Page 41 - 2024 DBU Baseball Media Guide

DAN HEEFNER–HEAD COACH
DBU’s high-powered offense in 2011 ranked in the Top 25 nationally in several different categories, and Jason Krizan set a new NCAA record for doubles in a season.
It did not take Heefner long to make a mark at DBU after being named the sixth head coach in Dallas Baptist University history in July of 2007. In his first year as the DBU Baseball program’s Head Coach, Heefner led the Patriots to several historic milestones. In 2008, DBU earned their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance by receiving a No. 2 seed in the College Station Regional, after finishing the regular season with the 29th best RPI in the nation.
DBU’s at-large bid marked the first time since 1992 that an NCAA Division I Independent team, other than Miami, made the NCAA Tournament, and earned Heefner the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Midwest Region Coach of the Year Award. Heefner was also named the Independent Coach of the Year, which he received again following the 2009 season. In 2009, the Patriots went 38-17 and finished the regular season with the 36th best RPI in the nation.
During Heefner’s 16 seasons as head coach at DBU, the Patriots have seen numerous players receive individual awards for their success on and off the field. Since 2008, DBU has produced 23 All-Americans, 15 Freshman All- Americans, and three Academic All-Americans, including the 2018 Academic All-America Player of the Year in Devlin Granberg.
Dating back to the 2013 season when DBU transitioned from an Independent to the Western Athletic Conference, Heefner has coached 95 All-Conference selections in the WAC (2013), Missouri Valley Conference (2014-2021), and Conference USA (2023). DBU has also shined in the classroom under Heefner’s leadership as 31 Patriots have been named First Team All-MVC Scholar Athletes and DBU was awarded the CUSA Sport Academic Award in 2023 for the league’s highest grade point average (3.53).
DBU IN THE DRAFT UNDER HEEFNER
Developing players to advance their careers to the professional ranks has become a staple of the DBU Baseball program under Heefner’s guidance. During Heefner’s 16-year career as the head coach at DBU 73 players have been selected in the Major League Draft, including 27 that have been taken in the top 10 rounds. Dating back to 2015, DBU’s 49 draft selections is the ninth-highest total in all of college baseball. Since Heefner arrived at DBU as an assistant coach in 2005, 89 players have pursued professional baseball careers.
The DBU Baseball program set a school record in 2023 when eight players were selected in the Major League Draft. The Patriots eight draft picks were also tied for the fourth-most selections from any college program in the country. Three pitchers were taken in the top 10 rounds including Braxton Bragg in the eight
round by the Baltimore Orioles, followed by Kyle Amendt and Zane Russell going to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth and 10th rounds respectively. The Atlanta Braves nabbed Jace Grady in the 11th round before Bryson Hammer went to the Colorado Rockies and Brady Rose was taken by the New York in the 12th round. Nate Rombach was an 18th round selection by
the Washington Nationals and 10 picks later Alec Baker became the eighth Patriot to go in the draft when he was chosen by the Diamondbacks in the 18th round.
In 2022, three players from DBU were selected in the MLB Draft led by right- handed pitcher Jacob Meador, whose name was called in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. One round later, fellow righty Chandler Arnold was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals. Utility player Ryan Wrobleski rounded out the Patriots’ draft selections when was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 20th round.
The 2021 MLB Draft saw five Patriots selected including a pair in the top 10 rounds as Dominic Hamel went in the third round to the New York Mets and Jackson Glenn was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth round. DBU’s five draft picks ranked as the sixth-highest total in the nation.
In 2020, DBU was one of only nine programs in the nation with two or more players selected in the first two rounds of the Major League Draft as Burl Carraway and Jimmy Glowenke were each selected in the second round. Carraway became the third-highest draft pick in school history when he was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 51st overall pick, while Glowenke matched Jake Johansen as the program’s fourth-highest pick after going 68th overall to the San Francisco Giants.
Following the 2019 season, six Patriots were taken in the MLB Draft. A pair of senior pitchers were the top two picks from DBU as MD Johnson went in the sixth round to the Miami Marlins and Jordan Martinson was taken by the New York Mets in the 11th round.
In 2018, seven players were selected from DBU in the draft, a total that ranked as the sixth-most draft picks from one school among the 297 NCAA Division I programs in the nation. Headlining the 2018 draft class for DBU was junior outfielder Jameson Hannah, who became the program’s second highest draft pick when he went in the second round with the 50th overall pick to the Oakland Athletics. Following Hannah was the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Devlin Granberg, who was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round. Rounding out the Patriots’ third pick in the top 10 rounds was senior catcher Matt Duce, a ninth round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Patriots saw six players drafted in 2017, which ranked as the fifth-most selections in college baseball. All six players that were selected in the 2017 MLB Draft were taken in the first 17 rounds, highlighted by Seth Elledge, who was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round. Dalton Higgins was taken by the New York Yankees in the seventh round, while the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Camden Duzenack’s in round nine. The program’s all-time home run leader, Austin Listi, was taken in the 17th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 2016, five players from DBU were selected in the Major League Draft, headlined by junior outfielder David Martinelli, who was a sixth-round selection of the Philadelphia Phillies. Both Darick Hall and Colin Poche were selected in the 14th rounds, as Hall was taken by the Phillies and Poche went to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In 2015, DBU saw seven players selected in the MLB Draft, matching the previous high set in 2006. Drew Smith was the highest draft selection from DBU in 2015, as the junior right-hand pitcher was taken by the Detroit Tigers in the third round. With the selection of Smith in round three, DBU became the only school from the state of Texas and one of only nine programs in the nation to have a player taken in the top three rounds from 2013-2015. Joining Smith on that elite list of players from DBU taken in the first three rounds are Cy Sneed, who was a third round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014, and Jake Johansen, who went in the second round to the Washington Nationals in 2013.
In total, DBU saw five junior pitchers taken in the first 12 rounds of the 2015 Major League Draft, including Drew Smith (3rd round - Detroit Tigers), Brandon Koch (4th round - Tampa Bay Rays), Chance Adams (5th round - New York Yankees), Cory Taylor (8th round - San Francisco Giants), and Joseph Shaw
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