Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eric Roof Named Assistant Baseball Coach
8/4/2014 10:11:00 AM | Baseball
Roof makes the transition from Michigan State to EMU with Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde
(Photo courtesy of Michigan State Athletics)
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – New Eastern Michigan University Head Baseball Coach Mark Van Ameyde announced on Monday, August 4, that Eric Roof will make the trip with him from Michigan State to EMU, serving as the Eagles' new assistant coach. Roof spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at MSU and will bring his expertise to Ypsilanti by coaching the Eastern's hitters and catchers.
"I am thrilled that Eric is joining me in making the transition from Michigan State to Eastern Michigan," noted Coach Van Ameyde. "Having coached him as a player and then working with him over the last two years, he is more than prepared to help us take the EMU baseball program to a new level. The work ethic, knowledge, attitude and leadership he developed as a player are strong attributes he brings to the table as a coach. Just a few years removed from the game as a player, Eric communicates well with student-athletes and will not stop trying to find ways to help them get the most out of their ability. With the addition of Eric to the coaching staff, I continue to look forward to the bright future of Eastern Michigan Baseball."
With Roof coaching the catchers, the Spartan mask men threw out 39 baserunners on attempted steals throughout the 2014 campaign, leading the Big Ten Conference. Roof coached Joel Fisher, the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year and Third Team All-Big Ten honoree, who was the conference leader in gunning down baserunners with 30. Following the season, Fisher was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Returning to East Lansing as a coach in 2013, the MSU battery caught 27 stealing on the base path while Spartan sluggers hit at a .281 clip to rank fourth in the conference.
Roof played three seasons in the minor leagues (2009-11) for the Tigers organization. He began his professional career in 2009 with the Oneonta Tigers in the Class A New York-Penn League before playing in the New York-Penn League for the Connecticut Tigers in 2010 as well as the West Michigan Whitecaps in the Class A Midwest League. Wrapping up his playing career in 2011, Roof appeared in 40 games with the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the Class A Advanced Florida State League.
As a student-athlete at Michigan State from 2007-09, Roof was a three-year letterwinner and served as a captain his senior season. He compiled a .314 batting average in 136 career games, including 115 starts, to go along with 10 homers and 83 RBI. Prior to arriving in East Lansing, the Paducah, Ky. native played his freshman season at St. Catherine (Ky.) College.
Roof batted .308 as a junior in 2008 and was rewarded by being selected in the 46th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Detroit Tigers; however, he elected to return to MSU for his senior year. The decision paid off as the team captain started all 54 games and led the Spartans in batting average (.345), hits (69), doubles (14), RBI (41), slugging percentage (.525) and on-base percentage (.440). For his strong season, Roof was named Michigan State's Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year and jumped 28 rounds in the 2009 MLB Draft as the Tigers picked him up in the 18th round.
Roof is not the only one in his family that has been successful on all levels of baseball. His father, Gene, played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos in the 1980s, and is currently a coach in the Detroit Tigers organization as the baserunning coordinator. Eric's younger brother, Jonathan, was also a three-year letterwinner (2008-10) at MSU as a shortstop and was chosen in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by Texas; he is currently a member of the Boston Red Sox's AA farm club, the Portland Sea Dogs. His older brother, Shawn, played at Illinois and is on the Frederick Keys, a High A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – New Eastern Michigan University Head Baseball Coach Mark Van Ameyde announced on Monday, August 4, that Eric Roof will make the trip with him from Michigan State to EMU, serving as the Eagles' new assistant coach. Roof spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at MSU and will bring his expertise to Ypsilanti by coaching the Eastern's hitters and catchers.
"I am thrilled that Eric is joining me in making the transition from Michigan State to Eastern Michigan," noted Coach Van Ameyde. "Having coached him as a player and then working with him over the last two years, he is more than prepared to help us take the EMU baseball program to a new level. The work ethic, knowledge, attitude and leadership he developed as a player are strong attributes he brings to the table as a coach. Just a few years removed from the game as a player, Eric communicates well with student-athletes and will not stop trying to find ways to help them get the most out of their ability. With the addition of Eric to the coaching staff, I continue to look forward to the bright future of Eastern Michigan Baseball."
With Roof coaching the catchers, the Spartan mask men threw out 39 baserunners on attempted steals throughout the 2014 campaign, leading the Big Ten Conference. Roof coached Joel Fisher, the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year and Third Team All-Big Ten honoree, who was the conference leader in gunning down baserunners with 30. Following the season, Fisher was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Returning to East Lansing as a coach in 2013, the MSU battery caught 27 stealing on the base path while Spartan sluggers hit at a .281 clip to rank fourth in the conference.
Roof played three seasons in the minor leagues (2009-11) for the Tigers organization. He began his professional career in 2009 with the Oneonta Tigers in the Class A New York-Penn League before playing in the New York-Penn League for the Connecticut Tigers in 2010 as well as the West Michigan Whitecaps in the Class A Midwest League. Wrapping up his playing career in 2011, Roof appeared in 40 games with the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the Class A Advanced Florida State League.
As a student-athlete at Michigan State from 2007-09, Roof was a three-year letterwinner and served as a captain his senior season. He compiled a .314 batting average in 136 career games, including 115 starts, to go along with 10 homers and 83 RBI. Prior to arriving in East Lansing, the Paducah, Ky. native played his freshman season at St. Catherine (Ky.) College.
Roof batted .308 as a junior in 2008 and was rewarded by being selected in the 46th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Detroit Tigers; however, he elected to return to MSU for his senior year. The decision paid off as the team captain started all 54 games and led the Spartans in batting average (.345), hits (69), doubles (14), RBI (41), slugging percentage (.525) and on-base percentage (.440). For his strong season, Roof was named Michigan State's Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year and jumped 28 rounds in the 2009 MLB Draft as the Tigers picked him up in the 18th round.
Roof is not the only one in his family that has been successful on all levels of baseball. His father, Gene, played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos in the 1980s, and is currently a coach in the Detroit Tigers organization as the baserunning coordinator. Eric's younger brother, Jonathan, was also a three-year letterwinner (2008-10) at MSU as a shortstop and was chosen in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by Texas; he is currently a member of the Boston Red Sox's AA farm club, the Portland Sea Dogs. His older brother, Shawn, played at Illinois and is on the Frederick Keys, a High A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.
| The Eric Roof File | ||
| Name: | Eric Roof | |
| High School: | St. Mary H.S. - Paducah, Ky. | |
| College: | Michigan State University - Bachelor's in Business - Accounting - 2009 | |
| University of Phoenix - Master's in Business - Accounting - 2012 | ||
| Coaching/Playing Experience | ||
| Year | School/Company | Position |
| 2013-14 | Michigan State University | Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach |
| 2011 | Lakeland Flying Tigers | Player |
| 2010 | Connecticut Tigers/West Michigan Whitecaps | Player |
| 2009 | Oneonta Tigers | Player |
| 2007-09 | Michigan State University | Student-Athlete |
| 2006 | St. Catherine (Ky.) College | Student-Athlete |
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