Jonathan Roof is in his third year as a member of brother Eric Roof’s staff, after being named an assistant coach of the EMU baseball team for the 2019 season.

At the plate, Roof helped Eastern’s offense launch 81 homers in 2022, a mark that was good for third in EMU program history in a single season. Additionally, the squad’s 1.45 home runs per game is the first time since 2009 the program has earned a mark over 1.0.

Roof also aided in Matt Kirk earning MAC Player of the Year, First Team All-MAC, and an All-MAC Defensive Team in 2022 while Daniel Warkentin earned Second Team All-MAC honors. Roof also played a role in helping Eagle hurler Cameron Wagoner get drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers organization. The selection was EMU's fifth MLB draft pick in the last six years.

Roof guided Eastern’s defense to a fielding percentage of .967 in 2021, good for fifth in the Mid-American Conference. In the field, EMU finished top-five in fielding percentage and fewest errors.Additionally, shortstop Taylor Hopkins led the entire conference in defensive assists (129) in 2021 while the Eagles also led the league in double plays turned (38).

Navigating unprecedented times, Eastern Michigan was 1-13 in 2020 campaign as a result of the cancellation of the rest of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roof aided the Eagles to its .973 fielding clip, committing just 13 errors in 477 chances. The fielding percentage was the best of any school in the Mid-American Conference in 2020, In addition, the Eagles were one-of-two MAC teams that finished the year with no passed balls. Also working with the hitters, Jonathan Roof helped the Eagles showed some signs of change for the better through the first 14 games of 2020 compared to the first 14 of the 2019 season. The Eagles recorded 63 runs, 110 hits, and 56 RBIs, which is improved from the same stretch that started the 2019 campaign of 56 runs, 106 hits and 43 RBIs.

In 2019, Jonathan Roof helped redefine the EMU defense, and worked with EMU hitters to find new success. His efforts helped lead Zachary Owings to be named a Second Team All-MAC and All-MAC Defensive Team selection following the 2019 season.

The team’s primary hitting coach, Jonathan Roof led an offense that amassed better than 450 hits, and a .338 on-base percentage. Jonathan Roof’s star hitter, Owings, led the team in batting (.345), slugging (.527), on-base percentage (.395), stolen bases (14), runs (38), doubles (18), as well as hits (76), and RBIs (34). Following the season, Owings was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 33^rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft.

Jonathan Roof came to Ypsilanti after a stint at the University of Missouri as the teams' volunteer assistant coach in 2018. While with the Tigers, Jonathan Roof served as the defensive coordinator, as well as the first base coach. He helped take the Mizzou defense from 195th in the country in fielding percentage in 2017, to seventh in the nation in 2018.

Before joining the Missouri coaching staff, Jonathan Roof returned to Michigan State in 2016 as a student assistant coach as he finished up his undergraduate degree. While back with the Spartans, he assisted the infielders and offense, while also helping with camps and other daily office duties.

The Paducah, Ky. native spent six seasons as a professional baseball player in the Red Sox, Phillies, Padres, and Rangers systems, as well as a season with the New Britain Bees in the Atlantic League. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Rangers. Jonathan Roof finished his career in AAA with the Pawtucket Red Sox, and batted .254 in 504 career games, while belting 18 home runs, driving in 176 runners, and stealing 35 bags, all while playing every infield and outfield position. He was a Carolina League All-Star in 2014, as well as an organizational All-Star for Philadelphia in 2013.

During his time as a three-year letterwinner for the Spartans, Jonathan Roof started all 160 games he played in during his three-year career. He then bypassed his senior season of eligibility after getting drafted by the Rangers. At the time, he was the highest Spartan drafted since Bob Malek was chosen in the fourth round in 2002.

As a Spartan, the Paducah, Ky. native hit .299 for his career, registering 188 hits with 31 doubles, five triples, seven home runs, 95 RBI and 31 stolen bases. Defensively, Jonathan Roof had a .948 career fielding percentage with 481 assists.

In his 2010 junior season, Roof ranked tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference in the regular season with 53 runs scored, and hit .317 with four homers and 43 RBIs. Roof also collected 72 hits, 16 stolen bases, 13 doubles and owned a .372 on-base percentage.

During the regular season, the slick fielding shortstop led the league in assists (173) and tied for fifth in fielding double plays (43); both of those marks were school single-season records at the time.

For his efforts in 2010, Roof became the first Spartan since 2006 to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors. Roof was also selected in the MLB Draft out of high school in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox.

Jonathan completed his degree in social science at MSU in August of 2017. He is a 2007 graduate of St. Mary High School.

The Roof family is well known in the baseball world, as Eric and Jonathan's relatives have made marks all over the professional and college ranks. Their father, Gene, played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos in the 1980s, and recently retired from coaching in the Detroit Tigers organization as the outfield/baserunning coordinator. Their older brother, Shawn, played at Illinois and was with the Frederick Keys, a High A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. He is now the manager for the Visalia Rawhide, the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Finally, their younger sister, Jacqueline, was a three-time All-American softball player at Campbellsville University.

THE JONATHAN ROOF FILE
Name:	Jonathan Roof
Hometown:	Paducah, Ky.
College:	Michigan State University - Bachelor's degree in social science - 2017

Professional Experience
Year	School/Company	Position
2019-Pres.	Eastern Michigan University	Assistant Baseball Coach
2017-18	University of Missouri	Volunteer Assistant Coach
2016-17	Michigan State University	Student Assistant Coach

Name	Title	Phone	Email Address
Eric Roof	Head Coach	734.487.1985
Jonathan Roof	Assistant Coach	734.487.1985	jroof2@emich.edu
Aaron Hilt	Assistant Coach	734.487.1985	ahilt@emich.edu

Eastern Michigan Athletics

2022 Baseball Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff