Renner becomes Associate Head Coach; Donnelly Head Recruiting Coordinator
Joe Renner, who was named an Associate Head Coach during the fall of 2012, enters his fourth season with the Marshall baseball program. Ever since head coach Jeff Waggoner brought him on staff, Renner has served as the program's pitching coach, working closely with the team's pitching staff. In his first season, he guided right-hander Arik Sikula to a First Team All-Conference USA selection, along with seeing four pitchers out of the Thundering Herd bullpen sign with Major League teams.
A native of Lima, Ohio, Renner has served as a pitching coach since the 1995 season, working with 25 pitchers who advanced to the professional level.
Renner comes to Marshall from the College of Mount St. Joseph, which is located in Cincinnati. He worked as the pitching coach there since March of 2008 and helped lead the team to the HCAC Conference Regular Season Championship. While at Mount St. Joseph, Renner spent four months in the summer of 2008 coaching the pitchers of the Delaware Cows of the Great Lakes Collegiate League. Prior to his time at Mount St. Joseph, he worked four five years at the Champions Baseball Academy in Cincinnati as a Pitching Instructor.
In the summer of 2005, he was the Pitching Coach for the Champions Summer College League Team before managing the squad a year later. Before working for Champions, Renner held four pitching coach positions, working at Miami (Ohio) from 2000-02, the Midland Redskins, an amateur team from Cincinnati, from 1997-2002, Northern Kentucky University from 1995-97 and the Minot Mallards of the Prairie League in 1995. He also worked heavily in recruiting in his positions at Midland and Northern Kentucky.
He has had a great deal of postseason success as a coach, leading Midland to the Connie Mack National Championship in 1997 and 98 and finishing runner up in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in 2001.
Renner graduated from Northern Kentucky in 2000 with a B.S. in Sociology. He was a four-year letterman for the NKU baseball team from 1989-92.
What they are saying about Renner: Tracy Smith - Head Coach - Indiana University "Joe is a knowledgeable and hard-working coach. His impact will be felt immediately at Marshall University."
J.D. Heilmann - Pitching Coach - Xavier University "Joe is one of the best pitching coaches I have ever worked with, players will show great improvement under him."
Brian Hiler - Scout - Kansas City Royals/General Manager - Midland Redskins "Every pitcher he was worked with has gotten better. He just has a great rapport with kids."
Professional Players Coached: Aaron Cook - Colorado Rockies - 2nd Round - 1997 Eric Fisher - Chicago White Sox - 7th Round - 1998 Steve Kelly - Cincinnati Reds - 4th Round - 2001 Antwoine Anderson - Florida Marlins - 32nd Round - 1997 Curtus Moak - Cincinnati Reds - 25th Round - 2001 Mike McNutt - Florida Marlins - 25th Round - 2000 Jon Uhl - Philadelphia Phillies - 37th Round - 2000 Brandan Spillers - Baltimore Orioles - 6th Round - 2000 Scott Lewis - Anaheim Angels - 33rd Round - 2001 Ryan Morgan - Atlanta Braves - 41st Round - 2001 Chad Borek - New York Yankees - 46th Round - 2001 Travis Foley - Cleveland Indians - 4th Round - 2001 Judd Richardson - Milwaukee Brewers - 5th Round - 2001 Justin Knoedler - San Francisco Giants - 6th Round - 2001 Scott Wiggins - New York Yankees - 7th Round - 1997 Randy Hamilton - New York Mets - 32nd Round - 1997 Chris Leonard - Toronto Blue Jays - 8th Round - 2002 (2001 Cape Cod League Player of the Year) Russ Bayer - Pittsburgh Pirates - 20th Round - 2002 Billy Kieninger - Detroit Tigers - 26th Round - 2002 Wes Whisler - Chicago White Sox - 2nd Round - 2004 Matt Klinker - Cincinnati Reds - 13th Round - 2006 John Lamb - Kansas City Royals - 5th Round - 2008 Kevin Shackelford - Milwaukee Brewers - 21st Round - 2010 Ryan Kiel - Seattle Mariners - 37th Round - 2010Greg Williams - Texas Rangers - 12th Round - 2011Mike Mason - Texas Rangers - 23rd Round - 2011Joe Church - Los Angeles Angles - 40th Round - 2011Arik Sikula - Toronto Blue Jays - 36th Round - 2011Shane Farrell - Toronto Blue Jays - 46th Round - 2011*Joe Church - San Diego Padres - 17th Round - 2012*Mike Mason - Colorado Rockies - 24th Round - 2012 * Redrafts
