Gene Stephenson

Head Coach: Wichita State University

When Gene Stephenson arrived at Wichita State after his hiring in the spring of 1977, he found nothing. No team, no field, no equipment, no tradition, not even a baseball. The program had been dormant for seven years and did not have any history of success.

Today, WSU's program is one of the best and most recognizable in the country and Stephenson is respected by his peers as one of the top coaches in Division I college baseball.

Consider the following. Not only has Stephenson won more games in 32 years than any other Division I program, earned his 1,200th career win in 22 seasons, quicker than any other Division I baseball coach, and has a career record of 1,683-577-3 record (.744). He currently sits in second place among active coaches in number of victories with 1,683 and on April 17, 2004, he moved into second place on the all-time wins list as he passed former Texas coach Cliff Gustafson. On May 21, 2003, he became just the third coach in Division I history to reach the 1,400-win plateau, on May 21, 2005, he became just the second coach in Division I history to reach the 1,500-win plateau and on May 25, 2007, he became the second coach in Division I history to reach 1,600 wins.

WSU supplanted Oklahoma State as the dominant college baseball power in the Midwest in 1988, and has qualified for the CWS five times since then. The Shockers have qualified for NCAA tournament play 27 times in the last 30 years, including a school-record 14-straight from 1987-2000.

Wichita State reached the pinnacle of college baseball in 1989, winning the College World Series championship with a 5-3 win against Texas in the title game, but the seed for the school's first-ever NCAA team championship had been planted for many years.

Stephenson arrived in Wichita after having spent five years as an assistant to Enos Semore in a very successful program at the University of Oklahoma. As recruiting coordinator and hitting instructor, Stephenson helped guide the Sooners to five Big Eight Conference championships and five CWS appearances.

Very few people understood Stephenson's decision to come to Wichita State, but from the beginning, Stephenson made it clear he intended to challenge for a national championship.

Brent Kemnitz

Assistant Coach: Wichita State University

Widely respected as one of the premier pitching coaches in collegiate baseball, Brent Kemnitz is in his 32nd year as assistant coach at WSU.

For Kemnitz, who also coordinates the recruiting efforts on Gene Stephenson's staff and handles the task of scheduling games, honors, accomplishments and awards for pitchers under his tutelage have been commonplace. Twice WSU has led all NCAA Division I teams in ERA. The Shockers' 1982 team established an NCAA record with 46 complete games while leading the nation with a 2.53 ERA, the 1991 staff led the NCAA with a 2.91 ERA.

Despite having a young staff in 2009, Kemnitz helped the team to a 4.26 ERA which ranked 19th in the nation. The staff also ranked 13th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings with 9.1. Three Shocker hurlers earned postseason honors including sophomore Tim Kelley who was named second team all-Valley and freshmen Jordan Cooper and Charlie Lowell who both earned Freshman All-America honors.

Jim Thomas

Assistant Coach: Wichita State University

Jim Thomas is in his 18th season as assistant coach at his alma mater, firmly entrenched as an integral part of the program after joining the staff on a full-time basis in July, 1992.

Thomas, a four-year Shocker starter from 1979-82 and an All-America second baseman in 1981 and 1982, is involved in all aspects of the Shockers' program. He aids Brent Kemnitz in coordinating the Shockers' recruiting process and has a wide expertise in teaching defensive play, particularly in the infield. Thomas also helps Gene Stephenson in developing Shocker hitters, and is in his 13th year as the director of the Gene Stephenson Shocker Baseball Camps, an effort that has expanded into a year-round role with the implementation of winter camps to supplement the normal summer camps.

Further, he coordinates the Shockers' strength and conditioning program with Wichita State assistant strength and conditioning coordinator Nick Hoheisel, and he mans the first-base coaching box at game time.

In the last few years, Thomas has helped the Shockers reach milestones in batting and fielding. In 2007, the team tied a school record for fielding percentage with a .974 mark, which tied the 2003 squad. The 2007 team committed just 73 errors, which was the second fewest in Shocker history, while the 2003 team committed 75, which ranks third.

He also helped lead the Shockers to a team batting average of .324 in 2004, which was 14th best in the country and first in the Missouri Valley Conference

Brandon Hall

Assistant Coach: Wichita State University

Brandon Hall begins his first season as volunteer assistant coach.

Since 2004, Hall has served as the Director of Operations and Camps at the Gehrer Performance Center in Wichita. He instructs private and group baseball lessons as well as serving as the director of operations for all academy teams. He also assists with sales in the team apparel store and with team fittings and outside sales.

Since 2007, Hall has been the head coach for the Wichita Reds, a competitive high school academy summer team.

In 2008-09, Hall served as an assistant coach for Wichita Collegiate High School and worked with the infielders, catchers and hitters. He also was an associate scout for the Minnesota Twins in 2008-09.

In the summer of 2006, he was an assistant coach for the El Dorado Broncos and worked with the catchers and infielders. He assisted in travel plans and arrangements and helped the team to a second place finish in the Jayhawk League.

As a student-athlete at WSU, Hall played in 143 games and hit .272 with 55 runs, 94 hits, 14 doubles, seven home runs and 67 RBI. He was named to the all-Norman Regional team in 2006 and was named to the Athletic Director's honor roll four times.

Brandon is engaged to former Wichita State tennis player Jackie Richey.