Wright State University Athletics

Nate Metzger was named Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator with the Wright State Baseball Program in July 2016 and was elevated to Associate Head Coach in the fall of 2019. Metzger is in charge of recruiting, assists with day-to-day administrative duties, coaches the catchers, and assists with the offense, coaching third base.

Metzger helped Wright State compile its first-ever top 100 ranked recruiting class in the country (87th nationally) in 2018. Since then, the Raiders have continued to produce one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, ranking 89th in 2019, 79th in 2021, and 82nd in 2023 by Perfect Game. In 2022, D1Baseball.com listed Metzger as "The 75 Assistants Athletic Directors Should Know" and as a top assistant coach in the Midwest. 

"Nate is without a doubt one of the best recruiters in the Midwest. We came to this program together, and I am very fortunate to work with him. There is no doubt that this program wouldn't be where it is today without the tireless hard work of Coach Metzger," head coach Alex Sogard said.

Raider baseball has been one of the most successful programs in the Midwest since 2006, advancing to eight NCAA Tournaments that included the regional finals in 2015 and 2016. That stretch has seen Wright win eight Horizon League Tournament titles and seven regular-season crowns. In the last seven seasons, Wright State has beaten 15 ranked teams, including #11 Miami (FL) and #18 Ole Miss in 2015, #8 North Carolina State and #20 Ohio State in 2016, #10 Clemson twice and #4 South Carolina in 2017, #20 Louisiana twice in 2018, #9 East Carolina, #10 Ole Miss, and #18 Oklahoma State in 2019, and in the shortened 2020 season the Raiders beat #1 Louisville, and #11 Tennessee twice.
 
Wright State has averaged 39.8 wins per season over the last six seasons (2015-2022), ranking 21st best in overall wins out of 299 total D1 programs in the country, and is one of only 24 teams in the country who have a winning record over that span against top 50 RPI opponents. In the past seven years, the Raiders have been to five Regionals. They have also sent 29 players to pro ball since 2015, including nine Top 10 Round MLB Draft picks. 

Metzger guided WSU to another Horizon League Championship title during the 2022 season, advancing to the Blacksburg Regional. The Raiders set single-game tournament records in runs scored, largest shutout margin (24), doubles (8), and RBI (23) in the blowout victory. To add, Wright State outscored opponents 56-7 in its three HL Championship wins, including a tournament-record 11 home runs. 

On the year, the Raiders broke a school record with 81 home runs and ranked top-100 nationally with conference-leading marks in shutouts (6), scoring (8.0), runs scored (455), home runs (81), hits (557), doubles (118), walks (318), on-base percentage (.396), slugging percentage (.484), triples (17), and strikeouts per nine innings (9.0). 

Outfielder Alec Sayre was selected in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins after batting .358 with 18 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 54 runs batted in, 63 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 56 starts. The 2022 Horizon League Player of the Year led the conference in batting average, hits (82), doubles, runs, and OPS (1.022) and collected East-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region accolades for the second year in a row. Zane Harris joined Sayre on the All-Region team, earning First Team honors. 

In 2021, the Raiders had another year for the record books, leading the country in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and scoring at 10.5 runs per game. The Raiders were also second nationally in runs, fourth in doubles, seventh in walks, ninth in strikeout-to-walk ratio, 13th in win-loss percentage, 16th in stolen bases, 20th in home runs, 21st in fewest walks per nine innings, and 32nd in pitchers’ strikeouts per nine innings.
 
The offense broke the single season Wright State records for batting average (.339), slugging percentage (.579), on-base percentage (.447), runs (502), home runs (78), runs batted in (456), and strikeouts (443). 
 
Infielder Tyler Black was selected as the 33rd overall pick in the MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Black was runner-up as Player of the Year after hitting .383 and was top 5 in almost every offensive category in the conference. He was also a Third Team All-American and on the All-Midwest Region team. Black became the highest drafted Raider position player in program history.

Outfielder Quincy Hamilton was selected in the 5th round of the MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. Hamilton was the Horizon League Player of the Year after hitting .374 and leading the conference in a majority of the offensive categories. He was also top-10 in the nation in runs, on-base percentage, walks, and runs batted in. Hamilton was also a First Team All-American and on the All-Midwest Region team.
 
Starting Pitcher Jake Schrand was drafted in the 9th Round of the MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. Schrand, who was a lockdown closer for the Raiders in 2020, was transitioned into the starting rotation in 2021, where he anchored the pitching staff and was ranked 40th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings. 
 
Infielder Damon Dues signed a free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants. Dues was a Second Team All-Horizon League recipient, finishing the year hitting .335 with 67 runs scored and 23 stolen bases.
 
Senior catcher Konner Piotto signed a free agent deal with the Texas Rangers. Piotto was the backbone of the Raiders pitching staff and offensively hit .346 with a .439 on-base percentage.
 
It was the second time in program history the Raiders had three players drafted in the top 10 rounds in the MLB Draft ('19 & '21). The five players moving on to professional baseball ties the second most players moving on to pro ball in program history.
 
In all, the 2021 Raiders had ten All Horizon League Honors, including Alex Sogard winning Coach of the Year. The Raiders had five First Team players (Quincy Hamilton, Tyler Black, Austin Cline, Sammy Sass, Alec Sayre), three Second Team performers (Zane Harris, Bradley Brehmer, and Damon Dues), and one All-Freshman Team member (Jake Shirk). The Raiders also had seven players on the All Midwest Region team (Tyler Black, Quincy Hamilton, Sammy Sass, Damon Dues, Alec Sayre, Zane Harris, Austin Cline). The seven All-Region selections were the most in program history.
 
In the shortened 2020 season, the Raiders notched three road victories over ranked teams, beating top-ranked Louisville and beating No. 1 ranked Tennessee twice.  The Raiders were ranked #19 in RPI and had the fifth toughest schedule in the country. 

In 2019, the Raiders compiled a 42-17 record, which included a 22-8 mark in conference action (Horizon League regular season champions). Alex Sogard earned the Horizon League Coach of the Year award, winning the most games in program history by a first-year head coach (42). The Raiders had a year for the record books. The offense broke the single season record for walks (368), stolen bases (169), runs (501), and home runs (67). The Raiders also ranked second nationally in walks and stolen bases, third in runs, fifth in on-base percentage, ninth in fielding percentage,10th in batting average, and 27th in home runs.  
 
The Raiders had a number of big wins versus ranked opponents again in 2019: at #9 East Carolina, at #10 Ole Miss, at #18 Oklahoma State and at Indiana.
 
Junior right-fielder Peyton Burdick was selected in the 3rd Round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins (82nd pick overall). Burdick was the Horizon League Player of the Year after hitting .407 and leading the conference in almost every offensive category. He was also a Second Team All American and First Team All Midwest Region. Burdick was called up by the Marlins in August 2022, becoming the second Raider on an active big league roster, joining Gold Glove catcher Sean Murphy of the Oakland Athletics.  
 
Fellow senior outfielder JD Orr was selected in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins as well. Orr broke the single season stolen base record with 60, as well as breaking the career stolen base record at Wright State with 118. Orr also set the single season runs scored record with 83 and was named First Team All-Conference.  
 
Junior third baseman Seth Gray was drafted in the 4th Round of the Draft by the Minnesota Twins, 119th overall. Gray was First Team All Midwest Region as well as First Team All-Horizon League after hitting .351 with 11 HR and 70 RBI. 
 
Starting Pitcher Bear Bellomy was drafted 28th Round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bear was named First Team All Horizon League after posting a 9-3 record with a 3.57 ERA and was runner up for Pitcher of the Year in the league. 

Senior outfielder Zach Weatherford was signed by the Cleveland Indians. Senior shortstop Chase Slone was signed by the Washington Wild Things and Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Luneke signed with the Illinois Miners, both of the Independent Frontier League. 
 
It was the first time in program history the Raiders had three players drafted in the top 10 rounds in the MLB draft. The seven players moving on to professional baseball set a program record for the most players moving on to pro ball in any one season.
 
Additionally, three freshmen turned in strong performances for the Wright State Raiders in 2019. Infielder Tyler Black was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year as well as Freshman All American. Tyler was also named to the All-Midwest Region Second Team after hitting .353 with 7 HR and 41 RBI. In addition, the Raiders had two freshman pitchers, Sam Wirsing and Bradley Brehmer, who combined to go 14-0 on the mound in 2019. 
 
In all, the 2019 Raiders racked up nine All Horizon League Honors including six First Team (Peyton Burdick, JD Orr, Zach Weatherford, Seth Gray, Tyler Black, and Bear Bellomy), two Second Team (Chase Slone, Bradley Brehmer), and two All-Freshman Team (Damon Dues and Bradley Brehmer). The six First Team selections tied for the most all-time in program history. 
 
In 2018, the Raiders finished 39-17 overall (22-6 in the HL), winning the 2018 Horizon League regular-season and tournament titles and earned a berth to the NCAA Regional Tournament at Stanford.  
 
The Raiders had three players hear their names called in the 2018 MLB draft. Starting pitcher Ryan Weiss was selected in the 4th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks (129th overall). Weiss posted a 9-2 record with one save and 92 strikeouts over 98 innings. He was named to the All-Horizon League First Team and Second Team All-Region.  
 
Fellow starter Caleb Sampen was selected in the 20th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sampen went 5-0 record in 11 appearances with a 3.26 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 47.0 innings. Horizon League Player of the Year and WSU career home run and RBI leader Gabe Snyder (1B) was taken in the 21st round by the Minnesota Twins. Senior second baseman Matt Morrow was also signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
 
In 2017, his first season with the Raiders, Metzger assisted the program to new heights as Wright State received its first-ever top 25 ranking, finishing 38-21 overall and 21-9 in conference play. The Raider pitching staff compiled a 3.70 ERA and broke the all-time WSU single season strikeout record with 423. Ryan Weiss posted an 8-1 record while Junior LHP Danny Sexton, who was signed by the San Diego Padres, went 8-2.
  
Prior to arriving at Wright State, Metzger served as an associate scout for the Atlanta Braves for 20 years (1997-2016). In 2006, Metzger was named the first Director of Athletics and Head Baseball Coach at Heartland Community College, building the athletic department and baseball program from the ground up (2006-16). Metzger was a four-time NJCCA Region Coach of the Year assisting 124 of 138 student-athletes continue their baseball and academic careers at four-year universities, with 25 players moving on to professional baseball and 89 going on to Division I programs.
 
Heartland Community College baseball produced 14 All-Americans, five First Team All-Americans, 30 All-Region players, 63 All-MWAC Players, 24 Academic All-Conference selections, 11 Academic All-Americans, three straight Region 24 Tournament Most Valuable Players (2011, 2012, and 2013) and 14 Rawlings Gold Glove award winners.
 
Heartland posted a 414-106 record with a .800 winning percentage and averaged 46 wins per year under Metzger, while being nationally ranked each year and reaching the NJCAA Division II World Series three times, including a third-place finish in 2012 and a fourth place finish in 2013. The Hawks held a #1 national ranking in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
 
Prior to his tenure at Heartland CC, Metzger was co-owner and head instructor of "The Practice Factory," Bloomington/Normal, IL first indoor baseball/softball facility. He coached at the high school level at Gridley HS (IL) and Normal West HS (IL) and managed the Twin City Stars, Twin City Scrappers and East Peoria Scrappers collegiate summer teams, including leading the 2004 Twin City Scrappers to the NABF World Series title. 
 
Metzger is a 28 consecutive year member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). In addition, he has traveled to many clinics around the country and has spoken at several. Metzger spoke at the Prestigious ABCA Convention in 2021 on Building Relationships as well as at the I-70 Clinic on catching and has spoken at the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Clinic twice: on recruiting in 2022 and building a program in 2010.

Nate and his wife Sarah have two daughters, Shelby Maddux and Morgan Aaron, and reside in Beavercreek, OH.