Jacob Burk will serve as the volunteer assistant at Wright State after two years as a student-assistant and a 3-year playing career with the Raiders.
The Wright State graduate and Greenville, OH native has been in charge of the arm care programs for pitchers and position players while also running the travel operations the last two seasons. Alex Sogard has hired Burk to be the Camp-Coordinator, assist with the pitching staff, and coach outfielders for the Raiders this season.
In 2018, the Raiders returned to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons and captured the regular season and Horizon League tournament Championship. WSU finished the year at 39-17, 22-6.
The Raiders pitching staff finished the 2018 season ranked nationally in earned run average (50th, 3.80). hits allowed per nine innings (28th, 7.87) and WHIP (33rd, 1.29). The Raider’s also had two pitchers hear their name called in the 2018 MLB draft.
Starter Ryan Weiss was selected in the 4th round in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks (129 overall). Weiss helped lead the Raiders to the 2018 Horizon League Championship and the NCAA Tournament by posting a 9-2 record with one save and 92 strikeouts over 98 innings. His career-best 10 strikeouts came against UIC on May 4 this year and against Northern Kentucky last season on April 29. He was named to the All-Horizon League First Team and Second Team All Region in 2018. As a Raider, he posted a two-year career record of 17-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 186.2 innings.
Fellow Starter Caleb Sampen was selected in the 20th round in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sampen helped lead the Raiders to the 2018 Horizon League Championship and the NCAA Tournament by posting a 5-0 record in 11 appearances with a 3.26 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 47.0 innings. As a freshman in 2016, Sampen went 9-4 in 15 appearances with a 2.76 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 94.2 innings. In 2016, he was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All American and the Horizon League Freshman of the Year while defeating Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament. In his career as a Raider, Sampen was 14-4 with a 2.92 ERA.
Reliever Hendrixson made his second consecutive appearance on the Second Team All Horizon League. This season he tied with the Horizon League lead in saves with eight after posting nine saves a year ago. In his career as a Raider, Hendrixson had a 3.03 ERA with 17 saves.
In 2017, the Raiders reached new heights as Wright State received its first-ever top 25 ranking. WSU finished the year at 38-21, 21-9. In his first season as pitching coach, the Raider pitching staff compiled a 3.70 ERA and broke the All Time WSU Single Season Strikeout Record with 423. The weekend rotation for the Raiders had a combined ERA of 2.58 which was Ranked Top 10 nationally.
Freshman pitcher Ryan Weiss, was a First Team All-Horizon League selection and was also the league's Freshman of the Year, marking the fourth consecutive year that a Raider has received the honor. Weiss, the league's Pitcher of the Week on May 22, finished second in the league in earned run average (.213), tied for second in wins (8), third in strikeouts (80), fourth in opposing batting average (.237) and sixth in innings pitched (88.2).
Along with his Horizon League honors, Weiss was also selected Second Team All-Mideast Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association, named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and a Second Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game.
Junior pitcher Danny Sexton was named Second Team All-Horizon League. The Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on February 20 and March 27, Sexton tied for second in the league with eight wins, including decisions over Clemson, South Carolina and Pittsburgh. He also was fourth in the league in ERA (2.78), fifth in opposing batting average (.237) and innings pitched (90.2) and eighth in strikeouts (69).
Sexton was named to the 40-player midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Sexton signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Padres.
Junior reliever Derek Hendrixson was also a Second Team All-Horizon League selection as he recorded nine saves, with a 1.77 ERA, good for second in the league.
Sophomore pitcher Zane Collins earned two Horizon League Pitcher of the Week awards (March 6 and 20) as he finished third in the league in innings pitched (92.1) and opposing batting average (.216), fourth in strikeouts (77), tied for fifth in wins (7) and was fifth in ERA (2.83).
As a right-hander for the Raiders, Burk (2014-16) pitched 24 games in relief and had two starts while striking out 26 and walking 14.
Following his playing career under Greg Lovelady, Burk joined Jeff Mercer’s staff as a student assistant and earned his BA in English Education.
