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Baseball
Jim Foster enters his fifth season as head coach of the Rhode Island baseball program in 2009-10. In his first year at the helm of the program, Foster led the team to a 34-16 record, including a 19-6 finish in the Atlantic 10. The Rams claimed their fourth-consecutive regular-season title and had six different individuals named to the All-Conference teams, including 2006 Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Steve Holmes, who led the nation with a 1.30 ERA. Most recently, Foster guided his 2009 club to victories over No. 8 Miami, No. 11 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Ohio State as well as a program-best 37 wins and a trip to the Atlantic 10 title game. With just two seniors on the team, URI put together what, arguably, is best season in Rhode Island baseball history. The Rams saw seven players collect All-Conference honors, including A-10 Player of the Year and Ping!Baseball National Team honorable mention Dan Rhault. Four Rams earned NEIBA All-New England honors while Nick Greenwood was an ABCA Northeast Region selection and the A-10's first-ever recipient of a Rawlings Gold Glove Award. For URI's successes in 2009, Foster was recognized by CollegeBaseballInsider.com as an honorable mention for the organization's National Coach of the Year award. He also was named the 2009 New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) Division I Coach of the Year, in voting conducted among the association's 17 Division I head coaches. As a team, Rhode Island was recognized as the Top-Ranked Division I Baseball Team in New England by the BoSox Club, the official booster club of the Boston Red Sox. A native of Warwick, R.I., Foster has amassed a 125 victories in just four years at the helm of the URI program. He has produced five MLB draft picks - including four this past season - and boasts the program's highest-ever selection as junior Eric Smith was picked 60th overall in the second round of the 2009 draft. Foster served as Rhode Island's pitching coach and also worked with the team's catchers prior to his appointment as head coach. The Rams' earned run average ranked them in the top-35 nationally in both 2005 and 2006 as three of Foster's pitchers went on to sign professional contracts in the two-year span (Zack Zuercher/St. Louis Cardinals/2005, Mick Lefort/Chicago Cubs/2005 and Steve Holmes/New York Mets/2006). For his efforts, Foster was nominated for the 2005 NCAA Pitching Coach of the Year award. Also in 2005, Foster helped lead Rhode Island to the Atlantic 10 Championship title as well as the program's first trip to the NCAA Regionals, finishing the season with a 34-21 record (18-6 in the Atlantic 10). Foster was an All-Big East and two-time All-New England selection at Providence. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and spent seven years with the organization. He also played in the Arizona Diamondbacks, Anaheim Angels and Chicago White Sox farm systems. He was named Baseball Weekly's Minor League Catcher of the Year in 1997 and was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team in 1993. Foster retired after spending 10 years in the minor leagues. He then spent two years as an assistant coach at Brown where he served as hitting coach and worked with the team's catchers. updated: 12/22/09 |
Friday, Feb 19
Baseballat Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 5:00 PM
Saturday, Feb 20
Baseballat Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 3:00 PM
Sunday, Feb 21
Baseballat Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 2:30 PM
Friday, Feb 26
Baseballat Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 3:00 PM
Saturday, Feb 27
Baseballat Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 1:00 PM
Sunday, Feb 28
Baseballat Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 1:00 PM
Saturday, Mar 6
Baseballvs Maine Winter Haven, Fla. 1:30 PM
Sunday, Mar 7
Baseballvs Bowling Green Winter Haven, Fla. 1:30 PM
Monday, Mar 8
Baseballvs Sacred Heart Winter Haven, Fla. 5:00 PM
Tuesday, Mar 9
Baseballvs Yale Winter Haven, Fla. 4:30 PM
 HEAD COACH: JIM FOSTER
ASST. COACH: STEVE BREITBACH
ASST. COACH: ERIC CIRELLA
ASST. COACH: IDRIS LIASU
DIR. OF BASEBALL OPS.: MATT FINLAYSON
BASEBALL LINKS
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