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Louisiana Tech head baseball coach Wade Simoneaux will begin his eighth year at the helm for the Bulldogs.
Over the years under Simoneaux, Louisiana Tech has established itself as an offensive power and the 2009 season showed just how potent a Tech team can be at the plate as the Bulldogs finished second place in the WAC and recorded a 29-22 overall record behind a strong offensive onslaught.
The 2009 Simoneaux led Bulldogs littered their names throughout the LA Tech record books as the team finished the season with 408 total RBI (T-1st in Tech history), 92 homeruns (2nd in Tech history), a .323 team batting average (2nd in Tech history) and 438 runs scored (3rd in Tech history). Tech also ranked nationally in a number of offensive categories as the Bulldogs ended the season ranked 11th nationally in homeruns per game, 16th in total team home runs and 22nd in the nation in scoring.
The anchor of the offense in 2009 was NCBWA second team All-American honoree, Devon Dageford. The Beatrice, Nebraska native also received first team All-WAC and first team All-State honors while also being named Louisiana's newcomer of the year. The right fielder broke the school's single-season homerun record after launching 23 homers on the year as well as topping LA Tech's chart's with 168 total bases in 2009. He also recorded 68 RBI on the year (T-3rd in Tech history), 18 doubles (7th) and scored 59 runs (10th).
Dageford was not alone in the 2009 team's assault on the record books as third baseman/shortstop Chris Kersten set a new single-season school record with 20 doubles in a season while also recording 149 total bases (4th in Tech history) on his way to second team All-WAC.
Joining Kersten as a second team All-WAC honoree was outfielder Patrick Thomas. The senior in 2009 recorded a .370 batting average while hitting seven homeruns, 47 RBI and 112 total bases. Thomas was second on the team behind only Dageford with 58 runs scored.
Second baseman Kevin Winn did not receive first or second team All-WAC honors, but did earn ABCA South Central All-Region First Team honors and was also named All Ping!Baseball Third Team honorable mention. Winn recorded a magnificent season as he strung together the nation's longest hitting streak since 2006-07. Between the 2008-09 seasons Winn put together a 33 game hitting streak on his way to 81 total hits on the season (T-3rd in Tech history). He also totaled 19 doubles (4th) and 63 RBI (10th).
Kersten and Winn were each drafted in the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft as well, moving the total number of Tech players drafted under Simoneaux to 11 in seven years. Kersten was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 39th round (1179th overall) while Winn was picked n the 26th round (774th overall) by the San Diego Padres.
The three All-WAC selections in 2009 brought Simoneaux's total to 21 former Bulldogs who have received all-WAC first team or second team honors in his seven seasons at Tech.
After the conclusion of the 2008 season, six Bulldogs were selected in the Major League Baseball draft, the most in school history. They included pitcher Luke Burnett, outfielder Adam Cobb, first baseman Albie Goulder, pitcher/outfielder Jericho Jones and pitchers Alan Knotts and Dylan Moseley. All of the draftees signed with their respective major league teams but Moseley who has decided to return for his senior season.
Before the draftees were given the opportunity to play baseball at the major league level, several players received numerous individual awards leading up to, during and at the conclusion of the 2008 season.
Burnett was named to the 2008 Brooks Player of the Year Watch List prior to the start of the season. During the year, Goulder was named Western Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week (Feb. 25). Knotts followed Goulder's efforts when he was awarded WAC Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 3), then Jones received the final weekly WAC hitter award when he was named WAC Hitter of the Week (May 19).
At the end of the season, Jones and Cobb received all-WAC honors. Jones was named to the All-WAC First Team and Cobb was named to the All-WAC Second Team.
Simoneaux was awarded WAC Coach of the Year in 2007. During the same season, former Louisiana Tech baseball standout Brian Rike received WAC Player of the Year honors and was the first player from Tech to receive the prestigious award. Rike was also named Second Team All-America by Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. He collected his third All-America honor when he was named Third Team All-America by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings.
In 2006, Jones was named WAC Freshman of the Year. During his award-winning season, he batted .375, collected 66 hits, 10 doubles, 16 home runs and 56 RBI. He was the first freshman to receive the award during Simoneaux's reign.
There have been many changes off the field, as well under Simoneaux. Among the changes include strong team discipline and the team's involvement in community outreach programs.
Simoneaux has orchestrated the renovation of J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. The coaches and players have done almost all of the work as the facility has seen many changes and improvements. A new fence was installed and recently the team renovated its locker room, along with adding a new coat of paint on the stadium. The field is in its best shape in years due to the many hours Simoneaux, his staff and players have put in working on it.
More than 400 new chairback seats were installed prior to the 2008 season, along with a new scoreboard and a new press box. Tech's housing department aided in improving the look and feel of the ballpark by building apartments just beyond the left field wall. The addition of a new brick and wrought iron fence has also helped the stadium's appearance. A visitor's bullpen was added during the 2006-07 offseason down the right-field line.
"There are a lot of things the guys have to buy into prior to this becoming a successful program. I will find the people to do this," Simoneaux said. "It is going to be a slow but sure process. The facility is going to get better and the prospects we bring in are going to improve each year."
The Gonzales, La. native has been highly successful everywhere he has coached including seven years at Louisiana-Lafayette as Tony Robichaux's top assistant before coming to Tech in August 2002. While at UL-Lafayette, Simoneaux was part of five NCAA Regional teams, two NCAA Super Regional squads and the 2000 Cajun squad that finished third at the College World Series.
Simoneaux was invited to participate in the YES Baseball Clinics as a camp instructor in 2003. The clinics were held in conjunction with the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. A small handful of coaches are selected every year to participate in the annual event hosted by Creighton University.
He also was the featured speaker at the American Legion National Convention in July 2005 in Indianapolis, Ind. In addition, Simoneaux and his staff were the featured speakers at the 2008 Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Baton Rouge.
Simoneaux was a big part of the success of the Louisiana-Lafayette baseball program, serving as the recruiting coordinator and coaching the hitters and infielders before taking the head job at Tech. The Cajun hitters excelled under Simoneaux's direction while posting a team batting average of at least .294 in his seven years as the hitting coach, and he earned the ULL Assistant Coach of the Year Award on two occasions.
He has been a close follower of the Bulldog baseball program ever since the late Pat "Gravy" Patterson was the Bulldog skipper.
Simoneaux graduated from Nicholls State in 1984 with a degree in business administration. He was a two-year starter at third base in 1982 and 1983. He also played at Central Florida Junior College in 1981 and served as one of the team's captains.
He was a finalist when Tech hired Randy Davis in 1996 and he again applied when Jeff Richardson was hired in 1999. The third time proved to be the charm for Simoneaux who was selected in the summer of 2002 to be the sixth head coach in the modern era of Tech baseball.
Prior to his tenure at UL-Lafayette, Simoneaux served as head coach at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge from 1990-95. He chaired the committee for completion of a $1 million baseball facility facelift.
Other career highlights include four American Legion World Series appearances and nine state championships in 11 summers.
Of the 104 high school players that played for him during the summer, 99 went on to receive college scholarships to junior colleges or four-year schools and 14 have gone on to play Minor League Baseball.
He received the National American Legion Coach of the Year award in 1991. Simoneaux served as the head baseball coach at Ascension Catholic High School (1986-89) and was an assistant at East Ascension High School for one year (1989-90).
Simoneaux is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association. He also served as chairman of the World Games, an international baseball tournament with proceeds benefiting cancer and leukemia research. He is also a member of the local Lions Club and the St. Thomas Church men's club.
Simoneaux has recently married the former Susan Newman of West Monroe. Their new family consists of Simoneaux's son Thomas, Newman's one son, Adam, who is in the United States Marine Corps, and her two daughters, Mary Alice, and Caroline.
Simoneaux is 175-213 (74-117) in seven seasons with the Bulldogs.
