Page 41 - DBU Baseball 20-21 Media Guide

MICAH POSEY–PITCHING COACH
DBU Baseball announced the hiring of Micah Posey as the team’s new Pitching Coach on Tuesday. Posey comes to DBU after spending the last three seasons as the Pitching Coach at East Tennessee State University.
“We are very excited to welcome Micah Posey and his family to the DBU Baseball program,” DBU Head Baseball Coach Dan Heefner said. “Micah’s faith, character, growth mindset, and progressive, yet practical approach to player development
makes him an ideal fit. Micah has proven that he can develop both the individual and an entire staff to the highest level. He has an outstanding reputation as a coach and a person and it’s for these reasons that we can’t wait for him to start working with our pitchers in 2021.”
During last year’s shortened 2020 season, Posey’s pitching staff at East Tennessee State compiled the sixth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.15) at the NCAA Division I level, totaling 166 strikeouts compared to just 40 walks. The Buccaneers also ranked 19th in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (11.1).
In just his second season in 2019, Posey’s staff was regarded as one of the best in college baseball, ranking in the top 20 nationally in four categories as the Bucs ranked sixth in walks allowed per nine innings (3.00), 11th in ERA (3.48), 17th in WHIP (1.27), and 20th in strikeouts-to-walk ratio (2.69). Posey also directed the Buccaneer pitching staff to the second- most strikeouts (441) in program history and the fifth-most wins (34).
Along with ETSU’s team success on the mound, Posey also helped to develop one of the elite arms in college baseball in Landon Knack. As a senior right-handed pitcher, Knack was selected as the 60th overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round of the Major League Draft last June. In 2020, Knack posted a 4-0 record with a 1.08 ERA and led the nation in strikeouts (51) before the season was cancelled. In 25.0 innings, Knack allowed just one walk and ranked fourth in the country in WHIP (0.52) and eighth in walks allowed per nine innings (0.36).
During his three seasons at ETSU, Posey also developed Michah Kaczor, a First Team All-Southern Conference selection in 2019. Kaczor registered the second-lowest ERA (2.13) in a single-season in school history and compiled the Bucs’ third lowest career ERA (3.42). Following the 2019 season, Kaczor singed a professional contract with the Colorado Rockies.
Prior to his three-year stint at ETSU, Posey spent four years working with the pitching staff at Elon University. In 2017, Elon’s staff ranked No. 25 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (9.0), established a school record for strikeouts (491) and tossed two no-hitters.
Under Posey’s leadership at Elon, Kyle Brnovich was named the Colonial Athletic Association Freshman of the Year and was tabbed a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2017 after posting a 3.10 ERA and striking out 103 batters in 90.0 innings.
In his first season at Elon in 2013, the Phoenix won the Southern Conference Baseball Tournament and reached the finals of the Charlottesville Regional.
Posey’s coaching career began under the tutelage of his father, Mike Posey, and North Florida Christian School. In four years as an assistant coach, Posey helped lift North Florida Christian to a Class 3A state title in 2011. One year later, Posey accepted his first head coaching position with the Next Level Baseball 16U team before reaching the NCAA Division I ranks in 2013 at Elon.
During Posey’s eight years at the collegiate level, he has coached 21 players who were either drafted or signed professional baseball contracts. Most notably, Posey coached Addison Russell, a five-year veteran with the Chicago Cubs and an All-Star in 2016, while working for Prospectwire as a scout and coach. Russell was the 11th overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft and won a World Series with the Cubs in 2017.
“When we started our search, Micah’s name repeatedly came up from people we trust and respect in both college and professional baseball,” said DBU Associate Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald. “Micah is forward thinking, development minded, and humble. He really impressed us with the versatility of his pitching approach and specifically his evaluation and research on our pitching staff. Micah and his family are a great addition to DBU.”
Prior to his coaching career, Posey was a 15th round selection of the Anaheim Angels in 2001 out of North Florida Christian School. A left- handed pitcher, Posey spent four seasons in the Angels’ minor league system and was a Midwest League All-Star selection in 2004.
Following his professional baseball career, Posey graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Marketing in 2011. He is married to Julie Posey and became a father in April 2018.
Posey replaces Josh Hopper who was hired in December as the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching development coordinator.
41 MEET THE PATRIOTS RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS