Baumgartner Resigns as WOU Baseball Leader

Terry Baumgartner Photo Courtesy: WOU

(MONMOUTH) - Long-time Western Oregon University baseball coach Terry Baumgartner has resigned as the program`s leader.

The 35-year-old has served as the team`s head coach for 11 seasons, after two years as an assistant and four more as a player. His career record was 370-220, and the Wolves never had a losing season during his tenure.

Western Oregon has also won five straight conference titles, and the Wolves finished second at the 2005 NCAA Division II west regional tournament.

`Terry has done an outstanding job as our baseball coach," said WOU athletic director Jon Carey. `During his time here, he took our program to the highest levels of NAIA baseball and then established it among the elite of NCAA Division II baseball in the west region. We wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors."

Associate head coach Jeremiah Robbins will serve as the interim head coach in 2006. Robbins, 34-years-old, was an assistant at WOU last spring, and prior to that was the head coach at Douglas High School for two seasons.

In 2004, Robbins was the 3A Coach of the Year in Oregon, after leading his squad to a 24-2 record and the state quarterfinals. He was a two-time Far West League Coach of the Year, as the Trojans won back-to-back league titles under his direction.

A former all-conference catcher at Western Oregon in 1999, the Douglas native spent the 2002 season as the head assistant coach at Lane CC, and was the leader of the Southwestern Oregon CC program in 2000 and 2001. In `01, he was named the south region coach of the year in the NWAACC.

Western Oregon, currently 8-6 on the year and ranked sixth in the NCAA Div. II west region, plays its home opener Tuesday, hosting Willamette at 2:00 PM.