Official word from Mizzou baseball on two new hires:
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball head coach Steve Bieser has hired Patrick Hallmark and Lance Rhodes to his coaching staff, as announced Tuesday (July 12). Hallmark joins Mizzou after coaching at Rice for the last 11 seasons, including the last four as pitching coach, the same role he will hold at Mizzou. Rice went to an NCAA Regional in all 11 years that Hallmark was with the program, including three College World Series appearances. Rhodes comes to Mizzou after serving on Bieser’s staff at Southeast Missouri, where he helped the Redhawks to three consecutive seasons with at least 35 wins for the first time in school history, culminating in Ohio Valley regular season and tournament titles in 2016. Rhodes will be the recruiting coordinator at Mizzou.
“I am very excited to have both Hallmark and Rhodes join the Mizzou baseball family,” Bieser said. “Both of these guys bring a lot of passion, energy, and talent to our program. One goal I had from the beginning was to find guys who have been proven winners throughout their careers and both of these guys have that track record. Another component was to find guys that are versatile and complement each other well.”
Hallmark comes to Mizzou after an impressive run at Rice, where he helped build the team into a national power. Aside from reaching NCAA Regional play in all 11 seasons with Hallmark on staff, Rice made three trips to the College World Series (2006-2008) with five Super Regional appearances. A proven winner and a catcher by trade, Hallmark transitioned to the Owls pitching coach role prior to the 2013 season and the team saw immediate success under his guidance. In 2015, Rice pitching finished 12th in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (8.8) and registered the fifth-highest single-season saves total in school history (18) while also finishing among the NCAA’s top teams for ERA (3.16), hits allowed per 9.0 innings (8.2) and WHIP (1.27). A total of five Rice pitchers were selected in the 2015 Major League Draft.
In 2014, Rice pitching finished 13th in the NCAA with a new school record for ERA (2.56). The Owls were also 20thin the nation in both fewest hits allowed per game (7.7) and WHIP (1.19). Rice pitchers registered 18 saves while also finishing with the program’s lowest number of walks since the mid-1980s (192 walks in 573.1 inn., 3.0 per game). He mentored LHP Blake Fox to consensus All-America honors and 2014 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year accolades that year as well.
In his first year as pitching coach at Rice in 2013, his Owls set a Rice single season record with 12 shutouts, ranking second in the NCAA that year. Hallmark’s versatility as a coach was paramount to Rice’s success and appealed to Bieser, who was the model of versatility during his major league playing career. Before coaching pitchers, Hallmark was the Owls hitting coach and trained catchers and outfielders defensively.
Hallmark was a successful player, earning All-Southwest Conference honors in 1995 while guiding Rice to its first 40-win season in 11 years. He played nine years of professional baseball after being drafted by the Royals in 1995. He played in two minor league All-Star games and was part of three consecutive minor league champion teams from 1997-99.
“I am super excited to join Mizzou and Coach Bieser’s staff,” Hallmark said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about him. His offensive teams at Southeast were incredible and I look forward to seeing what we can do together at Mizzou. Being part of the SEC is what every good coach wants. It’s the biggest challenge there is in our profession. It is going to be a step up. It’s going to fun and exciting and we have a lot of work to do, but I am really excited.”
Rhodes was a vital part of the success that Southeast Missouri had under Bieser’s direction, serving as the program’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He brought in some of top talent that Southeast Missouri has ever had, including two OVC Pitchers of the Year. His recruits were a key reason why the Redhawks went from 26 wins in his first year to 37 in his second, 36 in his third and 39 in his fourth, including an NCAA Regional in 2016. His 2014 signing class was the cornerstone of the team’s three consecutive regular season OVC Championships (2014-16). He recruited 16 players who went on to earn All-OVC honors over those three seasons.
Rhodes’ impact as pitching coach was felt quickly as well. He inherited a pitching staff with a combined ERA of 6.37 and lowered it to 4.00 last season. In 2015, Rhodes guided Southeast Missouri to OVC-bests in ERA and opponent batting.
Rhodes was the primary position coach for a pair of OVC Pitcher of the Year winners – two-time winner Joey Lucchesi and Travis Hayes. Lucchesi was outstanding during his draft year in 2016, posting a 2.19 ERA with 149 strikeouts, averaging 12.08 per nine innings.
Rhodes, a former pitcher and volunteer assistant coach for the Redhawks returned to Southeast after serving as assistant coach for three seasons at Wabash Valley College in Illinois. He served as the pitching coach for the Warriors as they compiled 95 wins over a span of two seasons. While at Wabash Valley College he helped lead the Warriors to back-to-back Great Rivers Athletic Conference regular-season titles. The Warriors also won their first conference tournament championship in 14 years in 2010.
In 2012, Wabash Valley recorded a record of 48-13 as they ranked as high as third in the NJCAA Division I polls, their highest national ranking in school history. His pitching staff recorded an impressive ERA of 2.78.
He was also the pitching coach for the Quincy Gems of the Prospect League in the summer of 2009. He led the Gems to a Western Division Championship that season.
Rhodes graduated from Southeast Missouri in 2008 with a degree in general studies with an emphasis in physical education. He made 37 appearances for Southeast over two seasons with the Redhawks.
The Sikeston, Mo., native received his master’s degree in physical education from Emporia State University.Rhodes and his wife Brittney have two sons, Max (2) and Cooper (1).
“Being a guy who is from the state of Missouri, having an opportunity to Mizzou, the state’s flagship university, truly is a dream job for me,” Rhodes said. “Being in the SEC is an opportunity to compete alongside the best programs in the country and it gives you a chance to work with the best talent in college baseball and that excites me. I am also really happy that I get the chance to coach at Mizzou with Coach Bieser. I know how much this job means to him and he is someone I am extremely comfortable with and that will allow for a smooth transition. We have a lot of work to do - it is going to be exciting and I can’t wait to get started.”
Bieser will announce additional staff additions in the coming days. For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball).
Hallmark at a Glance
-Houston, Texas, native
-Rice graduate (2002, human performance)
-Went to 11 consecutive NCAA Regionals, 5 NCAA Super Regionals and three College World Series at Rice
-Finished among the NCAA’s top 25 in ERA in three of four seasons as pitching coach
-Set Rice school season records in ERA and shutouts as pitching coach
-Had 10 pitchers drafted in four years as Rice pitching coach
-Served as Rice’s hitting coach and was in charge of defense for catchers and outfielders before moving to pitching coach
-All-Conference catcher at Rice, guiding team to first 40-win season in 11 years in 1995
-Selected in the 18th Round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Royals
-Played nine seasons professionally, advancing as high as AAA
-Played in two minor league All-Star Games, hit better than .300 twice and had five seasons with 30+ steals
-Married to former Rice swimmer Jada Sanders and the couple has four kids, Christian (10), Tanner (8), Grayson (6) and Georgia (2).
Rhodes at a Glance
-Sikeston, Mo., native
-Southeast Missouri graduate (2008, general studies)/Emporia State graduate (Master’s in physical education)
-Part of three consecutive 35-win teams at SEMO, the first time in school history
-Pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Southeast Missouri under Steve Bieser
-Coached a pair of pitchers to three OVC Pitcher of the Year awards
-Lowered the staff ERA from 6.37 in 2013 to 4.00 last season and his staff led the OVC in ERA and opponent batting in both 2015 and 2016
-Pitching coach at Wabash Community College, winning 95 games over two years and back-to-back Great Rivers Athletic Conference regular-season titles
-Married to Brittney Rhodes and the couple has a pair of sons: Max (2) and Cooper (1).
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball head coach Steve Bieser has hired Patrick Hallmark and Lance Rhodes to his coaching staff, as announced Tuesday (July 12). Hallmark joins Mizzou after coaching at Rice for the last 11 seasons, including the last four as pitching coach, the same role he will hold at Mizzou. Rice went to an NCAA Regional in all 11 years that Hallmark was with the program, including three College World Series appearances. Rhodes comes to Mizzou after serving on Bieser’s staff at Southeast Missouri, where he helped the Redhawks to three consecutive seasons with at least 35 wins for the first time in school history, culminating in Ohio Valley regular season and tournament titles in 2016. Rhodes will be the recruiting coordinator at Mizzou.
“I am very excited to have both Hallmark and Rhodes join the Mizzou baseball family,” Bieser said. “Both of these guys bring a lot of passion, energy, and talent to our program. One goal I had from the beginning was to find guys who have been proven winners throughout their careers and both of these guys have that track record. Another component was to find guys that are versatile and complement each other well.”
Hallmark comes to Mizzou after an impressive run at Rice, where he helped build the team into a national power. Aside from reaching NCAA Regional play in all 11 seasons with Hallmark on staff, Rice made three trips to the College World Series (2006-2008) with five Super Regional appearances. A proven winner and a catcher by trade, Hallmark transitioned to the Owls pitching coach role prior to the 2013 season and the team saw immediate success under his guidance. In 2015, Rice pitching finished 12th in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (8.8) and registered the fifth-highest single-season saves total in school history (18) while also finishing among the NCAA’s top teams for ERA (3.16), hits allowed per 9.0 innings (8.2) and WHIP (1.27). A total of five Rice pitchers were selected in the 2015 Major League Draft.
In 2014, Rice pitching finished 13th in the NCAA with a new school record for ERA (2.56). The Owls were also 20thin the nation in both fewest hits allowed per game (7.7) and WHIP (1.19). Rice pitchers registered 18 saves while also finishing with the program’s lowest number of walks since the mid-1980s (192 walks in 573.1 inn., 3.0 per game). He mentored LHP Blake Fox to consensus All-America honors and 2014 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year accolades that year as well.
In his first year as pitching coach at Rice in 2013, his Owls set a Rice single season record with 12 shutouts, ranking second in the NCAA that year. Hallmark’s versatility as a coach was paramount to Rice’s success and appealed to Bieser, who was the model of versatility during his major league playing career. Before coaching pitchers, Hallmark was the Owls hitting coach and trained catchers and outfielders defensively.
Hallmark was a successful player, earning All-Southwest Conference honors in 1995 while guiding Rice to its first 40-win season in 11 years. He played nine years of professional baseball after being drafted by the Royals in 1995. He played in two minor league All-Star games and was part of three consecutive minor league champion teams from 1997-99.
“I am super excited to join Mizzou and Coach Bieser’s staff,” Hallmark said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about him. His offensive teams at Southeast were incredible and I look forward to seeing what we can do together at Mizzou. Being part of the SEC is what every good coach wants. It’s the biggest challenge there is in our profession. It is going to be a step up. It’s going to fun and exciting and we have a lot of work to do, but I am really excited.”
Rhodes was a vital part of the success that Southeast Missouri had under Bieser’s direction, serving as the program’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He brought in some of top talent that Southeast Missouri has ever had, including two OVC Pitchers of the Year. His recruits were a key reason why the Redhawks went from 26 wins in his first year to 37 in his second, 36 in his third and 39 in his fourth, including an NCAA Regional in 2016. His 2014 signing class was the cornerstone of the team’s three consecutive regular season OVC Championships (2014-16). He recruited 16 players who went on to earn All-OVC honors over those three seasons.
Rhodes’ impact as pitching coach was felt quickly as well. He inherited a pitching staff with a combined ERA of 6.37 and lowered it to 4.00 last season. In 2015, Rhodes guided Southeast Missouri to OVC-bests in ERA and opponent batting.
Rhodes was the primary position coach for a pair of OVC Pitcher of the Year winners – two-time winner Joey Lucchesi and Travis Hayes. Lucchesi was outstanding during his draft year in 2016, posting a 2.19 ERA with 149 strikeouts, averaging 12.08 per nine innings.
Rhodes, a former pitcher and volunteer assistant coach for the Redhawks returned to Southeast after serving as assistant coach for three seasons at Wabash Valley College in Illinois. He served as the pitching coach for the Warriors as they compiled 95 wins over a span of two seasons. While at Wabash Valley College he helped lead the Warriors to back-to-back Great Rivers Athletic Conference regular-season titles. The Warriors also won their first conference tournament championship in 14 years in 2010.
In 2012, Wabash Valley recorded a record of 48-13 as they ranked as high as third in the NJCAA Division I polls, their highest national ranking in school history. His pitching staff recorded an impressive ERA of 2.78.
He was also the pitching coach for the Quincy Gems of the Prospect League in the summer of 2009. He led the Gems to a Western Division Championship that season.
Rhodes graduated from Southeast Missouri in 2008 with a degree in general studies with an emphasis in physical education. He made 37 appearances for Southeast over two seasons with the Redhawks.
The Sikeston, Mo., native received his master’s degree in physical education from Emporia State University.Rhodes and his wife Brittney have two sons, Max (2) and Cooper (1).
“Being a guy who is from the state of Missouri, having an opportunity to Mizzou, the state’s flagship university, truly is a dream job for me,” Rhodes said. “Being in the SEC is an opportunity to compete alongside the best programs in the country and it gives you a chance to work with the best talent in college baseball and that excites me. I am also really happy that I get the chance to coach at Mizzou with Coach Bieser. I know how much this job means to him and he is someone I am extremely comfortable with and that will allow for a smooth transition. We have a lot of work to do - it is going to be exciting and I can’t wait to get started.”
Bieser will announce additional staff additions in the coming days. For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball).
Hallmark at a Glance
-Houston, Texas, native
-Rice graduate (2002, human performance)
-Went to 11 consecutive NCAA Regionals, 5 NCAA Super Regionals and three College World Series at Rice
-Finished among the NCAA’s top 25 in ERA in three of four seasons as pitching coach
-Set Rice school season records in ERA and shutouts as pitching coach
-Had 10 pitchers drafted in four years as Rice pitching coach
-Served as Rice’s hitting coach and was in charge of defense for catchers and outfielders before moving to pitching coach
-All-Conference catcher at Rice, guiding team to first 40-win season in 11 years in 1995
-Selected in the 18th Round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Royals
-Played nine seasons professionally, advancing as high as AAA
-Played in two minor league All-Star Games, hit better than .300 twice and had five seasons with 30+ steals
-Married to former Rice swimmer Jada Sanders and the couple has four kids, Christian (10), Tanner (8), Grayson (6) and Georgia (2).
Rhodes at a Glance
-Sikeston, Mo., native
-Southeast Missouri graduate (2008, general studies)/Emporia State graduate (Master’s in physical education)
-Part of three consecutive 35-win teams at SEMO, the first time in school history
-Pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Southeast Missouri under Steve Bieser
-Coached a pair of pitchers to three OVC Pitcher of the Year awards
-Lowered the staff ERA from 6.37 in 2013 to 4.00 last season and his staff led the OVC in ERA and opponent batting in both 2015 and 2016
-Pitching coach at Wabash Community College, winning 95 games over two years and back-to-back Great Rivers Athletic Conference regular-season titles
-Married to Brittney Rhodes and the couple has a pair of sons: Max (2) and Cooper (1).
