SAN ANTONIO - UTSA head baseball coach Sherman Corbett announced Wednesday that Michael Clement has been hired as an assistant coach.
Clement, who was a volunteer assistant for the Roadrunners a year ago, replaces Jim Blair, who moved to Sam Houston State earlier this month. The Marshalltown, Iowa, native will serve as the team's hitting coach and mentor the Roadrunners catchers.
"I am pleased to have Michael become a part of our coaching staff," Corbett said. "His enthusiasm and passion for the game, along with his ability to communicate with our players, will have a positive impact on the success of our program. Our players are excited that he will be with the team again this year in a major coaching role."
Last year, Clement worked primarily with the Roadrunners catchers and also assisted Blair with the team's hitters. Catchers Zach Etheredge and Robbie Johns committed just two errors in 434 total chances (.995 fielding percentage) and the pair had just nine passed balls in 59 games behind the plate.
Prior to coming to UTSA for the 2006 campaign, Clement served as an assistant for one year at Kirkwood Junior College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, and then spent one year at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. Clement also has been an assistant coach for the Orleans Cardinals in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) the past two summers and he helped lead the team to the 2005 CCBL Championship.
A former college catcher, he played two seasons at Kirkwood, during which time the team posted a 91-25 record. Clement finished his college career at Morningside, where he earned his bachelor's degree in physical education/secondary education in 2002. He then played professionally for Canton Coyotes of the Frontier League for one season.
His brother, Jeff, was an All-America catcher at USC and the third overall choice in 2005 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He currently plays for Seattle's Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, Wash.