Thomas Honored With ABCA/BA Assistant Coach Accolade

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech baseball assistant coach J-Bob Thomas was named American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year, it was announced today.

It is the first honor for Thomas and the first for a Texas Tech baseball coach in the 19 years of the distinguished award.

Coaching expertise, recruiting, loyalty to the program and respect for the players and the game are some of the many criteria examined when reviewing the candidates for ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year. After a nomination process, the final selection was made by the Baseball America Staff with the approval of the ABCA.

In 2017, Thomas wrapped his fifth season as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for the Red Raiders. Thomas works primarily with the Red Raider catchers and assists with the team's hitters.

The Red Raiders exceled at the plate last season, racking up a team batting average of .305, as eight in the starting lineup finished the year above the team average. It reflected in the overall results for the Red Raiders, as Tech put together a 45-17 record on the way to back-to-back Big 12 championships and the program's second consecutive NCAA National Seed.

Tech also picked up a trio of Big 12 Players of the Year in senior first baseman Hunter Hargrove (Co-Player), sophomore Steven Gingery (Pitcher) and freshman Josh Jung (Freshman). Gingery was also named College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year and was a unanimous first team All-American. Three more Red Raiders earned All-America or Freshman All-America accolades in 2017 in freshman Jung and Grant Little, as well as Hargrove, who also was also recognized as the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger honoree.

Last November, Thomas helped orchestrate the program's fourth-straight top-25 recruiting class, making all four signing classes under head coach Tim Tadlock to land a top-25 ranking. Among those classes, four signees were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft, which includes Josh Naylor, Trent Clark, Tony Santillan and Trevor Rogers.

Since Thomas' arrival to Lubbock on June 20, 2012, 29 players that have been recruited and signed under Thomas have been selected in the MLB Draft, including 17 taken in the first 15 rounds. Last year, five were taken in the top 15 rounds of the draft, with eight overall selected by professional squads.

Thomas will be honored and recognized during the Honors Luncheon at the ABCA Convention in Indianapolis on Jan. 4-7, 2018.

Thomas Honored With ABCA/BA Assistant Coach Accolade

Players Mentioned

Steven Gingery

Hunter Hargrove

Josh Jung

Grant Little

Related Videos