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Danny Schmitz

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Danny Schmitz
Schmitz in 2014
Biographical details
Born (1955-03-01) March 1, 1955 (age 69)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Playing career
1974–1977Eastern Michigan
Position(s)2B
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1988–1990Eastern Michigan (Asst.)
1991–2020Bowling Green
Head coaching record
Overall717–786–5
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
MAC Regular season: 1995, 2002, 2008, 2009
Division: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010
MAC tournament: 1998, 1999, 2013
Awards
MAC Coach of the Year: 1994, 1995, 2009

Danny Schmitz is an American baseball coach and former second baseman. He played college baseball at Eastern Michigan for coach Ron Oestrike from 1974 to 1977 before playing professionally from 1977 to 1984. He then served as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan (1988–1990) before becoming the head baseball coach of the Bowling Green Falcons (1991–2020).[1][2][3][4]

Playing career

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Schmitz was a four-year letterman at second base for Eastern Michigan, which he helped to a pair of College World Series appearances including the 1976 final. After his senior season, in which he batted .339 and served as a co-captain, he was drafted in the 20th round of the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Yankees. Schmitz would go on to play six seasons in the minors, reaching Class AAA in his second season but never reaching the majors. He spent brief time in the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins systems, including a season as a player-coach with the Toledo Mud Hens before retiring and turning full-time to coaching.[1][4]

Coaching career

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Immediately after ending his playing career, he served as manager of the Twins' class-A affiliate Visalia Oaks. He served in that position for three years before returning to Eastern Michigan as an assistant coach. While back with the Hurons, he helped lead EMU to a pair of second-place finishes in 1988 and 1990. He was hired at Bowling Green for his first head coaching job at the collegiate level, just the Falcons ninth coach and fifth since 1928.[1][2]

While with Bowling Green, the Falcons have claimed four Mid-American Conference regular season titles, seven division titles, and three Mid-American Conference baseball tournament championships. Schmitz has seen 29 players sign professional contracts, while his teams have amassed over 600 wins.[1][3] Following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Bowling Green State University announced the termination of the baseball program due to budget cuts during the pandemic,[5] just weeks later, the school announced that it had fund-raised enough money to revive the program effective immediately.[6] On June 3, 2020, it was announced that Schmitz would step down from head coach and step into an advisory role with the program.[7]

Head coaching record

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This table shows Schmitz's record as a college coach.[1]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Bowling Green Falcons (Mid-American Conference) (1991–2020)
1991 Bowling Green 16–39–1 7–23 9th (9)
1992 Bowling Green 14–25–1 7–22–1 9th (9)
1993 Bowling Green 19–27–1 7–23 9th (10)
1994 Bowling Green 29–18 16–10 3rd (10) MAC tournament[a]
1995 Bowling Green 34–20 22–8 1st (10) MAC tournament[b]
1996 Bowling Green 28–22 14–17 8th (10)
1997 Bowling Green 24–27 13–17 8th (10)
1998 Bowling Green 34–21 17–10 1st (East) NCAA Regional
1999 Bowling Green 36–24 25–6 1st (East) NCAA Regional
2000 Bowling Green 29–24–1 14–12 4th (East)
2001 Bowling Green 36–18 18–9 1st (East) MAC tournament[c]
2002 Bowling Green 32–22 18–7 1st (East) MAC tournament[d]
2003 Bowling Green 17–28 9–18 6th (West)
2004 Bowling Green 28–19 13–11 5th (West)
2005 Bowling Green 33–18 12–18 3rd (West) MAC tournament[e]
2006 Bowling Green 26–27 11–16 4th (East)
2007 Bowling Green 22–32 7–20 6th (East)
2008 Bowling Green 32–20 16–8 T-1st (East) MAC tournament[f]
2009 Bowling Green 28–22 18–8 1st (East) MAC tournament[g]
2010 Bowling Green 31–23 18–9 T-1st (East) MAC tournament[h]
2011 Bowling Green 20–31 11–14 3rd (East) MAC tournament[i]
2012 Bowling Green 20–33 9–18 6th (East)
2013 Bowling Green 24–31 13–14 4th (East) NCAA Regional
2014 Bowling Green 25–27 15–12 3rd (East) MAC tournament[j]
2015 Bowling Green 19–24 11–10 3rd (East) MAC tournament
2016 Bowling Green 17–37 7–17 5th (East)
2017 Bowling Green 15–34 9–15 3rd (East)
2018 Bowling Green 11–39 6–19 10th
2019 Bowling Green 16–33 8–18 8th
2020 Bowling Green 2–11 0–0 Season canceled due to COVID-19
Bowling Green: 717–786–5 372–398–1
Total: 717–786–5

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

  1. ^ The top four of the MAC's ten teams qualified for the tournament in 1994.
  2. ^ The top four of the MAC's ten teams qualified for the tournament in 1995.
  3. ^ The top six of the MAC's thirteen teams qualified for the tournament in 2001.
  4. ^ The top six of the MAC's thirteen teams qualified for the tournament in 2002.
  5. ^ The top six of the MAC's thirteen teams qualified for the tournament in 2005.
  6. ^ The top eight of the MAC's twelve teams qualified for the tournament in 2008.
  7. ^ The top eight of the MAC's twelve teams qualified for the tournament in 2009.
  8. ^ The top eight of the MAC's twelve teams qualified for the tournament in 2010.
  9. ^ The top eight of the MAC's twelve teams qualified for the tournament in 2011.
  10. ^ The top eight of the MAC's twelve teams qualified for the tournament in 2014.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Baseball Coaching Staff". Bowling Green Falcons. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Falcons hire Schmitz for baseball". Toledo Blade. August 29, 1990. p. 18. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  3. ^ a b John Wagner (April 24, 2013). "Bowling Green baseball coach Schmitz gets 600th win". Toledo Blade.
  4. ^ a b Brandon Karsten (November 6, 2011). "Former EMU baseball player excels". Eastern Echo. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  5. ^ Piotrowicz, Nicholas (May 15, 2020). "Bowling Green cuts baseball program effective immediately". The Blade. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  6. ^ Nicholas Piotrowicz (June 2, 2020). "Bowling Green reinstates baseball program". www.toldedoblade.com. The Toledo Blade. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  7. ^ Nicholas Piotrowicz (June 3, 2020). "Longtime BGSU baseball coach Danny Schmitz moves to new role". www.toledoblade.com. The Toledo Blade. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
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