Doug Schreiber Finalizes Purdue Fort Wayne Baseball Coaching Staff
10/3/2019 3:20:00 PM | Baseball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – First-year Purdue Fort Wayne baseball head coach Doug Schreiber has announced his coaching staff for the 2020 campaign.
Brent McNeil has been named the Mastodons' first assistant and pitching coach. Auburn, Indiana native Ken Jones will also serve as an assistant coach. Gordon Cardenas has been named a volunteer assistant and will focus on working with the pitching staff.
Prior to joining the Mastodons, McNeil served as the head coach of the Lafayette Aviators, a summer college baseball league in the Prospect League in Lafayette, Indiana. He was the team's first head coach and recruited over 120 players to Lafayette. McNeil oversaw all facets of the team including on-field organization, travel, meals and youth camps. He assisted with the sale of advertisements and the coordination of host families. His 2017 team won the Prospect League Championship.
Current Mastodon pitchers Tyler Kissinger, Chase Phelps and Cameron Boyd as well as former Mastodon Brandon Phelps played under McNeil for the Aviators.
McNeil served as the pitching coach at NCAA Division I member North Florida in 2016 and 2017. His pitchers led the Atlantic Sun Conference in ERA both seasons, compiling a 3.68 mark in 2016 and a 3.60 mark in 2017. They ranked in the top 50 in ERA in the nation both seasons and helped the Ospreys to a 71-43 combined record. The Ospreys recorded a program-best 438 strikeouts in 2017 and program-low .263 batting average in 2016. Seven of his student-athletes went on to pitch professionally.
Prior to North Florida, McNeil served as the director of baseball operations and camp coordinator at Division I Indiana State from July 2014 to January 2016. He managed the department's recruiting database, assisted with practice, video breakdown of pitchers and placement of players on summer teams in addition to his camp duties.
He served as the pitching coach for the Prospect League member Danville Dans in 2014 and was the associate head coach/pitching coach in the spring of 2014 for Lake Land College. It was at Lake Land where he coached former Mastodon pitcher Mitchell Ley.
McNeil played collegiately at Eastern Illinois. He finished 46th in the nation in ERA in 2011 with a 2.18 mark. It was the fifth-lowest single-season ERA in program history. His 3.89 career ERA was the eighth-best in program history. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and sports studies in 2011. He also played at Lincoln Trail Community College.
"I am very excited that Brent has joined our coaching staff," Schreiber said. "He is a great teacher of the game and his success as both a player and a coach will be extremely valuable to our program and student-athletes."
Jones serves as the lead baseball instructor at the World baseball Academy in Fort Wayne. Since 2004 he has organized group programs, fall leagues and individual baseball lessons. He has instructed more than 20 players who have received Division I scholarships.
Prior to the WBA, Jones was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator from 1999-2004 for Western Michigan. He oversaw and organized recruiting efforts that saw 15 Broncos selected in the MLB Draft and two reach the Majors. He served as a board member for the W Club, the alumni association for WMU athletes. Prior to WMU, Jones was an assistant coach at Ball State from 1996-98, where earned his master's in sports administration in 1998.
Jones played collegiately at Western Michigan, where he was a two-time Academic All-American. He was an All-MAC catcher in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, he graduated with a degree in aviation operations.
Jones was drafted in the 33rd round by the San Diego Padres in the 1995 MLB Draft.
"Ken is one of the best baseball people in the game," Schreiber said. "He will mainly be working with our catchers, outfielders, and hitters but will benefit our program in all areas including recruiting."
Cardenas pitched for three Division I schools and a top junior college. He started his career at the University of Hawaii, where he made 13 appearances and pitched 23 innings as a true freshman. His sophomore season, he pitched for Fullerton College where he threw 75 innings and had a 3.94 ERA. His junior year he pitched for Auburn University where he had a team-leading ERA of 2.70 in 17 appearances and did not allow an earned run in 11 out of 17 games. Cardenas completed his collegiate career as a graduate transfer at Marshall where he led the team with 23 appearances and an opponent batting average of .266. Cardenas was named to the All-Academic team that season.
Following his collegiate career, Cardenas played professionally one year in Mexico as a relief pitcher. A native of Manhattan Beach, California, Cardenas received his master's degree in leadership studies from Marshall and bachelor's degree in public administration from Auburn.
"Gordon is an up-and-coming coach who has great knowledge and passion for the game," Schreiber said. "His addition to our staff will increase the attention our pitchers will receive as he assists Coach McNeil on a daily basis."
The Mastodons open the 2020 season in February.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Brent McNeil has been named the Mastodons' first assistant and pitching coach. Auburn, Indiana native Ken Jones will also serve as an assistant coach. Gordon Cardenas has been named a volunteer assistant and will focus on working with the pitching staff.
Prior to joining the Mastodons, McNeil served as the head coach of the Lafayette Aviators, a summer college baseball league in the Prospect League in Lafayette, Indiana. He was the team's first head coach and recruited over 120 players to Lafayette. McNeil oversaw all facets of the team including on-field organization, travel, meals and youth camps. He assisted with the sale of advertisements and the coordination of host families. His 2017 team won the Prospect League Championship.
Current Mastodon pitchers Tyler Kissinger, Chase Phelps and Cameron Boyd as well as former Mastodon Brandon Phelps played under McNeil for the Aviators.
McNeil served as the pitching coach at NCAA Division I member North Florida in 2016 and 2017. His pitchers led the Atlantic Sun Conference in ERA both seasons, compiling a 3.68 mark in 2016 and a 3.60 mark in 2017. They ranked in the top 50 in ERA in the nation both seasons and helped the Ospreys to a 71-43 combined record. The Ospreys recorded a program-best 438 strikeouts in 2017 and program-low .263 batting average in 2016. Seven of his student-athletes went on to pitch professionally.
Prior to North Florida, McNeil served as the director of baseball operations and camp coordinator at Division I Indiana State from July 2014 to January 2016. He managed the department's recruiting database, assisted with practice, video breakdown of pitchers and placement of players on summer teams in addition to his camp duties.
He served as the pitching coach for the Prospect League member Danville Dans in 2014 and was the associate head coach/pitching coach in the spring of 2014 for Lake Land College. It was at Lake Land where he coached former Mastodon pitcher Mitchell Ley.
McNeil played collegiately at Eastern Illinois. He finished 46th in the nation in ERA in 2011 with a 2.18 mark. It was the fifth-lowest single-season ERA in program history. His 3.89 career ERA was the eighth-best in program history. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and sports studies in 2011. He also played at Lincoln Trail Community College.
"I am very excited that Brent has joined our coaching staff," Schreiber said. "He is a great teacher of the game and his success as both a player and a coach will be extremely valuable to our program and student-athletes."
Jones serves as the lead baseball instructor at the World baseball Academy in Fort Wayne. Since 2004 he has organized group programs, fall leagues and individual baseball lessons. He has instructed more than 20 players who have received Division I scholarships.
Prior to the WBA, Jones was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator from 1999-2004 for Western Michigan. He oversaw and organized recruiting efforts that saw 15 Broncos selected in the MLB Draft and two reach the Majors. He served as a board member for the W Club, the alumni association for WMU athletes. Prior to WMU, Jones was an assistant coach at Ball State from 1996-98, where earned his master's in sports administration in 1998.
Jones played collegiately at Western Michigan, where he was a two-time Academic All-American. He was an All-MAC catcher in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, he graduated with a degree in aviation operations.
Jones was drafted in the 33rd round by the San Diego Padres in the 1995 MLB Draft.
"Ken is one of the best baseball people in the game," Schreiber said. "He will mainly be working with our catchers, outfielders, and hitters but will benefit our program in all areas including recruiting."
Cardenas pitched for three Division I schools and a top junior college. He started his career at the University of Hawaii, where he made 13 appearances and pitched 23 innings as a true freshman. His sophomore season, he pitched for Fullerton College where he threw 75 innings and had a 3.94 ERA. His junior year he pitched for Auburn University where he had a team-leading ERA of 2.70 in 17 appearances and did not allow an earned run in 11 out of 17 games. Cardenas completed his collegiate career as a graduate transfer at Marshall where he led the team with 23 appearances and an opponent batting average of .266. Cardenas was named to the All-Academic team that season.
Following his collegiate career, Cardenas played professionally one year in Mexico as a relief pitcher. A native of Manhattan Beach, California, Cardenas received his master's degree in leadership studies from Marshall and bachelor's degree in public administration from Auburn.
"Gordon is an up-and-coming coach who has great knowledge and passion for the game," Schreiber said. "His addition to our staff will increase the attention our pitchers will receive as he assists Coach McNeil on a daily basis."
The Mastodons open the 2020 season in February.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
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