Eastern Michigan Athletics
Baseball
Roof, Eric
Eric Roof
- Title:
- Assistant Baseball Coach
- Phone:
- 734.487.1985
Eric Roof enters his fifth season at the helm of the Eastern Michigan University baseball program and ninth in Ypsilanti. Roof was officially named the Head Coach, June 4, 2018, after spending the 2018 campaign as the squad’s interim head coach.
In 2022, Roof helped guide junior Matt Kirk to his first career MAC Player of the Year honor. Kirk was just the third Eagle to be given the MAC’s ultimate award as Kirk amassed 25 doubles on the year, a mark that led NCAA Division I baseball. His 25 two-baggers tied EMU’s single-season program record (Greg Ryan - 25, 1997). Furthermore, Kirk’s 17 home runs in 2022 are tied for fourth all-time in EMU program history in a single season.
The Green and White bats belted 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.
On the mound, Roof played a big 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. The selection was EMU's fifth MLB draft pick in the last 6 years. Additionally, Eastern Michigan’s 2022 pitching staff officially set a new school record for strikeouts in a season (416) under Roof's guidance. The previous high, set in 2012, was 389.
In 2021, Roof guided three Eagles to All-MAC honors in Mike Monahan (first team), Taylor Hopkins (first team), and Davis Feldman (second team). The squad also tabbed 12 spots on the Academic All-MAC Team. Monahan was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and a CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection in 2021. Monahan is the first EMU player to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-American since John Rubino (2015).
On the mound, the Eagles finished the 2021 season top-five in the Mid-American Conference in ERA, shutouts, and fewest earned runs. In the field, the Green and White finished fifth in fielding percentage and topped the league in double plays turned.
Navigating unprecedented times, Eastern Michigan only played 14 games during the 2020 campaign as a result of the cancellation of the rest of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eastern finished 1-13 overall, but its .973 fielding percentage was the best of any school in the Mid-American Conference in 2020, committing just 13 errors in 477 chances. In addition, the Eagles were one-of-two MAC teams that finished the year with no passed balls.
In 2019, Roof’s squad finished with an 11-43-1 record, including a 6-21 finish in Mid-American Conference play. Although the team did not qualify for the MAC tournament (only the top six regular season teams go), Roof’s unit earned two conference sweeps over MAC West Division foes Bowling Green State University, and the University of Toledo, while also racking up numerous individual awards.
In the classroom, the team finished with a conference-best 3.515 cumulative GPA. Additionally, 12 different Eagles earned Academic All-MAC honors, the most in Roof’s tenure, and the second most in the league, just one behind Western Michigan’s 13 nods. The team GPA was the best across all men’s sports at EMU, and ranked fourth-best among every men’s team in the MAC in 2019. Individually, Zachary Owings was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree for the consecutive year under Roof. Roof’s team also earned MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honors on three different occasions during the 2019 campaign.
Individually, Roof’s guidance led to a slew of awards and accolades for his Eagles following the 2019 season. Most notably, Roof coaches Zachary Owings to his most successful season as an Eagles, where he 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 33rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft. With the selection, Roof has now led a student-athlete to the professional ranks in consecutive seasons, first helping Max Schuemann (drafted by the Oakland A’s), and now Owings, reach their pro potential.
In 2018, Roof guided the Eagles to a 22-34 overall mark, including a 14-13 Mid-American Conference record and a sixth place finish in the conference standings. With the sixth place finish, EMU reached its third straight MAC Tournament, the first time they have gone to three consecutive since 2011-13. The non-conference schedule was highlighted by a 2-1 weekend series win over Oklahoma State, who, later on in the season, would become nationally ranked and receive an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament.
At the end of the season, Zachary Owings, Luke DeVenney, and Max Schuemann were awarded All-MAC honors, the first time EMU has had three honorees in a single season since 2012. Owings was named to the first team after finishing in the top 10 in the MAC in six offensive categories, including a .350 batting average, the highest for an EMU player since 2014.
As a team, EMU had its best team batting average since Roof's arrival in 2015, batting .262, six points higher than the previous best mark of .257 in 2015. They also had the second most hits, runs, doubles, RBIs, on-base percentage points, and walks since 2015 as well. On the base paths, EMU once again finished in the top 20 in the country in stolen bases, ranking 20th in the nation and first in the MAC with 92 swipes.
On the pitching side, Roof's hire of pitching coach A.J. Achter proved fruitful, as EMU had the second-best conference only ERA with a 3.69 mark, 36 points better then the next best team. DeVenney finished with a 2.49 ERA, which was third in the MAC and 70th in the nation, while his 1.93 conference-only ERA was second. The 2.49 ERA was also the lowest for an EMU starter since 2007.
Roof completed his fourth year in Ypsilanti after spending the first three as an assistant coach working with the Eagles' hitters, outfielders and catchers. In 2015, the squad posted a record of 20-35 (9-18 MAC) before a MAC Tournament Semifinals appearance in 2016 when the Eagles went 23-36 (10-14 MAC). Last season, the Green and White posted a record of 27-35 (14-10 MAC) and a strong postseason run for its first MAC Tournament Championship game appearance since 2008.
Last season, the Eagles had five players drive in more than 25 runs led by Second Team All-MAC honoree John Montgomery. The left-handed slugger led Eastern in games (61), average (.289), hits (68), home runs (12), RBIs (49), total bases (117), and slugging (.498). He was one of the top home run hitting threats in the MAC, finishing tied for third. Additionally, outfielder Jordan Peterson had one of the best performances in EMU history against Northern Illinois, May 14, when he had four hits, including three home runs and nine RBIs. His efforts earned him not only MAC Player of the Week status, but also Collegiate Baseball News National Player of the Week accolades.
In 2016, the Eagle offense collected 19 more hits and scored 43 more runs in 2016 than in 2015. The team saw a power surge, slugging 35 points better this season, including clubbing 47 home runs, 28 better than 2015 and the most since 2010. The home run total ranked third in the MAC and 51st in the country.
In his first season coaching the catchers in 2015, Roof helped Tony DiLeo throw out 43 percent of base stealers, which led the Mid-American Conference. As a team, the Eagles threw out the second most would-be base stealers in the Conference.
Before arriving at Eastern Michigan in 2015, Roof spent two years as a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Michigan State University.
At MSU 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 RBIs. 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), RBIs (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 recently retired from coaching 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. His 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. His sister, Jacqueline, was a three-time All-American softball player at Campbellsville University.
In 2022, Roof helped guide junior Matt Kirk to his first career MAC Player of the Year honor. Kirk was just the third Eagle to be given the MAC’s ultimate award as Kirk amassed 25 doubles on the year, a mark that led NCAA Division I baseball. His 25 two-baggers tied EMU’s single-season program record (Greg Ryan - 25, 1997). Furthermore, Kirk’s 17 home runs in 2022 are tied for fourth all-time in EMU program history in a single season.
The Green and White bats belted 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.
On the mound, Roof played a big 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. The selection was EMU's fifth MLB draft pick in the last 6 years. Additionally, Eastern Michigan’s 2022 pitching staff officially set a new school record for strikeouts in a season (416) under Roof's guidance. The previous high, set in 2012, was 389.
In 2021, Roof guided three Eagles to All-MAC honors in Mike Monahan (first team), Taylor Hopkins (first team), and Davis Feldman (second team). The squad also tabbed 12 spots on the Academic All-MAC Team. Monahan was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and a CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection in 2021. Monahan is the first EMU player to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-American since John Rubino (2015).
On the mound, the Eagles finished the 2021 season top-five in the Mid-American Conference in ERA, shutouts, and fewest earned runs. In the field, the Green and White finished fifth in fielding percentage and topped the league in double plays turned.
Navigating unprecedented times, Eastern Michigan only played 14 games during the 2020 campaign as a result of the cancellation of the rest of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eastern finished 1-13 overall, but its .973 fielding percentage was the best of any school in the Mid-American Conference in 2020, committing just 13 errors in 477 chances. In addition, the Eagles were one-of-two MAC teams that finished the year with no passed balls.
In 2019, Roof’s squad finished with an 11-43-1 record, including a 6-21 finish in Mid-American Conference play. Although the team did not qualify for the MAC tournament (only the top six regular season teams go), Roof’s unit earned two conference sweeps over MAC West Division foes Bowling Green State University, and the University of Toledo, while also racking up numerous individual awards.
In the classroom, the team finished with a conference-best 3.515 cumulative GPA. Additionally, 12 different Eagles earned Academic All-MAC honors, the most in Roof’s tenure, and the second most in the league, just one behind Western Michigan’s 13 nods. The team GPA was the best across all men’s sports at EMU, and ranked fourth-best among every men’s team in the MAC in 2019. Individually, Zachary Owings was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree for the consecutive year under Roof. Roof’s team also earned MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honors on three different occasions during the 2019 campaign.
Individually, Roof’s guidance led to a slew of awards and accolades for his Eagles following the 2019 season. Most notably, Roof coaches Zachary Owings to his most successful season as an Eagles, where he 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 33rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft. With the selection, Roof has now led a student-athlete to the professional ranks in consecutive seasons, first helping Max Schuemann (drafted by the Oakland A’s), and now Owings, reach their pro potential.
In 2018, Roof guided the Eagles to a 22-34 overall mark, including a 14-13 Mid-American Conference record and a sixth place finish in the conference standings. With the sixth place finish, EMU reached its third straight MAC Tournament, the first time they have gone to three consecutive since 2011-13. The non-conference schedule was highlighted by a 2-1 weekend series win over Oklahoma State, who, later on in the season, would become nationally ranked and receive an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament.
At the end of the season, Zachary Owings, Luke DeVenney, and Max Schuemann were awarded All-MAC honors, the first time EMU has had three honorees in a single season since 2012. Owings was named to the first team after finishing in the top 10 in the MAC in six offensive categories, including a .350 batting average, the highest for an EMU player since 2014.
As a team, EMU had its best team batting average since Roof's arrival in 2015, batting .262, six points higher than the previous best mark of .257 in 2015. They also had the second most hits, runs, doubles, RBIs, on-base percentage points, and walks since 2015 as well. On the base paths, EMU once again finished in the top 20 in the country in stolen bases, ranking 20th in the nation and first in the MAC with 92 swipes.
On the pitching side, Roof's hire of pitching coach A.J. Achter proved fruitful, as EMU had the second-best conference only ERA with a 3.69 mark, 36 points better then the next best team. DeVenney finished with a 2.49 ERA, which was third in the MAC and 70th in the nation, while his 1.93 conference-only ERA was second. The 2.49 ERA was also the lowest for an EMU starter since 2007.
Roof completed his fourth year in Ypsilanti after spending the first three as an assistant coach working with the Eagles' hitters, outfielders and catchers. In 2015, the squad posted a record of 20-35 (9-18 MAC) before a MAC Tournament Semifinals appearance in 2016 when the Eagles went 23-36 (10-14 MAC). Last season, the Green and White posted a record of 27-35 (14-10 MAC) and a strong postseason run for its first MAC Tournament Championship game appearance since 2008.
Last season, the Eagles had five players drive in more than 25 runs led by Second Team All-MAC honoree John Montgomery. The left-handed slugger led Eastern in games (61), average (.289), hits (68), home runs (12), RBIs (49), total bases (117), and slugging (.498). He was one of the top home run hitting threats in the MAC, finishing tied for third. Additionally, outfielder Jordan Peterson had one of the best performances in EMU history against Northern Illinois, May 14, when he had four hits, including three home runs and nine RBIs. His efforts earned him not only MAC Player of the Week status, but also Collegiate Baseball News National Player of the Week accolades.
In 2016, the Eagle offense collected 19 more hits and scored 43 more runs in 2016 than in 2015. The team saw a power surge, slugging 35 points better this season, including clubbing 47 home runs, 28 better than 2015 and the most since 2010. The home run total ranked third in the MAC and 51st in the country.
In his first season coaching the catchers in 2015, Roof helped Tony DiLeo throw out 43 percent of base stealers, which led the Mid-American Conference. As a team, the Eagles threw out the second most would-be base stealers in the Conference.
Before arriving at Eastern Michigan in 2015, Roof spent two years as a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Michigan State University.
At MSU 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 RBIs. 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), RBIs (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 recently retired from coaching 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. His 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. His sister, Jacqueline, was a three-time All-American softball player at Campbellsville University.
| The Eric Roof File | ||
| Name: | Eric Roof | |
| Hometown: | Paducah, Ky. | |
| College: | Michigan State University - 2009 | |
| Professional Experience | ||
| Year | School/Team | Position |
| 2019-Pres. | Eastern Michigan University | Head Baseball Coach |
| 2018 | Eastern Michigan University | Interim Head Baseball Coach |
| 2015-17 | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Baseball Coach |
| 2013-14 | Michigan State University | Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach |
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