Accomplishments:
2019: MLB Draft Pick - Corey Joyce
2019: MEAC Player of the Year - Corey Joyce
2019: MEAC Rookie of the Year - Ryan Miller
2019: Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American - Ryan Miller
2019: Two NCSSIA All-State Selections
2019: Five All-MEAC Selections
2019: 10 MEAC All-Academic Selections
2018: Technical Advisor with Collegiate National Team with USA Baseball
2018: Manager with USA Baseball 14U National Development Program
2018: School Record for wins (28)
2018: First winning record in program history
2018: First MEAC Player of the Year - Corey Joyce
2018: Six All-MEAC Selections
2018: Two NCSSIA All-State Selections
2018: Academic All-American - Andrew Valichka
2017: Three Collegiate Baseball All-America Selections
2017: MEAC Rookie of the Year - Corey Joyce
2017: Six All-MEAC Selections
2017: Two NCSSIA All-State Selections
2016: MLB Draft Pick - Andrew Vernon
2016: Seven All-MEAC Selections
2016: Two: NCSSIA All-State Selections
2016: Academic All-American - James Dey
2015: One All-MEAC Selection
2015: One NCBWA Freshman All-American Selection
2015: One NCSSIA All-State Selection
2014: 17 All-MEAC Academic Selections
2014: Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American (Carlos Ortiz)
2014: MEAC Rookie of the Year (Carlos Ortiz)
2014: Three All-MEAC Selections
2014: Four NCCSIA All-State Team Selections
2013: School Record for wins (27)
2013: Two All-MEAC Selections
2013: Three All-MEAC Tournament Selections
2013: 12 All-MEAC Academic Selections
2013: One Academic All-American
2013: First NCAA Division I baseball student-athlete at NCCU to sign professional contract
(Michael Romano)
2012: No. 30 Biggest Improvement in Division I Baseball
2012: One All-MEAC Selection
2012: Two All-MEAC Tournament Selections
2012: Nine All-MEAC Academic Selections
On June 16, 2011, Jim Koerner was named the second head coach in NCCU’s modern-day baseball history. He came to NCCU after five seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the University at Buffalo baseball team.
The Eagles captured a fourth consecutive 20-win season in 2019, and also clinched a winning season at home at the Durham Athletic Park for the seventh season in-a-row. NCCU had five student-athletes recognized for all-conference honors, including Corey Joyce who won MEAC Player of the Year for a second-straight year, and Ryan Miller earned MEAC Rookie of the Year honors after setting an NCCU rookie record with 73 strikeouts on the mound.
Corey Joyce was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 12th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, making him the highest selection in program history, and the second overall Eagle picked up in the MLB Draft after a tremendous career that saw him lead with the highest career batting average (.348), and slugging percentage (.527) in the modern era at NCCU.
2018 was a big year for the Eagles as they won a school record 28 games, and finished with a winning record for the first time in program’s modern era. NCCU got off to its best start in program history with a 9-3 record, and garnered votes in the NCBWA Top-30 poll for the first time. Corey Joyce also became the first Eagle to be named MEAC Player of the Year as he set a new record for doubles with 15. As a team, the Eagles once again excelled at the plate as they set team records for doubles with 94 and runs batted in with 292. NCCU also hit the second-most home runs in program history with 36 and scored the second-most runs with 325. The Eagle pitching staff led the MEAC with 402 strikeouts, which is the second-most in a single season at NCCU, and also held opponents to a .251 batting average to lead the MEAC and set a new single-season mark. They also led the league with just 209 earned runs allowed, the second-fewest allowed in a season at NCCU.
Over the summer in 2018, Koerner worked as a coach twice with the USA Baseball Program. He coached with the Collegiate National Team during the 18th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series from June 28 to July 2, and Team USA swept all five games. He later served as manager of the Stars Team with the 14U (Under-14) National Development Program during a week of highly developed on-field and off-field National Team instruction and education.
The Eagles surpassed themselves at the plate during the 2017 campaign, with a modern-era best batting average of .293 along with a new record of 93 doubles. NCCU also had the second-most hits with 481, second-most runs scored with 314, second-highest slugging percentage at .415 and second-highest on base percentage at .393.
Three Eagles were named to the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American team, as Corey Joyce, Carter Williams and Jake Raby all had strong seasons. Joyce also became the second Eagle to be named MEAC Rookie of the Year after hitting .344 and driving in a team-high 43 RBI, the third-most in the modern-era in a single season and was also a Second Team NCCSIA All-State pick. Williams broke the single season hit record in the modern-era with 72 hits, and was named Second Team All-MEAC and joined Joyce on the Second Team NCCSIA All-State list. Raby was a Third-Team All-MEAC selection and was top-10 in the league in RBI with 31 and in doubles with 12.
In 2016, the NCCU baseball program reached a new height as Andrew Vernon became the first MLB draft pick after being selected in in the 28th round by the Milwaukee Brewers following a career where he became the modern-era leader in saves with 15 and ERA with 3.89. The Eagles as a team finished third in the Southern Division and collected the second-most wins in the modern era with 25 on the way to advancing to the second round of the MEAC tournament.
The Eagles were strong at the plate during the season, and set new modern-era records with hits (493), doubles (87), home runs (43), total bases (727) and on the mound the pitching staff set a new record with strikeouts (410). Vernon and Alex Dandridge were named Second Team NCSSIA All-State, Carlos Ortiz once again was named First Team All-MEAC as one of seven all-conference selections, and Ellington Hopkins set a new single-season record with 66 total hits. Academically, James Dey became the first NCCU male student-athlete to be named to the Academic All-America First Team.
During the 2015 season the Eagles were once again in the hunt for a division title, and featured one of the best pitching staffs in NCCU’s modern era. The team kept the second-lowest earned run average (4.55) and second-lowest opposing batting average (.286) in the program’s modern history.
Carlos Ortiz followed up being named MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2014 by earning First Team All-MEAC honors after hitting a modern era school record 11 home runs during the 2015 season. Freshman pitcher Devin Sweet was named to the NCBWA Freshman All-American Team, and reliever Andrew Vernon was tabbed for Second Team NCSSIA All-State honors.
Professionally, Eric Kimber signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals and competed as a pitcher in the Arizona Rookie League and was invited to participate in the Fall Camp.
In 2014, Koerner and the Eagles were right in the thick of the MEAC’s Southern Division race throughout the entire season, putting together one of the best season’s offensively since the program restarted. NCCU recorded 454 hits, the second-most since 2007, and ripped a Division I high 22 home runs, along with the most doubles in the modern era of the program (75).
Individually, Carlos Ortiz earned the program’s first MEAC Rookie of the Year honors, while Tyson Simpson and Carter Williamson also earned spots on the All-MEAC squads.
New standards were set in the 2013 campaign for Koerner and his program as the Eagles set a new modern era record with 27 wins overtaking the 21 victories collected in the 2007 season, the only year NCCU played at the NCAA Division II level. Despite finishing third in the Southern Division and dropping its opening round matchup against Norfolk State in the 2013 MEAC Baseball Championships, the Eagles recovered to win two of the next three to advance all the way to semifinals as one of the four remaining teams left in the tournament, going 2-2 during the week.
For the second straight season, Luis Diaz earned first team All-MEAC honors, while Glenn Frye became the first pitcher at the NCAA Division I level to earn postseason praise after being added to the second team All-MEAC roster. Diaz also earned All-Tournament team honors along with redshirt sophomore Eric Kimber and junior Troy Marrow.
Off the field, Gavin Guarrera with his 3.93 GPA was named both Capital One Academic All-American (third team) and to the 2013 Capital One All-District Three team, while 12 student-athletes earned All-MEAC Academic honors by sporting a grade point average higher than 3.0. Guarrera was the first male student-athlete at NCCU to earn that honor.
Michael Romano became the first NCCU baseball student-athlete at the NCAA Division I level to sign a professional contract when he signed with the Taos Blizzard of the Pecos League in the summer of 2013.
As a team the Eagles set a number of program standards breaking the modern era records offensively and defensively beginning with hits (436), doubles (70), walks (222), intentional walks (11), and sacrifice hits (44). On the defensive side, NCCU set new marks in walks allowed per nine innings (2.66), earned runs allowed (209), walks allowed (141), strikeouts (279), strikeouts looking (89), fielding percentage (.956), double plays turned (46), and earned run average (3.95).
Along with the records came a couple of upsets, as the maroon and gray beat a nationally-ranked Campbell squad 5-1 at home for the first time on April 16, 2013 and on Feb. 20, 2013 beat the Southern Conference’s Davidson College 3-1 to earn the first modern era victory over the Wildcats.
The 2011-2012 baseball program at North Carolina Central University under the tutelage of head coach Jim Koerner saw a seismic shift of momentum as it transitioned into the NCAA Division I level. The 19 victories were three more than the previous three years combined, and a surprising second place finish in the very tough Southern Division of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, NCCU sent a message that Eagles baseball would be a force to reckon with in the coming years.
A number of individuals set new modern era records beginning with junior Luis Diaz, who became the first player since the program was restored to amass more than 60 hits in a season, ending his first campaign at NCCU with 65. Diaz was also honored as a first team All-MEAC selection. Sophomore Carter Williamson recorded a modern era record of 45 RBI that placed him fourth in the MEAC. Senior Ross Plummer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and sophomore Dylan Drayton (Raleigh, N.C.) became the fifth and sixth players since 2007 to record 100 career hits. Junior Glenn Frye (Lillington, N.C.) became the first hurler to record 150 career strikeouts since the baseball program was dropped in 1975.
North Carolina Central University ended the year with the 30th-best turnaround in the nation with a nine-and-a-half game improvement from 2011 to 2012 according to a report compiled by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). In addition, eight North Carolina Central University student-athletes earned recognition by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for achieving academic success as they were among the 69 student-athletes from the conference’s 13 institutions to earn 2012 Baseball All-Academic honors.
Representing NCCU, senior Etienne Farquharson (Business, 3.97 GPA) led the way followed up by Glenn Frye (Computer Science-3.73 GPA), Carter Williamson (Business, 3.55 GPA), Sam Fulmer (Nursing, 3.22 GPA), Ross Plummer (Business, 3.29 GPA), Tyson Simpson (Public Administration, 3.29 GPA), Troy Marrow (Recreation, 3.17 GPA), and Dylan Drayton (Criminal Justice, 3.00 GPA).
Farquharson and Williamson earned Capital One Academic All-District III honors voted on by CoSIDA (Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America) to give the duo their second recognition for their achievements in the classroom.
Farquharson (Inagua, Bahamas) was also selected by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to receive the Nike Post Graduate Scholarship for his performance in the classroom and on the diamond.
Koerner came to NCCU from the University at Buffalo, where he was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. On the field Koerner was primarily responsible for running the offense and developing the hitters. It was under his aid that the 2009 Bulls established an all-time high in wins since the reinstatement of baseball in 1999 (23). The 2009 and 2010 seasons were also offensively the two finest in UB baseball history. In 2010, records were set for team batting average (.312), home runs (46) and stolen bases (71). In 2009, new highs were established in hits (591), runs (424), doubles (132), triples (23), RBI (384), and total bases (874). Those two seasons combined saw Buffalo break over 25 single season, career, team and individual records. It also included the second time in Koerner's coaching career where he coached the program's all-time hits leader (Brad Agustin).
During Koerner's time four players earn All-Mid-American Conference honors, including 2011 MAC Player of the Year in catcher Tom Murphy. Murphy went on to play with Team USA during the summer of 2011 and was drafted in the 3
rd round of Major League Baseball's 2012 June Amateur Draft by the Colorado Rockies. In addition to Murphy, Koerner coached eight other players that signed professional contracts, which included Steve Geltz, would made his Major League debut with the Anaheim Angles this past summer. Numerous other players also earned Player-of-the-Week honors. Prior to Buffalo, Koerner held the same position with Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
While at Marshall one of his players earned All-Conference USA honors while the team made its first post-season appearance in 10 years. During the 2006 season Marshall was consistently in the Top 5 in most offensive categories and had two players finish in the Top 10 in batting. Koerner also helped one of his players (Adam Frederick) break Marshall University's all-time hits record with 250. In addition, Koerner recruited and signed several of the Top 100 rated players in the Northeast, including a 20th round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals. Nine of the players Koerner signed and/or coached while at Marshall signed professional baseball contacts. In his 12 years of coaching college baseball, Koerner has now sent 20 players onto various levels of professional baseball.
Koerner broke into the Division I ranks as an assistant coach at Monmouth University during the 2004 season where he helped lead his team to its seventh consecutive conference tournament appearance.
Koerner began his coaching career in 2001 as the head baseball coach at Medaille College. His three year stint culminated in 2003 with a 15 win improvement from the previous season, a second place finish in the both the regular season and post-season tournament, as well as being named Conference Coach-of-the-Year.
Koerner has also been head coach of several US teams that competed in international tournaments, including the Belgium Open and the Chianti (Italy) Baseball Challenge.
He received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1997 from St. John Fisher College (N.Y.), and a master's degree in athletic administration from Marshall University. Koerner and his wife, Kylie, have two children, Sam and Elizabeth.
