SAN ANTONIO – UTSA baseball has hired Zach Butler, who spent the last eight years on the staff at Nicholls, as its new pitching coach, it was announced by head coach Pat Hallmark.
"We're excited to welcome Zach onto our staff," Hallmark said. "He brings great experience – as both a player and coach – and has tremendous knowledge of our region for recruiting. He has shown a great ability to develop pitching and connect with his student-athletes. Zach will be a strong addition to our program and we can't wait to get on the field and start getting ready for our season."
Butler is a veteran coaching mind in the South, spending the last eight years coaching pitching at Nicholls. He joined the Nicholls staff as the volunteer assistant in 2013 and took over in a full-time role starting in 2015. Three times during his tenure, Nicholls finished with a top-two team ERA in the Southland Conference and twice the Colonels sported a top-20 team ERA in the nation.
"I am extremely appreciative to Coach Hallmark and Dr. Campos for giving me the opportunity to coach at such a great university," Butler said. "I am very eager and excited to get to work with the student-athletes and coaches to compete to bring championships back to San Antonio."
We're excited to announce the addition of @zach_butler18 - who spent the last eight years at Nicholls - as our new pitching coach!
— UTSA Baseball ⚾️ (@UTSABSB) January 21, 2021
🔗 https://t.co/v23LEjcQe3#BirdsUp 🤙 pic.twitter.com/XQFVgX0XR6
He served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator during his time with Nicholls, where he coached four players selected in the MLB Draft, including a pair who earned Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year accolades under his tutelage.
Five pitchers were taken in the MLB Draft during Butler's time with Nicholls, including southpaw Taylor Byrd (Seattle Mariners), lefty Grant Borne (Washington Nationals), lefty Stuart Holmes (Toronto Blue Jays), righty Ryan Deemes (Houston Astros) and right-hander Cole Stapler (Arizona Diamondbacks). Under Butler's tutelage, Justin Sinibaldi and Byrd earned SLC Pitcher of the Year honors. Sinibaldi and Holmes additionally earned ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors.
Butler's 2019 pitching staff composed the Southland's second-lowest team ERA, posting a 3.53 mark on the season. Senior Jacob Bedevian led the way, pitching a team-best and league top five 102.1 innings.
In 2017, the Colonels led the league in weekly pitching honors with four, two each by in Mike Hanchar and Cole Stapler while the 2015 squad notched the lowest team ERA in the Southland Conference for a second consecutive season. in 2014, Butler helped coach Nicholls to a 32-26 overall record and a 20-10 mark in league action, good for a school best in total conference wins (20).
Butler was hired as a volunteer assistant coach and camp coordinator for the Nicholls baseball team in the summer of 2013 after a stint coaching the Acadiana Cane Cutters of the Texas Collegiate League.
Butler, a graduate of McNeese State University, was drafted in the 34th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays organization and played for the Gulf Coast Rays, Princeton Rays and Charlotte Stone Crabs. He finished his career with a 1.95 career ERA in the minors.
A two-year starter for the Cowboys, Butler helped lead McNeese to the Southland Conference tournament during his senior campaign, earning the title as team captain. Prior to joining the Cowboys, he won a conference championship at Temple Junior College.
A native of Houston, Butler starred at Dulles High School for coach Clinton Welch before beginning his collegiate career.
- UTSA -