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Riser came to the Tigers after 10 seasons as head coach at Southeastern Louisiana, where he helped guide the Lions to four NCAA Tournament berths and three Southland Conference titles.
In his first season at the helm of the Tigers, head coach Matt Riser made his mark on the program. Recently recognized by Baseball America as one of the nation’s top coaches under the age of 40, Riser led the Tigers to a win over SEC foe Ole Miss at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field – the first win over the Rebels in Memphis since 2017 and the first on campus since 2001.
The first-year skipper also led the Tigers to their first conference road sweep in over a decade (May 17-19, 2012 at Houston; C-USA) – a three-game series sweep of the Rice Owls at Reckling Park in Houston. In addition, Riser led the Tigers to a road-AAC series win at his alma mater, Tulane, who went on to win the AAC Tournament and advance to an NCAA Regional for the second-straight season.
In year one of the Riser era, the Tigers slugged 68 home runs (fifth most in program history) and walked 284 times to rank second in the AAC (third most in program history). On the mound, the Tigers saved 16 games (T-No. 5 in Memphis history), nine of which were saved by NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watchlist honoree Brayden Sanders. Sanders’ nine saves were also good for fifth-most individually in a season by a Tiger and led The American.
Memphis slugged a program-record seven home runs in a 14-4, run-rule home win over Central Arkansas on Feb. 21. The Tigers tallied 43 total bases in the win – good for second most in a single game in program history. In addition to the seven-home-run outburst, Memphis boasted its power with a pair of five-home-run games. The Tigers lit up the scoreboard, posting 10-plus runs in 13 contests, and 13-plus runs on 10 occasions.
The Tigers were aggressive on the base paths in the first year under Riser, successfully swiping 89 bags to lead The American and rank 43rd nationally. Defensively, Memphis turned 54 double plays to rank 12th in the nation. Daunte Stuart became just the fourth Tiger since 2001 to hit for the cycle with a 5-for-5 effort in the season’s conference-opening game at South Florida on March 22 – a 16-7 win.
Riser and the Tigers have created positive momentum within the program and fan base which was evident with a pair of top-five all-time crowds at FedExPark during the 2024 season. Riser and the Tigers defeated Ole Miss at home on April 2 in front the fifth-largest FedExPark crowd (1,426) in program history and drew another 1,612 spectators (third-largest FedExPark attendance in history) on April 23 when they hosted Mississippi State.
In year one, Riser and the Tiger staff pieced together JBB’s No. 5 JUCO recruiting class in the country for 2024.
Southeastern Louisiana’s success under Riser garnered national recognition, leading to the program’s first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament (2016), first preseason national ranking (2017) and a Top-25 ranking during the 2018 season. Southeastern’s four NCAA appearances since 2014 placed Riser third all-time in Southland history.
With 320 wins with the Lions and back-to-back 40-win seasons (2015-16), Riser finished second in program history in all-time wins with his overall record of 320-224.
In 15 total seasons at Southeastern, Riser coached 22 All-Americans, including nine Freshman All-Americans and a trio of Academic All-Americans, the National Stopper of the Year, the nation’s leading hitter and 10 Academic All-District players. Four were named the Southland Conference Player of the Year and three earned Freshman of the Year honors. A pair were named Southland Relief Pitcher of the Year while one was named both Southland Pitcher of the Year and Louisiana Pitcher of the Year. Twenty-five players were drafted under Riser’s tutelage.
In 2022, the Lions totaled 14 comeback victories – including seven walk-off wins – on the way to earning a Southland Conference Tournament championship and returning to NCAA postseason action. Riser led the Lions earned marquee wins over No. 3-ranked Arkansas and No. 1-ranked Ole Miss, the eventual national champion, grinding through a slate of games that ranked seventh in the nation in non-conference strength of schedule.
Southeastern’s 2022 offense ranked in the program’s Top 10 in doubles, triples and home runs. The 70 home runs hit by SLU were the fourth-most in program history and the most in more than two decades. Preston Faulkner enjoyed one of the most well-rounded offensive seasons ever by a Lion, hitting .338 with 18 doubles, 17 home runs, 70 RBIs and 39 walks.
Riser was named the 2015 Southland Conference Coach of the Year as the Lions set the school record for overall wins (42-17) and the Southland record for conference wins (25-5) on the way to claiming the conference’s regular-season title.
In his inaugural season at the helm in 2014, Southeastern finished with a 38-25 record, winning the Southland Conference Tournament to advance to NCAA Regional play for the first time in 20 years and knocking off Bryant University, 2-1, for the school’s first NCAA postseason victory since 1992.
Prior to taking over the reins of the program, Riser served as the Lions’ primary hitting coach while working extensively with the Southeastern outfielders. He also served as the third-base coach during games and the program’s recruiting coordinator, among other duties, during his six seasons as an assistant under former coach Jay Artigues. Under Riser’s guidance, the Lion offense produced the 2012 Southland Conference Player and Hitter of the Year Brock Hebert (.374, 58 runs, 21 doubles, 36 stolen bases).
Riser, a Picayune, Miss., native, began his coaching career after completing his collegiate career at Tulane, where he played in 2005-06.
With the Green Wave, Riser played in 108 games over the course of two seasons. As a senior, he played in all 64 games and made 57 starts, finishing the season with three home runs, 37 RBI and 16 doubles, helping Tulane to a NCAA Regional Final Appearance. In 2005, Riser played a vital role in helping Tulane to the 2005 College World Series, playing in 44 games as a junior.
Riser earned his degree in biomedical engineering from Tulane University in 2007. He and wife, Jeanette, are the parents of three sons, Alexander “Xander”, Jace and Jameson.
A native of Bossier City, Louisiana, Pemberton joined the Memphis staff prior to the 2024 season after spending two seasons in the same roles under head coach Matt Riser at Southeastern Louisiana.
In year one under Pemberton’s instruction, the Tigers slugged 68 home runs (fifth most in program history) and walked 284 times to rank second in the AAC (third most in program history).
Memphis slugged a program-record seven home runs in a 14-4, run-rule home win over Central Arkansas on Feb. 21. The Tigers tallied 43 total bases in the win – good for second most in a single game in program history. In addition to the seven-home-run outburst, Memphis boasted its power with a pair of five-home-run games. Jacob Compton led the squad and ranked third in the AAC with 14 big flies. The Tigers lit up the scoreboard, posting 10-plus runs in 13 contests, and 13-plus runs on 10 occasions.
The Tigers were aggressive on the base paths all season long, successfully swiping 89 bags to lead The American and rank 43rd nationally. Defensively, Memphis turned 54 double plays to rank 12th in the nation. Daunte Stuart became just the fourth Tiger since 2001 to hit for the cycle with a 5-for-5 effort in the season’s conference-opening game at South Florida on March 22 – a 16-7 win.
Under Pemberton’s guidance, JUCO transfer Pierre Seals made an immediate impact in the AAC and led the Tigers offensively in batting (.327), OPS (.989), OBP (.436), stolen bases (16) and ranked second in total bases (110) and home runs (10).
Pemberton also handles recruiting coordinator duties for the Tigers where he helped piece together JBB’s No. 5 JUCO recruiting class in the country for 2024.
The Tigers have created positive momentum within the program and fan base which was evident with a pair of top-five all-time crowds at FedExPark during the 2024 season. Memphis defeated Ole Miss at home on April 2 in front the fifth-largest FedExPark crowd (1,426) in program history and drew another 1,612 spectators (third-largest FedExPark attendance in history) on April 23 when they hosted Mississippi State.
As recruiting coordinator at SLU, Pemberton helped piece together JBB‘s No. 2 ranked JUCO recruiting class in the country for 2023.
Pemberton helped the Lions’ 2022 offense to program top-10 totals in doubles, triples and home runs in his first season. The 70 home runs hit by Southeastern were the fourth-most in program history and the most in over twenty years.
Four players slugged double-digit home runs for the first time in school history in 2022 under Pemberton’s guidance. In addition, the Lions logged over 100 doubles for the first time since 2010.
SLU led the nation in batters getting hit by pitch, led by Rhett Rosevear who tied the DI single-season record for HBPs. In addition, Southeastern led the Southland Conference in home runs and walks. The Lions set or tied more than 14 Southland Conference Tournament offensive records during its run to the 2022 championship.
Under his tutelage, Southeastern infielders also showed a marked improvement defensively as they helped the Lions produce a program-best .978 fielding percentage during the 2022 season.
He has served as a board member of the Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association since 2022 and was a featured speaker at the 2023 LBCA Convention. In addition, Pemberton is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association. He served as a speaker at both the Bayou/River Coaches Clinic in 2017 and the LHSAA Coaches Clinic in 2019.
Pemberton made the leap to the collegiate level in July of 2016, joining the Nicholls staff as Director of Baseball Operations and Camp Coordinator before moving onto the coaching staff a year later. A second promotion followed in August 2019 with Pemberton taking over as the Colonels’ hitting coach along with a focus on base-running, the squad’s catchers and serving as the program’s academic liaison.
Pemberton also played a major role in Nicholls’ recruiting efforts, practice organization and scheduling.
Prior to Nicholls, Pemberton served as an assistant at C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport from 2014 to 2016. While at Byrd, he served as an associate scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He attended Haughton High School and graduated from Louisiana State University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and from Arkansas State in 2019 with a Master of Science in Sport Administration.
Pemberton and his wife, Sarah, have a son, John Ford, and a daughter, Cate.
A former Tiger catcher and native of Trussville, Alabama, Barton returned to Memphis prior to the 2024 season after spending two seasons as the pitching coach at Mercer University.
In year one of Barton’s instruction, the Tigers saved 16 games (T-No. 5 in Memphis history), nine of which were saved by NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watchlist honoree Brayden Sanders. Sanders’ nine saves were also good for fifth-most individually in a season by a Tiger and led The American. Defensively, Memphis turned 54 double plays to rank 12th in the nation.
Friday-night starter David Warren was named AAC Pitcher of the Week on April 1 after a career-outing vs. Florida Atlantic (7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 10 K).
The Tigers have created positive momentum within the program and fan base which was evident with a pair of top-five all-time crowds at FedExPark during the 2024 season. Memphis defeated Ole Miss at home on April 2 in front the fifth-largest FedExPark crowd (1,426) in program history and drew another 1,612 spectators (third-largest FedExPark attendance in history) on April 23 when they hosted Mississippi State.
In year one, Barton helped the Tiger staff piece together JBB’s No. 5 JUCO recruiting class in the country for 2024.
In 2023, Barton helped the Bears to a runner-up conference finish and wins over Baylor and Rutgers. Barton saw standout pitcher Josh Harlow selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the 19th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The Bears enjoyed a 40-win season and were runners up in the Southern Conference in 2022 as well. Barton’s staff led the league in strikeouts and batting average against in 2022, and in addition, his staff had the second-lowest ERA in the Southern and lowered its ERA after losing 200 innings of experience from the 2021 team.
Before his two seasons as the pitching coach at Mercer, Barton spent three season (2019-2021) at Rice University as the pitching coach.
In his final season at Rice, Barton’s pitching staff was led by Brandon Deskins, who ranked 11th in Conference USA with a 3.88 earned run average. Not only did Deskins lead the pitching staff in ERA, but he also lead the team in strikeouts (73), averaging 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings, the 33rd-best mark in the nation.
Under Barton, the 2019 season proved to be a smashing success for the Rice pitchers. Not only was right-hander Matt Canterino named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year, he was selected in the second round of the 2019 Major League Draft as the 54th overall selection. Four other Rice pitchers – Evan Kravetz, Garrett Gayle, Addison Moss and Roel Garcia – were all selected in the 2019 draft due to Barton’s influence. The Rice pitching staff led Conference USA with 520 strikeouts on the season while Canterino (.199) and Kravetz (.200) finished first and second in lowest opposing batting average.
Barton joined Rice after a stint at Louisiana Tech, where he served as the Bulldogs’ pitching coach and was named the 2018 Conference USA Assistant Baseball Coach of the Year. Not only did Louisiana Tech lead the league and finish 25th in the nation with a 3.48 ERA, the pitching staff also posted C-USA’s second-best strikeouts-to-walks ratio (2.77-to-1), the 15th best ratio among all Division I pitching staffs. The staff was also 12th nationally in walks allowed per nine innings. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 21-9 record in conference play, setting the program record for league wins. The Bulldogs were 31st in the nation in WHIP (1.29), tied for second in the conference with four shutouts and maintained a steady .253 opponent batting average.
Prior to Louisiana Tech, Barton served four years as Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at McNeese State where he helped lead the Cowboys to the 2017 Southland Conference regular season title. While at McNeese, the Cowboys won 30 games or more each year for the first time since 1995 and were also ranked in the top 25 for the first time in school history during the 2017 campaign. In 2015 the Cowboys posted a 3.66 team ERA, the second-best mark in the last 20 seasons, while also setting the then school record for strikeouts in a season with 466.
Barton is a 2007 graduate of Memphis and was on staff as an undergraduate assistant coach during Memphis’ 2007 NCAA Regional season. He also spent five seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at UL-Monroe (2008-13). He and his wife, Robin, have one son, Cooper.
A Brusly, Louisiana, native and former player under head coach Matt Riser at Southeastern Louisiana, Manola joined the Memphis staff prior to the 2024 season after a playing career in which he was a four-year team captain. He was a member of the 2022 Southland Conference Tournament Championship team that also made an appearance in the 2022 NCAA Auburn Regional.
In year one with Manola on staff, he worked with Tiger catchers as they set a program-record mark for caught-stealing percentage, throwing out 40-percent of runners from behind the dish. Offensively, the Tigers slugged 68 home runs (fifth most in program history) and walked 284 times to rank second in the AAC (third most in program history).
Memphis slugged a program-record seven home runs in a 14-4, run-rule home win over Central Arkansas on Feb. 21. The Tigers tallied 43 total bases in the win – good for second most in a single game in program history. In addition to the seven-home-run outburst, Memphis boasted its power with a pair of five-home-run games. Jacob Compton led the squad and ranked third in the AAC with 14 big flies. The Tigers lit up the scoreboard, posting 10-plus runs in 13 contests, and 13-plus runs on 10 occasions.
The Tigers were aggressive on the base paths all season long, successfully swiping 89 bags to lead The American and rank 43rd nationally. Defensively, Memphis turned 54 double plays to rank 12th in the nation. Daunte Stuart became just the fourth Tiger since 2001 to hit for the cycle with a 5-for-5 effort in the season’s conference-opening game at South Florida on March 22 – a 16-7 win.
Manola was also instrumental in the Tigers piecing together JBB’s No. 5 JUCO recruiting class in the country for 2024.
The Tigers have created positive momentum within the program and fan base which was evident with a pair of top-five all-time crowds at FedExPark during the 2024 season. Memphis defeated Ole Miss at home on April 2 in front the fifth-largest FedExPark crowd (1,426) in program history and drew another 1,612 spectators (third-largest FedExPark attendance in history) on April 23 when they hosted Mississippi State.
Before coming to Memphis, Manola spent three summers coaching high school summer baseball at Brusly High School in Louisiana. During his time coaching at Brusly, Manola coached a pair of athletes who went on to sign and play college baseball.
Additionally, Manola was a six-time member of the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll during his time in Hammond as a student-athlete. He served as the SAAC President at SLU from 2021-23 and led multiple community service projects and group fundraisers.
Manola earned his undergraduate degree in kinesiology with a concentration in fitness and human performance in December of 2021 and earned his master’s degree in business administration in May of 2023, both from Southeastern Louisiana University.
Manola and his wife Jennifer are looking forward to joining the Memphis community.
Cameron comes to Memphis from Jacksonville State where he spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach for the Gamecocks. A Tuscaloosa, Ala., native, Cameron arrived at JSU after a five-year playing career at Alabama, and one season as a student assistant in 2021, helping lead the Crimson Tide to the NCAA Ruston Regional. As a player, Cameron made 50 appearances on the mound and compiled a 6-5 record for his career.
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