Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Baseball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 494-7762
Jerry Meyers is the 23rd baseball coach in Middle Tennessee history. He served as the interim head coach for the 2023 season after holding the title of pitching coach and associate head coach in 2022. The 2026 season will be his fourth season at the helm of the program.
After spending the 2023 season as the program’s interim head coach, Middle Tennessee Baseball head coach Jerry Meyers had the interim tag removed from his title at the end of the season and was named the head coach of the Blue Raider program in May 2023.
In the 2023 CUSA Tournament, the Blue Raiders went on a run to the semifinals after winning their opening two games. The 2-0 start was the first time since 2006 MTSU had that start at a conference tournament, and for the first time ever as members of Conference USA. A No. 7 seed, MTSU was the lowest tournament seed to reach the CUSA semifinals since Rice in 2019.
"When you look at his total resume, it's very impressive," Director of Athletics Chris Massaro said when Meyers’ interim tag was removed in 2023. "I want our fans to know the success he has enjoyed as a pitching coach, the multiple trips to Omaha and the national championship ring he has earned. I think we have a bright future. You learn a great deal from a coach in the way he fights through adversity. I liked how he handled his team and the way he developed his players."
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee echoed Massaro's praises of Meyers in 2023. "Our Conference USA tournament run this year was very good, and it says a lot when you are playing your best at postseason time," he said. "Coach Meyers and his staff deserve a lot of credit."
"First off, I would like to thank everyone for this opportunity," said Meyers. "I want to thank Massaro, Dr. Sidney McPhee, Chairman of the Board Stephen B. Smith, everyone that has played for this program, the coaches that have been here prior to this point and have built a great tradition, and I want to especially thank this year's team that did everything we asked them to do. The program moving forward will be built on guys with strong character that do things the right way, that want to win and compete for championships every year. We didn't do things the easy way this year, but we did things that are special, and we played our most competitive baseball at the end of the year, which is a testament to the group that we had this season."
Meyers led a team in 2023 which took five of six games from rival WKU, earned CUSA series sweeps over WKU and FIU and a quintet of series wins in conference play.
Dating back to at least 1974, MTSU's series sweep over WKU April 6-8 represented the first three-game sweep over WKU in Bowling Green.
MTSU defeated a ranked team on the road for the first time since 2015, taking down No. 16 Dallas Baptist May 6, 2023. He would be victorious again vs. No. 25 Dallas Baptist a year later in 2024, this time at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
In 2025, Meyers’ crew tallied three top-25 wins on the season. The first came on March 23 against Conference USA foe No. 15 Dallas Baptist, when the Blue Raiders collected 20 hits to upset the Patriots on the road.
The second ranked victory came against long-time rival No. 20 WKU, a 10-3 win that handed the Hilltoppers their first home loss of the season.
Meyers also guided the team to a 5-3 upset of No. 9 Vanderbilt on April 22 in Nashville, marking the Blue Raiders’ first win at Vanderbilt since 2005.
Also in 2025, he guided his starting rotation to a dominant start, as each member of the staff earned a Conference USA Pitcher of the Week honor early in the season.
Under the tutelage of Meyers, members of the Blue Raider roster excelled and earned high accolades.
Right-hander Drew Horn threw the fifth no-hitter in MTSU history on March 9 against Oakland. The Smyrna native went nine innings, striking out 13 in a dominant outing. He earned national, local and Conference USA honors for the performance. At midseason, Horn ranked first nationally in opposing batting average and went on to secure a spot on the CUSA Second Team in his first year in blue.
Left-hander Chandler Alderman tossed the fourth no-hitter in program history on March 23, 2024, against Liberty. The freshman phenom struck out 11 in eight shutout innings to secure the milestone. He was named CUSA Pitcher of the Week and Tennessee Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Week. Alderman later earned CUSA All-Freshman and Second Team honors, and in 2025, collected another CUSA Pitcher of the Week award after a 10-strikeout complete game vs. Louisiana Tech on April 13.
Third baseman Brett Vondohlen made history with a 10-RBI performance against long-time rival WKU on April 26, 2024. The redshirt freshman went 4-for-5 with three home runs, including two grand slams and a two-run shot, in a 16-9 victory. He earned D1 Baseball Top Performer and Golden Spikes Performance of the Week honors for the feat. In 2025, Vondohlen ranked among the top 10 in program history for single-season home runs (17), earning a spot on the CUSA Second Team.
Outfielder Brett Rogers broke out in 2025, landing on the CUSA All-Freshman Team after hitting .331, the 12th-best mark in the league. A steady presence in right field, he tallied six outfield assists while showing off his speed and arm strength.
Two-way standout Trace Phillips earned CUSA All-Freshman and Second Team honors in his debut season. He ranked second on the team in home runs and fourth in innings pitched. Phillips also collected TSWA Pitcher of the Week on May 14, 2024, after working nine innings across two starts with 13 strikeouts and one run allowed. In 2025, he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an undrafted free agent for $630,000, the value of a third-round pick.
Four-year starter Eston Snider capped his Blue Raider career with a spot on the 2025 CUSA First Team. He led the team in eight major offensive categories, including batting average (.341), OPS (.954), runs (45), doubles (16), on-base percentage (.445), and stolen bases (22). Snider also secured his place in the program record book with 40 career hit-by-pitches.
Catcher Briggs Rutter notched the third cycle in MTSU history on March 12, 2024 vs. NM State. The four-year starter sequenced it by hitting the single first, then triple, double, and then topping it off with a home run.
Right-handed pitcher Jaden Hamm earned Tennessee Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Week honors twice, and was named to the Conference USA First Team in a season for him which included a complete-game, one hit shutout on March 10, 2023.
Right-handed pitcher Eriq Swan also stood out as a member of the pitching rotation, earning Tennessee Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Week on May 16, 2023 and claiming a spot on the Conference USA All-Tournament Team.
After the 2023 season, Swan and Hamm were selected higher in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft than any Blue Raider since 2010. Swan was selected at No. 137 overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth compensatory round, while Hamm earned a call from the Detroit Tigers in the fifth round at pick No. 143.
Right-handed pitcher James Sells finished the 2023 season as MTSU's leader in both wins and saves, claiming a save in each of the Blue Raiders' wins at WKU April 6-8 and earning Conference USA Pitcher of the Week honors in the process.
Shortstop Brett Coker was one of four hitters with a batting average above .300 and secured a spot on the Conference USA All-Conference First-Team alongside Hamm. Catcher Jeremiah Boyd hit .306 on the year and had a team-high 13 runs as a graduate transfer from Presbyterian College. And MTSU had a conference-high three players named to the league's All-Freshman team in RHPs Ollie Akens, Patrick Johnson and Catcher/Utility Jared Vetetoe.
The Blue Raiders were also strong academically, with Boyd being named to the Conference USA All-Academic team in 2023 and Eston Snider earning a spot in 2024, and Hamm, Boyd, Snider and DJ Wright all earning a spot on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District roster.
Before arriving at MTSU, Meyers served two stints as pitching coach at South Carolina, from 1997-2004 and from 2011-2017. While at South Carolina, he helped lead the Gamecocks to five College World Series appearances, a national championship in 2011 and two national runner-up finishes in 2002 and 2012. He also developed 13 All-American players during his time in Columbia. Jerry Meyers coached some of South Carolina's top college pitchers, including Kip Bouknight, the 2000 Golden Spikes Award winner.
Meyers also served as head coach at Old Dominion from 2005-2010. And in 2008, Meyers served as pitching coach of the Team USA Collegiate National Team, helping lead the squad to the gold medal at the World Championships in the Czech Republic.
Born in Harvey, Illinois, in 1965, Meyers was a four-year letterwinner at Iowa State, where he graduated in 1987 before completing his master's at South Alabama as a baseball graduate assistant in 1989.
Meyers lives in Murfreesboro with his wife, Chris. He is the father of two daughters, Audrey and Riley.
Honors/Awards
- 13 All-American players developed during his time with the Gamecocks (Ryan Bordenick 2x, Adam Everett, Mike Curry, Kip Bouknight, Lee Gronkiewicz, Yaron Peters, Blake Taylor, David Marchbanks, Landon Powell, Chad Blackwell, Micheal Roth, and Kyle Martin).
- 128 Players drafted in the MLB draft from his squad over the years at ODU, USC, and now MTSU.
- 2006 CAA Coach of the Year
- 2008 Team USA Pitching Coach - Gold Medal
What they are saying about Coach Meyers
Ray Tanner, South Carolina AD, former HC at South Carolina
"Jerry Meyers is a national championship pitching coach. He is among the best in all of college baseball. The impact that he will have on the MTSU pitching staff will be immediate."
Tim Corbin, Head Baseball Coach, Vanderbilt
"Jerry has always been one of the premier pitching coaches in the country. When you look at the South Carolina teams that he was a part of, pitching success was paramount, and he had a lot to do with that. At the heart of it, Jerry has a teacher’s spirit for pitching. He is a very good instructor."
Eric Campbell, USA Baseball
"Jerry was our pitching coach for the 2008 USA Team that went 24-0. It was one of those historic national collegiate teams, and Jerry led a great pitching staff. It was a pitching staff that had a 0.88 ERA and helped win the World Championship against Japan in the Czech Republic. I’m just so glad he’s back in the game. I am so excited for him and Middle Tennessee State that we have a true pitching talent back on the baseball field."
Clarke Schmidt, Pitcher, New York Yankees
"It’s tough to put into words the impact Coach Meyers has had on my career. Not only was he a great mentor and coach, but he made a lasting impact on me off the field. The amount of time that (Meyers) puts in behind the scenes doesn’t go unnoticed. He is relentless in his efforts to not only help the individual player, but also help the pitching staff and team. I will forever be grateful for the time I got to spend with Coach Meyers throughout my college experience, and I’m thankful to still have a strong relationship with him today."
Grayson Greiner, Catcher, Detroit Tigers
"Coach Meyers is one of the most genuine, dedicated, and intelligent coaches I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing for. He had an immense impact on me as a catcher with what he taught me about the game of baseball. Middle Tennessee State is getting an outstanding coach, but an even better man."
Jordan Montgomery, Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks - World Series Champion
Coach Meyers made an immediate impact on me in college. He taught me a great deal about pitching and competing.
