Applegate announced as next CSU Pueblo Head Baseball Coach
Courtesy of CSU Pueblo Athletics
PUEBLO, Colo. (June 30, 2021) – Colorado State University Pueblo Director of Athletics
Dr. Paul Plinske has announced the hiring of
Bobby Applegate as the ThunderWolves Head Baseball Coach.
A graduate of CSU Pueblo and a member of the 1994 team that resurrected the baseball program, Applegate has nearly 25 years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level.
"After an abrupt decision by Coach Stambersky to leave CSU Pueblo, we moved quickly to search for a new head baseball coach," Plinske said. "
President Mottet did an incredible job assisting me through this process as we are both 100% committed to building a championship-caliber program that is built to last. I am also very grateful for our search committee, led by chair
Mannie Reinsch, who worked tirelessly over the past few days. Our committee guided us toward a great leader for CSU Pueblo."
"I'd like to thank President Mottet, Athletic Director Dr. Plinske and the professional staff who helped in the hiring process for this incredible opportunity," Applegate said. "My passion for this University and baseball program runs deep in so many ways. This spans from being a former player, graduate and assistant coach and now as the head coach. It is an honor for me to give back to the University, the baseball program, the community, and the coaches who invested so much in me while I was here. I look forward to helping our players grow on and off the field as exceptional students, players, and members of the community. I also look forward to working with the entire community whose loyalty and support to the baseball program is unmatched. I am grateful to be back home and back with the Pack family."
Applegate has spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy where he also served as the pitching coach and co-recruiting coordinator. He also had stints as an assistant at NCAA Division I University of California, Riverside, Brigham Young University and the United States Air Force Academy. In all, Applegate has developed more than 30 players who have signed to Major League Baseball organizations.
"Bobby Applegate has impressed me since the day I met him at an alumni event years ago," Plinske said. "As a former Pack baseball player, he has gone on to work in some of the most credible and highly successful Division I institutions in the country. He has great knowledge of the game, knows how to recruit and develop high-caliber baseball players, is able to conduct community events that will expand our appeal and knows a large portion of our alumni. Above all, Bobby is a man of outstanding character and integrity. He is a great fit for CSU Pueblo. It is my honor to welcome Bobby and his family back to CSU Pueblo."
Under Applegate's tutelage, Navy celebrated Patriot League Pitcher of the Year awards in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 and four pitchers were drafted in a span of five years. He helped the Midshipmen to the program's highest five-year win total in Naval Academy history, which included a program record 43 wins in 2016. He also coached two Golden Spikes Award semifinalists and one finalist and a 2019 USA Baseball Olympian. During his time as the pitching coach, the staff set program records for ERA, strikeouts and shutouts.
Navy became just one of just six programs nationally to finish top-50 in both ERA and winning percentage in four separate occasions (2015-19). In 2018, Navy's staff ERA ranked No. 8 at 3.10 and the team won at a .710 clip (38-16) to place 12th.
During the 2020 season, Applegate helped the Navy pitching staff lead the Patriot League with a 3.07 ERA while also posting league-bests in strikeouts with 131 and saves with seven.
During his fifth season as the pitching coach in 2019, Applegate helped Navy rank in top 50 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (10th, 10.0), hits allowed per nine innings (17th, 7.69), WHIP (25th, 1.28), strikeout-to-walk ratio (29th, 2.57), shutouts (29th, five) and earned run average (32nd, 3.82). The Midshipmen also broke the program record strikeouts per nine innings (10.0), strikeouts (527) and saves (17), while helping Navy record the second-most wins in program history with 39.
Applegate also coached Golden Spikes Finalist Noah Song, who re-wrote the program record books. Song was named the first First Team All-American in school history and he became the first player in program history to be selected as a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, while also being selected as the Pitcher of the Year by
Perfect Game. Song was also drafted in the fourth round (137th overall) by the Boston Red Sox and made him the highest drafted player in program history.
In his fourth year at the helm of Navy's pitching staff in 2018, the Mids finished atop the regular standings of the Patriot League with a conference record of 18-7, thereby earning the team its fourth straight number one seed in the postseason. Individually, a host of Navy hurlers drew both national and conference attention.
During his first four seasons, Navy's pitching staff garnered 10 All-Patriot League awards under Applegate.
Prior to joining Navy, Applegate served as an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator and, for a time following the retirement of Doug Smith, the interim head coach of the UC Riverside Highlander baseball program. A three-year member of the Highlanders, Applegate led a pitching staff that saw six hurlers join the professional ranks. All six hurlers were also recognized on All-Big West teams during their careers at Riverside. In 2014, the Highlanders had the third largest MLB draft class in the country with seven selections.
Before heading west to UC Riverside in 2011, Applegate was an assistant coach at Brigham Young University for eight years. During his time with the Cougars his pitchers found both individual and group success as 16 different pitchers signed professional contracts and his staffs posted the two lowest team earned run averages in BYU's history. In a conference known for explosive offensive numbers, the Cougars' 2007 earned run average mark of 3.93 stands top 10 all-time in the Mountain West Conference's record book.
In addition to his work with pitchers, Applegate was responsible for the scheduling of all games, managing the travel budget, directing the program's alumni relations and assisting with all facets of recruiting. For his work with the team, he was honored as the Assistant Coach of the Year by BYU Athletic Department in 2010.
A one-year stint as an associate scout for the Kansas City Royals from 2002 through 2003 served as a buffer for Applegate between BYU and his previous stop at the United States Air Force Academy.
From 1998 until 2002, he was the pitching coach for the Falcons and guided the first two pitchers from the academy to sign a professional baseball contract. Applegate and his Air Force squad left its mark on the school's record book with the most wins versus D1 opposition in 2002 and the second-lowest ERA since 1983 during the 2000 season. Six Falcons earned All-Conference accolades under his tutelage and the staff totaled 15 league Pitcher of the Week honors.
Applegate's first collegiate coaching opportunity came in 1995 following his playing career at CSU Pueblo. Between 1995 and 1997, he served as the school's pitching coach and aided the 1996 team to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Division II College World Series. He also coached the West Region Pitcher of the Year.
Applegate began playing collegiately at Southwestern Community College in San Diego (1991-93) before transferring to then-University of Southern Colorado. He completed a distinguished career in 1995 after earning accolades as the Colorado Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year ('95) and a spot on the All-Mile High Intercollegiate team ('95). In recognition of his success as a player and a coach, Applegate was inducted into the USC Diamond of Fame in 1999.
After playing professionally for the Pueblo Bighorns of the Texas-Louisiana League during the summer of 1995, he returned to CSU Pueblo and finished his kinesiology degree in 1996.