COACHING STAFF |
Gage Jacobs | Pitching Coach
Gage Jacobs returned to his alma mater as the Panthers new pitching coach in 2019 and will enter his fifth year at Drury in 2023. Jacobs spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for Drury in 2016 and 2017 and had a two-year playing career for the Panthers serving as the team's closer.
In 2022, he was part of a staff honored by the GLVC as head coach Scott Nasby was named the league's Coach of the Year after the Panthers won the Green Division, went 21-7 in the conference and 38-17 overall.
Jacobs spent 2018 as an assistant coach at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Michigan and was the pitching coach for the Kalamazoo Growlers in the summer collegiate Northwoods League in 2017.
In his first year as Drury's pitching coach, Jacobs had two hurlers named all-conference including Alex Austin, who ended the regular season leading the GLVC in appearances and ERA at 2.56, and freshman Kaden Helsel, a two-way player who went 7-5 with two saves as a freshman.
As a graduate assistant for the Panthers, he was a part of Drury's 2017 GLVC-West Division championship and NCAA-II tournament squad that season.
Jacobs ended his collegiate career ranked second all-time at Drury with 19 career saves with 50 appearances covering 65.2 innings during his career. In 2015, he tied Drury's single-season saves record with 13. Jacobs ranked sixth nationally in saves that season and also tied a school record with 29 appearances that year. He ended his career with 51 strikeouts against only eight walks, and a 2.87 earned run average.
The Bolivar, Missouri native was an ABCA Midwest Region Second Team honoree and was a Second Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection his junior campaign.
Before coming to Drury, Jacobs pitched two seasons at Johnson County Community College where he posted a career ERA of 2.84 with 108 strikeouts in 90 innings. As a senior at Bolivar High School in 2011, he was the Central Ozark Conference Co-MVP, the COC Pitcher of the Year, he pitched two no-hitters and helped the Liberators to a conference title.
Eric Briggs | Assistant Coach
Eric Briggs will enter his second year at Drury as an assistant coach for the Panthers in 2023. Briggs has worked as a high school head coach for 25 years and a scout for the Kansas City Royals since 2009.
In 2022, Briggs was part of a staff honored by the GLVC as Scott Nasby was named the league's Coach of the Year after the Panthers won the Green Division, finished 21-7 in the conference, and went 38-17 overall. Drury produced four all-conference players, three named All-Midwest Region, and 1B/C Nikko Calabro was selected as an All-American.
He served as a manager and coach for the Kansas City Royals Scout Team in the Perfect Game Baseball Association, a developmental program for amateur players partnered with several organizations, including Major League Baseball.
From 2012 to 2016, he was a coach for the Midwest Nationals baseball squad based in Springfield. Briggs was the head coach at Bolivar High School from 2006 to 2012 and led the Liberators to a Central Ozark Conference championship which was their first conference title since 1974. He guided the baseball program at Lakeland High School in Deepwater, Missouri, for 11 years, and his team reached the district championship game nine times, won four conference championships, and reached the state quarterfinals.
In addition to coaching, Briggs authored a book, 9 Types of Ground Balls, published in 2013 and available on Amazon.
Michael Hammerstrand | Assistant Coach
Michael Hammerstrand enters his second season as a Drury baseball assistant coach and the team's strength and conditioning coach in 2023.
In 2022, he was part of a staff honored by the GLVC as Scott Nasby was named the league's Coach of the Year after the Panthers won the Green Division, finished 21-7 in the conference, and went 38-17 overall. Drury produced four all-conference players, three named All-Midwest Region, and 1B/C Nikko Calabro was selected as an All-American.
Hammerstrand worked for PRP Baseball in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2020-21 training professional, college, and high school players in weight training and skill development with pitchers and hitters. He served as an assistant coach at John Wood Community College in Illinois for one one season and handled strength and conditioning duties with the program.
From 2012-2017, he was an assistant at Eureka College (NCAA-III), mentored three all-conference performers, and was the program's recruiting coordinator for four seasons.
Hammerstrand's work in strength & conditioning hasn't been confined to just baseball. He worked with the football program at Eureka as well as the volleyball, softball, and basketball teams at John Wood CC.
Paul Evans | Assistant Coach
Paul Evans, the long-tenured and Hall of Fame pitching coach for Missouri State, will shift his career to the Drury University baseball program starting in 2023 following his retirement from MSU.
Evans spent 34 years as the pitching coach for Missouri State under head coach Keith Guttin and produced 67 professional baseball pitchers, including 14 that advanced to the Major Leagues. Three pitchers under Evans served on the Team USA baseball roster, 15 were named All-Americans, and 26 were named First Team all-conference performers.
Three of the four lowest team earned run averages in Missouri State history happened while Evans was the pitching coach as well as the top three single-season strikeout totals in program history.
During his time as Bears assistant, Missouri State captured six conference championships, reached the NCAA Tournament 13 times, and advanced to the College World Series in 2003.
"Coach Evans was instrumental in me becoming a coach after my playing time (at Missouri State)," said Drury head coach Scott Nasby, who was on the Bears College World Series team in '03. "While at MSU, he has pushed me and hundreds of Missouri State alums on and off the field to thrive while building relationships with them that last a lifetime. He is someone I have gone to often for advice over the last 16 years and now it will be nice to just turn to him in the dugout.
"I am thrilled for our players and staff to be surrounded by coach Evans on a daily basis as his knowledge and love of the game and his players is unmatched."
Evans has helped develop four of the highest MLB Draft picks in Missouri State history, with Brett Sinkbeil going 19th overall in 2006, Ross Detwiler as the sixth overall pick in 2007 and Pierce Johnson selected 43rd overall in 2012. The Bears featured a total of five first-round draft picks during his tenure.
In 2015, Evans guided a Bears staff that featured three All-Americans as the Bears won a school-record 49 games and the program's second NCAA Regional crown. He was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year that season as Missouri State ranked among the nation's top teams in earned run average (2.91), strikeouts (553), WHIP (1.22), shutouts (nine), and they held their opponents to three runs or less in 37 of their 61 games.
In 2012, Evans guided the Bears to the best team ERA (2.57) in the country while ranking fifth in the NCAA with 537 strikeouts. Both marks broke team records, as did the Bears' 11 shutouts, which led the nation.
Prior to coming to Missouri State, Evans guided Rend Lake Community College to a 201-95 mark in three years, which included two Illinois junior college sectional titles.
He attended Southern Illinois University, went 18-7 in his career and his 0.84 ERA as a sophomore was third in the NCAA. Evans tossed a no-hitter against SIU-Edwardsville. Additionally, his nine career saves still rank ninth all-time at SIU.