Kent State Baseball Camps
Golden Flashes Coaching Staff
Mike Birkbeck, Associate Head Coach
Mike Birkbeck, a former major league pitcher, enters his 14th season on the Kent State coaching staff. Promoted to associate head coach in 2004, he is in charge of mentoring Kent State's pitching staff.
Prior to coming to Kent State, Birkbeck spent 14 years playing professionally, his last 10 seasons coming at the AAA and Major-League level. He also spent parts of two seasons playing in Japan with the Yokohama Baystars.
Birkbeck has tutored 19 players who have gone on to be selected in the Major League Baseball draft, including Andy Sonnanstine, who helped the Rays advance to their first ever postseason and World Series appearances in 2008. Against the Chicago White Sox in game four of the division series, Sonnastine recorded the win in Tampa Bay's first ever postseason series victory.
In 2008 Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year Chris Carpenter signed with the Chicago Cubs organization in the summer of 2008.
Also among former Flashes who were drafted, Matt Guerrier '99 (Twins), John VanBenschoten '01 (Pirates), Dirk Hayhurst '03 (Padres) and Andy Sonnanstine '04 (Rays) have appeared in the major league. In addition, he has mentored 17 All-MAC, nine All-MAC Tournament, eight All-Region and four All-American honorees.
Since his hiring in 1997, Birkbeck has also groomed 15 pitchers who have accounted for All-MAC honors 19 times, five All-Midwest region selections and three All-Americans. Several Flash hurlers have broken single-season or career pitching records under his guidance: Dirk Hayhurst, career innings pitched (320.2) and career strikeouts (274) records; Ben Galbreath, career appearances (84); Andy Sonnanstine, career single-season wins (11); Matt Guerrier, single-season strikeouts (103); and Dan Adams, who smashed the single-season (15) and career saves marks (29).
Birkbeck also assists in the evaluation and recruitment of pitchers and is directly responsible for the pitching staff’s winter throwing and workout programs.
He 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, was a four-year letterman, two-time captain, the 1982 Ohio Valley Conference MVP and an all-American with the Zips. He still holds the Akron career record with 24 victories.
A native of Orrville, Birkbeck and his wife, Suzanne, live in Canton with their son, John. John, who is completing his senior season at GlenOak High School, has committed to pitch at Kent State as part of the 2011 recruiting class.
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Scott Daeley, Assistant Coach
Scott Daeley enters his seventh season in the Kent State dugout in 2011. Daeley works primarily with the hitters, outfielders and base-runners.
In six seasons of helping direct Kent State's offensive attack, Daeley has helped the Golden Flashes post a team batting average of .308 and tally 1,194 extra base hits and 2,378 RBIs.
Prior to his arrival at Kent State, Daeley served as a volunteer assistant coach for two years at his alma mater Wake Forest.
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. He earned second team All-ACC honors in 1999 with 27 doubles and 83 runs scored, 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 state 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
