Kent State Baseball Camps
Golden Flashes Coaching Staff

Prior to coming to Kent State, Birkbeck spent 14 years playing professionally, with his last 10 seasons at the AAA or major league level. He also spent parts of two seasons playing in the Japanese major leagues with the Yokohama Baystars in Yokohama, Japan.

In 2006, Birkbeck helped guide a young and retooled Golden Flash pitching staff to a Mid American Conference championship, led by senior Chad Wagler’s league leading 10 wins and Ryan Davis’ league high 14 saves. The Golden Flashes have now won three MAC regular season titles and three MAC tournament crowns during Birkbeck’s tenure. In those 10 seasons, KSU is averaging 34 wins per year.

Birkbeck has worked with 18 athletes who have been drafted or signed into professional baseball, including 2004 staff ace, Andy Sonnanstine, who was named 2006 MVP of the Montgomery Biscuits (AA Devil Rays) and most recently, 2006 Houston Astro draft pick Chad Wagler. He has also worked with two former Flashes, Matt Guerrier (Twins) and John VanBenschoten (Pirates) who were on major league rosters in 2006. In addition, he has mentored 15 All-MAC, six all-region and four All-American honorees.

Several Flash pitchers have broken single-season or career pitching records under his guidance: Dirk Hayhurst ‘03, career innings (320.2) and career strikeouts (274) records; Ben Galbreath ‘02, career appearances (84); Dan Adams ‘00, who smashed the single-season (15 ), career saves mark (29) and single season appearances (31); and Andy Sonnanstine, single-season wins (11), single-season strikeouts (117) and single-season innings pitched (125) in 2004.

Birkbeck assists in the evaluation and recruitment of pitchers and is directly responsible for the pitching staff’s off-season individual throwing programs. He also coordinates the Flashes winter and summer youth pitching camps and assists with the throwing portions of all other camps.

Coach Birkbeck is a member of the Orrville Sports Hall of Fame, University of Akron Sports Hall of Fame, Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame, the Richmond Braves 10th anniversary All-Diamond Team and Richmond’s All-Century Team. In summer 2001 he also was inducted into the Greater Akron Baseball Hall of Fame and the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame.

Birkbeck, a 1985 graduate of Akron University with a degree in business administration/marketing, was a four-year letter winner, two-time captain, the 1982 Ohio Valley Conference MVP and an All-American with the Zips. He still holds the Akron career victories record with 24 and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference’s All-Time team.

A native of Orrville, Ohio, Birkbeck and his wife, Suzanne, live in Plain Township with their son, John.

Scott Daeley enters his third season in the Kent State dugout. Daeley has been an assistant coach under Scott Stricklin since August of 2004 and works primarily with the hitters, outfielders and base runners.

Under Daeley’s guidance in 2006, Kent State finished 35th in the nation with a .314 batting average and 19th in runs per game (7.8).

Prior to his arrival at Kent State, Daeley served as a volunteer assistant coach for two years at his alma mater Wake Forest.

The 29-year old Daeley rejoined the Wake Forest baseball program in May 2002 after spending three years in the San Francisco Giants farm system.

Daeley played center field and batted leadoff for the Demon Deacons in 1998 and 1999 and was the catalyst for back-to-back ACC championship teams.

Daeley earned second team All-ACC honors in 1999 with 27 doubles and scored 83 runs, the second most in a single season in Wake Forest baseball history.

A 31st round draft pick following the 1999 season, Daeley reached the Double-A level at Shreveport and also played for San Jose and Salem-Keizer.

Daeley came to Wake Forest from Cypress Junior College in California where he hit .350, set school records for runs scored and stolen bases and was named co-MVP of the 1997 junior college state championships after hitting two home runs in the three-game tournament for the Chargers.

A native of Orange, Calif., Daeley completed his undergraduate requirements in December 2002, earning a degree in business. Scott and his wife Alison reside in Kent.

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Doug Sanders, Assistant Coach