A 2003 Wabash graduate will become the next head baseball coach for the Little Giants. President Gregory Hess announced today that veteran coach Jake Martin '03 will join the college's athletics department as head baseball coach.
Martin comes to Wabash from DePauw, where he spent six seasons as head coach and six more as an assistant for the Tigers.
"I am excited to welcome Jake Martin back home to our alma mater as the leader of our baseball program," Wabash dean of students Mike Raters said. "Jake's knowledge of our culture, recruiting territory, and program history — coupled with his head coaching success — enabled him to rise to the forefront of a deep and excellent pool of candidates."
Martin amassed a 161-138 record as the head coach at DePauw. His 2012 team posted a 34-14 record, won the North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division, and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. Martin's 2014 team won the NCAC Tournament and earned a third-place finish at the NCAA Central Regional. Martin coached the Tigers to a first-place finish in the NCAC Western division in 2015 and a second-place finish in the NCAC tournament in 2016.
"I'm extremely excited to return to Wabash," Martin said. "I feel very fortunate to be given this opportunity. Wabash is a great school; it is a place where you can challenge yourself academically and athletically."
Martin majored in psychology at Wabash and earned a master's degree from Indiana State University in 2005. He earned four varsity letters on the Wabash baseball team, hitting .374 for his career and winning 13 games as a pitcher. As a senior captain, he went 5-1 on the mound, hit .378 in 40 games, and earned team MVP honors. He was a two-time All-NCAC selection.
While coaching across the diamond from the Little Giants in 2016, Martin was impressed with what he saw. "This is a young team and they were a fun group to watch. They're athletic and play hard. I'm very excited to work with the juniors and seniors who have played in a lot of big games."
"Jake is a proven coach both in the North Coast Athletic Conference and at the national level," Wabash athletic director Joe Haklin said. "He has enjoyed tremendous success recruiting to an Indiana liberal arts college. He knows what the challenges are and how to find players to meet those challenges. I think his learning curve will be virtually non-existent."
During his six years as an assistant coach, Martin helped guide DePauw to a pair of Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference East Division titles, including the 2008 team that won a school-record 35 games was ranked 15th in the final ABCA poll.
Raters, who also played baseball at Wabash and was a successful high school coach earlier in his career, said that Martin's teams play hard, smart, and with passion. "His teams get better because his players, individually and collectively, improve from March to May each season, and also from their freshman to senior years. He has a vision and passion for accomplishing this, and I am eager to see the impact this approach will have on our student-athletes, both on and off the field."
Martin begins his duties July 15. He replaces Cory Stevens, who resigned in June.