of the top offensive teams in the MAC, ranking among the league leaders in hits (third with 615), home runs (fourth with 64), runs (fourth with 300) and RBI (fifth with 372).
Boss previously worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at crosstown University of Michigan.
"As Michigan State University prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary of Spartan Athletics and the sport of baseball, the selection of Jake Boss Jr. as its head coach could not come at a better time," said MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis.
"Jake is committed to winning with integrity and understands the entire scope and impact Spartan baseball has on our community and the state of Michigan. He is committed to getting the best out of his student-athletes whether they are on the field, in the classroom, or preparing them to becoming contributing members of our society.
"Through his actions, Jake has earned the respect of high school and youth coaches, professional scouts, current and former players, and most everyone he comes into contact with. He has prepared himself well for this position and has enjoyed success as both an assistant and head coach. Most importantly, he wants to be a Spartan - today and from this point forward, he is a Spartan.
"The combination of naming Jake Boss as our head coach, the completion of our indoor pitching and hitting facility, and immediate construction of a 2,500-seat baseball stadium demonstrates the commitment that our university and department have for our baseball program," said Hollis.
Boss responded, "I am extremely honored and humbled to be named the head baseball coach at Michigan State University," said Boss. "When I started coaching at the collegiate level 13 years ago, my goal was to come back to East Lansing as head coach of the Spartan baseball program, and I am very excited for this opportunity.
"I believe in order to be successful and develop our players throughout their careers, we will focus on four main areas in each of their lives:
academics and the effort to learn and graduate; character on and off the field; team philosophy and the effort and will to win; and career goals both at Michigan State University and beyond.
Our players will play hard, compete, and most importantly, trust each other to be successful.
We will build our program on relationships and a family atmosphere throughout our team consisting of both current and former players. I welcome the opportunity and I’m excited to get to work."
GSN welcomes Boss, Jr. as MSU newest head coach.
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