Eastern Michigan Athletics
Baseball
Alexander, Jay
Jay Alexander
- Title:
- Head Baseball Coach
- Email:
- jay.alexander@emich.edu
- Phone:
- 734.487.0315
The 2014 season will mark the sixth season for Jay Alexander as Eastern Michigan University's head baseball coach. Prior to joining the program in 2008, Alexander spent six seasons as the head baseball coach at Wayne State University.
The 41-year-old Alexander becomes the first African-American head coach in EMU baseball history.
In his fifth season at the helm of the program, Alexander led the team to a 26-28 record, just missing out on a return to the Mid-American Conference Tournament. While the end to the season was disappointing for the Eagles, they did help their coach record a milestone victory with a 20-2 thumping over Purdue University, May 14. The victory over the Boilermakers was the 300th career win for Alexander, as his team set season-highs with 20 runs and 24 hits. The last time EMU scored at least 20-or-more runs in a contest was March 20, 2010, when the Green and White drove in 23 during a victory over West Virginia University. Meanwhile, the 24 base hits are the most since EMU pounded out 27 hits in a 27-7 victory over Bowling Green State University, April 8, 2009. Another highlight to the season was the Eagles taking down No. 26-ranked Notre Dame, May 1. Alexander's ballclub picked up its first win over a ranked opponent for the first time since Feb. 18, 2011, when the Eagles beat the No. 4 ranked Clemson Tigers, 7-6.
Alexander’s 2012 group continued a streak of seven consecutive seasons of qualifying for the MAC Tournament with a 14-13 record in league play. Led by 33rd-round draft pick Steve Weber, Alexander’s pitching staff recorded a school-record 389 strikeouts to surpass the 2010 team’s mark of 387. Weber, who was drafted with the 1007th pick of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, became the fourth player taken in the draft during Alexander’s tenure. The junior righty tossed three complete games on the season including a 10-inning gem in the MAC Tournament against Miami. In addition, Matt Hitt and Ben Magsig also signed professional contracts with the Arizona Centennials and the London Rippers, respectively. Several of Alexander’s players were recognized for their combined academic and athletic achievements in 2012 as Brent Ohrman and Bo Kinder were each selected first-team Capital One Academic All-District. Ohrman and Kinder also joined Weber, Sam Ott and Tucker Rubino on the Academic All-MAC team to tie EMU with the University of Toledo for most representatives of any school on that list.
In 2011, Alexander’s squad compiled a 37-22 record, the most victories in a single season since the 1982 team won 39. EMU posted its best start to a season (30-15) since 1976, a year in which the team advanced to the College World Series. The Eagles also tied for the longest winning streak in the nation with 11 consecutive victories from April 12-May 4. In non-conference action, the Eagles topped fourth-ranked Clemson, West Virginia, Cleveland State, Michigan Sate., and won series against Kansas, Tennessee Tech, Presbyterian College, Austin Peay, Michigan, and Louisville.
Alexander won his 250th-career game as a head coach when the Eagles topped Northern Illinois, 4-2, in the MAC Tournament.
In addition, EMU led the MAC in batting average and several other offensive categories. Under Alexander, EMU baseball led all MAC schools by placing four student-athletes on the Academic All-MAC squad: Ken Battiston, Corey Chaffins, Zack Leonard and Brent Ohrman. Chaffins surpassed Anthony Tomey (249) for third all-time in career strikeouts with 256. Leonard’s stellar career had him finishing for first all-time in EMU history with 315 career hits, 63 doubles and 927 at-bats. Leonard and Robert Wendzicki earned 2011 Mid-American Conference All-Tournament accolades for their stellar performances in the MAC Tournament. Pitchers Tim Combs and Wendzicki each signed professional contracts. Combs signed with the Gateway Grizzlies and Wendzicki with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League.
In 2010, Alexander led the Eagles to two more wins than the previous year, with the team again earning the No. 7 seed in the MAC Tournament, where they finished with a 2-2 mark. Overall, Alexander had one first-team All-MAC selection in Kendall Lewis, who also earned four national player of the week awards during the regular season. As a whole, the 2010 Eastern Michigan pitching staff recorded 387 strikeouts – the most by any team in school history. The previous record was held by the 1975 EMU baseball team that finished fifth at the College World Series. Alexander's Eagles also got it done in the classroom, with junior Corey Chaffins earning ESPN The Magazine second-team All-District IV honors.
In his first season at EMU, Alexander led the Eagles to a third place finish in the Mid-American Conference West Division, earning a No. 7 seed in the MAC Tournament. Alexander led the Eagles to a 5-4 record against the Big Ten Conference, including wins over regionally bound Ohio State and Indiana, as well as a three wins over in-state rivals Michigan and Michigan State. As a team, the 2009 Eagles hit 100 home runs – the most by any EMU team in a single season in school history. Alexander had three players earn All-MAC honors in his first year, one player earn National Player of the Week honors, and one player earn Academic All-American accolades. Alexander also had two players drafted in his first season, as junior Jim Gulliver was picked in the 20th round by the Detroit Tigers, while senior Kyle Rhoad was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 33rd round. Alexander's Eagles also performed well in the classroom, as EMU placed a league best four players on the 2009 Academic All-MAC squad.
The eighth head coach in Wayne State history, Alexander saw his 2008 squad turn in one of the most memorable years in school history. The Warriors recorded a school-record 34 wins, against just 19 losses, won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular-season and made it all the way to the championship game of the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. In addition, pitcher Anthony Bass and utility player Adam Kaminski were the first WSU players to earn All-American honors since the 1978 season.
During his six-year tenure, Alexander’s Wayne State teams averaged 27 wins a season. He was named GLIAC Coach of the Year twice, in both 2005 and 2008 and the Warriors qualified for the NCAA Division II Regional Championship in both of those seasons. He led the 2005 Warriors to the GLIAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament. That 2005 squad recorded 32 regular-season victories to earn its first-ever trip to the NCAA Regional Championship. In addition, shortstop Frank Jeney was named GLIAC Player of the Year.
In all, Alexander coached 12 All-Region players, 37 All-GLIAC selections and has landed 71 on the GLIAC All-Academic squad. Under Alexander, Wayne State also had its first player sign a major league contract since 1999 when Randy Surratt joined the Chicago White Sox organization after WSU's 2003 season. Then in 2005, Steve Squires became the first Wayne State player to be selected in the Major League draft when the White Sox picked him in the 49th round. In 2008, Anthony Bass was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round (165th pick overall).
A native of Detroit, Alexander was a standout shortstop and centerfielder at Wayne State from 1993-96. He led the Warriors in hits, runs scored, stolen bases and batting average while a senior and was nationally ranked in all of those categories. He was a first-team All-GLIAC and All-Regional player that season.
Alexander stayed at Wayne State to serve as a baseball assistant under legendary head coach Rod George for five seasons before becoming the head coach in December 2002 when George passed away.
Alexander, his wife, Kia, two-year-old old daughter, Ryleigh, and newborn son, Carter, reside in Redford, Mich.
THE JAY ALEXANDER FILE
Full Name: Jay Alexander
High School: Benedictine H.S. (Graduated in 1990)
College: Wayne State University (Graduated in 1996 - bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Technology)
Marygrove College (Graduated in 2002 - master’s in human resource management)
Family: Wife: Kia; Daughter: Ryleigh (One year old)
JAY ALEXANDER’S BASEBALL COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Career Record: 301-296
Eastern Michigan University, 2009-present (five seasons)
- 2013: 26-28, 12-15 MAC (4th-West)
- 2012: 25-31, 14-13 MAC (4th-West)
- 2011: 37-22, 16-11 MAC (2nd-West)
- 2010: 27-32, 13-14 MAC (4th-West)
- 2009: 25-35, 13-14 MAC (3rd-West)
Wayne State University, 2003-08 (six seasons)
- 2008: 34-19, 23-5 GLIAC*
- 2007: 29-22, 17-13 GLIAC
- 2006: 19-34, 17-14 GLIAC
- 2005: 32-19, 19-8 GLIAC*
- 2004: 25-28, 15-12 GLIAC
- 2003: 22-26, 10-16 GLIAC
* GLIAC Champions/NCAA Tournament qualifier
COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS/AWARDS:
Eastern Michigan University
- 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 MAC Tournament qualifier
- One Academic All-American
- Two National Players of the Week
- 12 All-MAC selections
- 19 Academic All-MAC selections
- 24 MAC Players/Pitchers of the Week
- Eight MAC Scholar Athletes of the Week
- Eight Academic All-District selections
- Four players selected in MLB Draft
Wayne State University
- Two-time GLIAC Coach of the Year (2005 & 2008)
- Four-time GLIAC Tournament qualifier
- Two-time NCAA Regional qualifier
- Most wins (34) in school history in 2008
- Two All-Americans in 2008
The 41-year-old Alexander becomes the first African-American head coach in EMU baseball history.
In his fifth season at the helm of the program, Alexander led the team to a 26-28 record, just missing out on a return to the Mid-American Conference Tournament. While the end to the season was disappointing for the Eagles, they did help their coach record a milestone victory with a 20-2 thumping over Purdue University, May 14. The victory over the Boilermakers was the 300th career win for Alexander, as his team set season-highs with 20 runs and 24 hits. The last time EMU scored at least 20-or-more runs in a contest was March 20, 2010, when the Green and White drove in 23 during a victory over West Virginia University. Meanwhile, the 24 base hits are the most since EMU pounded out 27 hits in a 27-7 victory over Bowling Green State University, April 8, 2009. Another highlight to the season was the Eagles taking down No. 26-ranked Notre Dame, May 1. Alexander's ballclub picked up its first win over a ranked opponent for the first time since Feb. 18, 2011, when the Eagles beat the No. 4 ranked Clemson Tigers, 7-6.
Alexander’s 2012 group continued a streak of seven consecutive seasons of qualifying for the MAC Tournament with a 14-13 record in league play. Led by 33rd-round draft pick Steve Weber, Alexander’s pitching staff recorded a school-record 389 strikeouts to surpass the 2010 team’s mark of 387. Weber, who was drafted with the 1007th pick of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, became the fourth player taken in the draft during Alexander’s tenure. The junior righty tossed three complete games on the season including a 10-inning gem in the MAC Tournament against Miami. In addition, Matt Hitt and Ben Magsig also signed professional contracts with the Arizona Centennials and the London Rippers, respectively. Several of Alexander’s players were recognized for their combined academic and athletic achievements in 2012 as Brent Ohrman and Bo Kinder were each selected first-team Capital One Academic All-District. Ohrman and Kinder also joined Weber, Sam Ott and Tucker Rubino on the Academic All-MAC team to tie EMU with the University of Toledo for most representatives of any school on that list.
In 2011, Alexander’s squad compiled a 37-22 record, the most victories in a single season since the 1982 team won 39. EMU posted its best start to a season (30-15) since 1976, a year in which the team advanced to the College World Series. The Eagles also tied for the longest winning streak in the nation with 11 consecutive victories from April 12-May 4. In non-conference action, the Eagles topped fourth-ranked Clemson, West Virginia, Cleveland State, Michigan Sate., and won series against Kansas, Tennessee Tech, Presbyterian College, Austin Peay, Michigan, and Louisville.
Alexander won his 250th-career game as a head coach when the Eagles topped Northern Illinois, 4-2, in the MAC Tournament.
In addition, EMU led the MAC in batting average and several other offensive categories. Under Alexander, EMU baseball led all MAC schools by placing four student-athletes on the Academic All-MAC squad: Ken Battiston, Corey Chaffins, Zack Leonard and Brent Ohrman. Chaffins surpassed Anthony Tomey (249) for third all-time in career strikeouts with 256. Leonard’s stellar career had him finishing for first all-time in EMU history with 315 career hits, 63 doubles and 927 at-bats. Leonard and Robert Wendzicki earned 2011 Mid-American Conference All-Tournament accolades for their stellar performances in the MAC Tournament. Pitchers Tim Combs and Wendzicki each signed professional contracts. Combs signed with the Gateway Grizzlies and Wendzicki with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League.
In 2010, Alexander led the Eagles to two more wins than the previous year, with the team again earning the No. 7 seed in the MAC Tournament, where they finished with a 2-2 mark. Overall, Alexander had one first-team All-MAC selection in Kendall Lewis, who also earned four national player of the week awards during the regular season. As a whole, the 2010 Eastern Michigan pitching staff recorded 387 strikeouts – the most by any team in school history. The previous record was held by the 1975 EMU baseball team that finished fifth at the College World Series. Alexander's Eagles also got it done in the classroom, with junior Corey Chaffins earning ESPN The Magazine second-team All-District IV honors.
In his first season at EMU, Alexander led the Eagles to a third place finish in the Mid-American Conference West Division, earning a No. 7 seed in the MAC Tournament. Alexander led the Eagles to a 5-4 record against the Big Ten Conference, including wins over regionally bound Ohio State and Indiana, as well as a three wins over in-state rivals Michigan and Michigan State. As a team, the 2009 Eagles hit 100 home runs – the most by any EMU team in a single season in school history. Alexander had three players earn All-MAC honors in his first year, one player earn National Player of the Week honors, and one player earn Academic All-American accolades. Alexander also had two players drafted in his first season, as junior Jim Gulliver was picked in the 20th round by the Detroit Tigers, while senior Kyle Rhoad was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 33rd round. Alexander's Eagles also performed well in the classroom, as EMU placed a league best four players on the 2009 Academic All-MAC squad.
The eighth head coach in Wayne State history, Alexander saw his 2008 squad turn in one of the most memorable years in school history. The Warriors recorded a school-record 34 wins, against just 19 losses, won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular-season and made it all the way to the championship game of the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. In addition, pitcher Anthony Bass and utility player Adam Kaminski were the first WSU players to earn All-American honors since the 1978 season.
During his six-year tenure, Alexander’s Wayne State teams averaged 27 wins a season. He was named GLIAC Coach of the Year twice, in both 2005 and 2008 and the Warriors qualified for the NCAA Division II Regional Championship in both of those seasons. He led the 2005 Warriors to the GLIAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament. That 2005 squad recorded 32 regular-season victories to earn its first-ever trip to the NCAA Regional Championship. In addition, shortstop Frank Jeney was named GLIAC Player of the Year.
In all, Alexander coached 12 All-Region players, 37 All-GLIAC selections and has landed 71 on the GLIAC All-Academic squad. Under Alexander, Wayne State also had its first player sign a major league contract since 1999 when Randy Surratt joined the Chicago White Sox organization after WSU's 2003 season. Then in 2005, Steve Squires became the first Wayne State player to be selected in the Major League draft when the White Sox picked him in the 49th round. In 2008, Anthony Bass was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round (165th pick overall).
A native of Detroit, Alexander was a standout shortstop and centerfielder at Wayne State from 1993-96. He led the Warriors in hits, runs scored, stolen bases and batting average while a senior and was nationally ranked in all of those categories. He was a first-team All-GLIAC and All-Regional player that season.
Alexander stayed at Wayne State to serve as a baseball assistant under legendary head coach Rod George for five seasons before becoming the head coach in December 2002 when George passed away.
Alexander, his wife, Kia, two-year-old old daughter, Ryleigh, and newborn son, Carter, reside in Redford, Mich.
THE JAY ALEXANDER FILE
Full Name: Jay Alexander
High School: Benedictine H.S. (Graduated in 1990)
College: Wayne State University (Graduated in 1996 - bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Technology)
Marygrove College (Graduated in 2002 - master’s in human resource management)
Family: Wife: Kia; Daughter: Ryleigh (One year old)
JAY ALEXANDER’S BASEBALL COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Career Record: 301-296
Eastern Michigan University, 2009-present (five seasons)
- 2013: 26-28, 12-15 MAC (4th-West)
- 2012: 25-31, 14-13 MAC (4th-West)
- 2011: 37-22, 16-11 MAC (2nd-West)
- 2010: 27-32, 13-14 MAC (4th-West)
- 2009: 25-35, 13-14 MAC (3rd-West)
Wayne State University, 2003-08 (six seasons)
- 2008: 34-19, 23-5 GLIAC*
- 2007: 29-22, 17-13 GLIAC
- 2006: 19-34, 17-14 GLIAC
- 2005: 32-19, 19-8 GLIAC*
- 2004: 25-28, 15-12 GLIAC
- 2003: 22-26, 10-16 GLIAC
* GLIAC Champions/NCAA Tournament qualifier
COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS/AWARDS:
Eastern Michigan University
- 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 MAC Tournament qualifier
- One Academic All-American
- Two National Players of the Week
- 12 All-MAC selections
- 19 Academic All-MAC selections
- 24 MAC Players/Pitchers of the Week
- Eight MAC Scholar Athletes of the Week
- Eight Academic All-District selections
- Four players selected in MLB Draft
Wayne State University
- Two-time GLIAC Coach of the Year (2005 & 2008)
- Four-time GLIAC Tournament qualifier
- Two-time NCAA Regional qualifier
- Most wins (34) in school history in 2008
- Two All-Americans in 2008
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