Temple University Athletics
GORDON NAMED ASSISTANT BASEBALL COACH AT TEMPLE
8.28.06 | Baseball
PHILADELPHIA -- Justin Gordon, a former professional pitcher with six years of minor league experience, has been named an assistant baseball coach at Temple University, head coach Rob Valli announced today. Gordon spent the past two seasons as the pitching coach at Western Illinois, helping lead the Leathernecks to the Mid-Continent Conference championship game and a school-record 32 wins in 2006.
Gordon spent the past summer as the pitching coach for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League. This past June, he coached Temple junior Arshwin Asjes at Harwich and mentored staff ace Dan Merklinger (Seton Hall) to all-Cape Cod League honors.
"We're extremely excited to have Justin join the Temple family," Valli said. "His professional experience and time spent coaching in the prestigious Cape Cod League will certainly benefit our pitching staff."
The Western Illinois staff tied for the league lead in saves (10) and finished second in the league in team ERA (5.27), strikeouts (360) and opponents' batting average (.287) last spring. Gordon guided junior pitcher Quinn Leath to first team All-Mid-Con honors after leading the league in ERA (2.06) and opponents batting average (.224). He went 8-2 and fanned 54 batters in 78.2 innings.
"I'm excited to join Temple University," Gordon said. "It is a university with a strong history of athletics and dedication to its baseball program."
Gordon, 27, was drafted in the 32nd round of the 1999 Major League Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers after spending one year at Massasoit (Mass.) CC. He spent five seasons in the Brewers organization, advancing as high Class A-Advanced with the High Desert Mavericks, recording five saves and striking out 72 batters in 83.1 innings in 2003.
He went 5-5 with a 4.26 ERA in 2000 for the Ogden Raptors and was named a Pioneer League All-Star. Gordon finished his career with the North Shore Spirit in the Northeast League, going 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA, including a 2-0 record with a 0.71 ERA during the playoffs.
At Massasoit CC, Gordon hit .393 with nine home runs as a first baseman, earning First Team All-New England honors, and was drafted despite pitching only nine innings. In addition to his playing experience, the Taunton, Mass. native spent three years running an All-Star Baseball Camp for Little League players in his hometown.
