WILMINGTON, Ohio - Wilmington College has found its new head baseball coach as Barry Craddock rose to the top of an impressive pool of candidates during a national search.
"I am thrilled to announce the hiring of Barry Craddock as our next head baseball coach," Senior Director of Athletics Bill Wilson said. "Barry is a proven winner and understands what it takes to be successful at the NCAA Division III level. We are excited to see where he leads our baseball program."
Craddock comes to Wilmington from his alma mater, The College of Wooster, where he has been the head coach for the last four years. The Fighting Scots went 81-57-1 during his tenure including winning an NCAA Division III Regional title in 2022. Wooster fell to eventual national championship runner-up Salisbury University 18-16 in game three of the super regional that season.
Since returning to Wooster prior to the 2008 season, Craddock played a large part in Wooster posting a 485-207-1 record. The Fighting Scots have advanced to the NCAA Div. III World Series twice, with the 2009 squad finishing as the national runner-up. Within the North Coast Athletic Conference, Wooster's won the league title eight times during Craddock's second stretch with the Scots, including four straight from 2016-19, a first in NCAC history.
"I want to thank Senior Director of Athletics Bill Wilson and the search committee team for their confidence in me to lead this program," said Craddock. "Throughout this process, I was impressed with their energy, commitment and vision for the baseball program, Quaker Athletics and the entire campus community. It is obvious that coaches and athletes are highly valued here at Wilmington, and I am proud to join a community that shares my core values."
Craddock previously was an assistant coach at Wooster from 1996-99. The Scots went 154-43-1 during those four years and reached the 1997 NCAA Division III national championship game. In between his stints at Wooster, Craddock transformed the Denison University baseball program into a regular contender for championships in the NCAC. Overall, he compiled a then-school-record 183 victories (183-120) from 2000-07. Highlighting Craddock's tenure were a pair of 30-win seasons, and under him, the Big Red advanced to the finals of the NCAC Tournament three times (2003, 2004, 2005).
During his time as a student at Wooster, Craddock was a member of a Mideast Regional championship team. It was his senior season (1994) when the left-hander went 3-2 with two saves, a 4.32 ERA, and 33 strikeouts over 56 1/3 innings. Over his career, Craddock appeared in 52 games and earned seven saves – the third-most in team history in both categories upon graduation.
"I am excited about the opportunity to mentor our young athletes and help them pursue their dreams, while also challenging them to be excellent in everything they do as students, as citizens and as teammates," Craddock said. "I cannot wait to get after it this fall."
A native of Rittman, Ohio, Craddock earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Wooster and furthered his education with a master's degree in physical education from Ohio University.