Head Coach Ed Sprague enters his12th season at the helm of the Pacific Baseball program in thespring of 2015. The Stockton native took over the hometown programafter an 11-year Major League career, and has guided the Tigers to236 wins. In 2005 and 2006, his Tigers posted back-to-back seasonswith 30 or more wins for the first time in program history. In2010, the Tigers set a school record for wins in a season with 31and received votes in the national polls.
He has a combined 236-369 record in his 11 seasons with theTigers, posting a pair of 30 win seasons at 30-25 in 2006 and a30-28 mark in 2005. He guided Pacific to one of the best seasons inprogram history in 2010, finishing with a 31-23 overall record thatincluded a new program record of 31 victories over Division Iopponents. That season Pacific won nine of its 14 series, includingsweeping San Jose State from March 26-28. The Tigers also receivedvotes in national top 30 polls on four occasions during the 2010season.
During his tenure, 18 of his players have been selected in theMajor League Baseball Draft, with multiple players currently activein the professional ranks, including major leaguer (Chase Headley,San Diego Padres).
Sprague led the Tigers into a newera in 2014 as Pacific moved to the West Coast Conference. In theirnew home, the Tigers posted its first winning record in conferenceplay since the 1999 season as the team went 15-12 in WCC play.Overall, the Tigers were 26-27 for the year.
In the 2009 season, Sprague helpedsteer Pacific in the right direction of another winning season,laying the foundations for 2010 after recording victories over No.8 Baylor, No. 11 San Diego, No. 16 Cal Poly and a series victory atNo. 6 Cal State Fullerton in March. The series victory against CalState Fullerton marked the first time one of Sprague’s teamsdefeated the Titans in his career. Pacific finished with nineconference wins in 2009, tying the mark set in both the 2005 and2006 seasons.
In 2011, Pacific posted three wins over ranked teams, topping No.10 Cal State Fullerton and No. 13 Cal on the road, and a home winover No. 17 UC Irvine.
Sprague’s 236 career victories have him in third place inTiger history for most coaching victories.
In addition to his coaching efforts, Sprague’s biggestaccomplishment at Pacific has been spearheading a campaign to buildan on-campus home field. That vision became a reality on Oct. 15,2004, as the Tigers officially broke ground on Klein Family Field,the Tigers’ current on-campus stadium. The stadium officiallybecame the new home of the Pacific Tigers on April 18, 2006, asPacific defeated Nevada, 8-3, in the inaugural game.
Between the lines, Sprague’s arrival brought a championshippedigree to Pacific Baseball as he was the starting third basemanon the 1987 and 1988 NCAA Championship teams at Stanford. Hefinished his career among the school’s all-time leaders inhome runs (2nd with 41) and RBI (4th with 178). A 1988All-American, he hit .339 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI. He was alsoa two-time All Pac-10 Conference selection in 1987 and 1988. Forhis accomplishments, Sprague was a 2002 inductee into the StanfordAthletic Hall of Fame. In the summer of 1988, Sprague collectedanother championship as he won a Gold Medal with USA Baseball inthe Summer Olympics.
Following his collegiate career, he was selected in the firstround of the 1988 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He made it to theMajor Leagues in 1991 with the Blue Jays and enjoyed an 11-yearcareer as a big leaguer. His knack for winning championshipscontinued at the major league level as Sprague helped the Blue Jayswin back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. Laterin his career, as a Pittsburgh Pirate, Sprague earned a selectionto the 1999 All-Star Game. Sprague hit 152 career home runs andtallied 558 RBI, including single-season bests with 36 home runsand 101 RBI in 1996 with Toronto. He also played with the BostonRed Sox, Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners and San DiegoPadres.
Sprague’s decorated playing career marks him as the onlyplayer ever to win a College World Series, Olympic Gold Medal and aMajor League Baseball World Series.
A Stockton native, Sprague returned to his home prior to the the2003 season as an assistant coach at St. Mary’s High School,helping the Rams to a Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth. Thefollowing summer he took over as the 16th head baseball coach forPacific. Sprague is one of two Olympic athletes in his family ashis wife, Kristen Babb Sprague, was an Olympic gold medalist insynchronized swimming in 1992. Ed and Kristen have four children,Payton, Jed, Paris and John. Jed joined his father in the dugout in2015 as a freshman position player for the Tigers.
