COACHING STAFF
2011 BIG TEN Coach of the Year
Jake Boss Jr. was appointed the 16th head coach in Michigan State baseball history on July 1, 2008, and has taken little time to make his mark on the program.
In just six seasons, Boss has compiled a 194-137 (.586) record. His 194 wins are the most over a six-year span in program history. He has guided the Spartans to five straight 30-win seasons, the Big Ten regular-season championship in 2011, and the NCAA Tournament in 2012.
Under Boss' watch at MSU, players have earned All-Big Ten honors 27 times, including eight selections in 2011, which tied a school record. The six first-team All-Big Ten selections in 2011 were the most in program history and featured Player of the Year Jeff Holm, Pitcher of the Year Kurt Wunderlich and Big Ten batting champion Brandon Eckerle.
Boss guided Michigan State to a 31-26 record and a spot in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament in 2014. Four Spartans were named to All-Big Ten teams, including Jimmy Pickens, who was voted to the first team. Pickens, along with catcher Joel Fisher, were both selected in the 2014 MLB draft. Pickens was selected in the 15th round (455th overall) by Cincinnati and Fisher was taken in the 23rd round with the 682nd overall selection by Philadelphia.
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Graham Sikes
Graham Sikes enters his fifth year as an assistant coach for the Michigan State baseball program. He also serves as the program's recruiting coordinator.
Sikes primarily works with the Spartan outfielders and hitters while also coordinating the base running program. In his first two seasons on the Spartan staff, Sikes has played an integral role in helping the Spartans win the Big Ten Championship in 2011 and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2012.
Sikes helped the Spartan offense rank in the top half of the conference in several key categories in 2014, including ranking first in stolen bases with 88 - the second-highest total in program history. Individually, Anthony Cheky led the Big Ten in steals with 29, while Bliase Salter ranked third in RBIs with 50.
The Spartans ranked in the top four in the Big Ten in in 2013 in several key offensive categories, including: batting average (.281), slugging percentage (.377) and on-base percentage (.357). Spartan hitters also struck out fewer times than any other team in the league.
