Kennesaw State University Baseball
The Owls welcome Coe back after nearly 12 years as a scout for the Texas Rangers, joining the MLB team following a 15-year spell as a player and coach at KSU under newly-retired head coach Mike Sansing.
“Just thinking about Kennesaw State brings back so many good memories,” said Coe. “I hate to leave the Rangers. I really enjoyed that part of my career, but I care too much about the KSU baseball program not to pursue the head coaching job. I want to continue the amazing work that Mike Sansing has done, taking the program further and further every year and it’s my goal to continue that upward trend.”
Coe first stepped foot on the Kennesaw State campus in 1994, transferring from Tennessee’s Cleveland State Community College where he was a second-team All-American.
The catcher made an impact as soon as he slotted into the lineup, hitting 18 home runs and 79 RBIs with a .369 batting average. At the 1994 NAIA Districts in Columbus, Ga., the slugger from East Ridge, Tenn. walked off a win for Kennesaw State College with a homer in the bottom of the ninth against defending district champions Brewton-Parker; the district win would go down in the history books as KSU’s first title ever.
Coe continued his reputation as a top-notch batter throughout the NAIA postseason, earning a selection into the All-Tournament team as the Owls became the 1994 NAIA Baseball National Champions. For his efforts, Coe was named Kennesaw State’s Athlete-of-the-Year.
Despite having a 1994 to remember, Coe managed to one-up himself in 1995. Coe hit for a .455 batting average in the squad’s inaugural year in the NCAA’s Division-II, a rate which lives on as the best batting average in KSU’s history. Winning the 1995 Peach Belt Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Coe continues to hold the Peach Belt records for career slugging percentage with .732 and consecutive games with a home run with seven. He also holds Kennesaw State’s all-time career records in batting average (.411) and slugging percentage, as well as the single-season record for on-base percentage (.545).
His long list of accolades includes the rare distinction of earning All-American honors at three different levels: junior college in 1993, NAIA in 1994 and NCAA Division II in 1995.
The standout’s stunning collegiate career led to his selection by the Houston Astros in the 1995 MLB Amateur Draft. He spent three years with the organization, earning a selection as a 1996 Midwest League All-Star in that time.
Coe would return to Kennesaw State in Sept. 1997 as an assistant coach under Sansing. In his role, Coe coordinated recruitment, developed catchers and hitters, developed practice plans and ran the in-game offense.
During his time as a coach, Coe was inducted with pitcher John Kelly as KSU baseball’s first inductees into the Kennesaw State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Also inducted that year was Coe’s wife, former Owls softball standout Cara Dornstauder.
Coe would serve as an assistant coach for Kennesaw State until Nov. 2009, when he was offered a position in the Texas Rangers organization. He would serve as the East Coast crosschecker for the Arlington, Texas outfit, identifying and evaluating prospects from the East Coast and Canada for the MLB draft.
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The Owls welcome Coe back after nearly 12 years as a scout for the Texas Rangers, joining the MLB team following a 15-year spell as a player and coach at KSU under newly-retired head coach Mike Sansing.
“Just thinking about Kennesaw State brings back so many good memories,” said Coe. “I hate to leave the Rangers. I really enjoyed that part of my career, but I care too much about the KSU baseball program not to pursue the head coaching job. I want to continue the amazing work that Mike Sansing has done, taking the program further and further every year and it’s my goal to continue that upward trend.”
Coe first stepped foot on the Kennesaw State campus in 1994, transferring from Tennessee’s Cleveland State Community College where he was a second-team All-American.
The catcher made an impact as soon as he slotted into the lineup, hitting 18 home runs and 79 RBIs with a .369 batting average. At the 1994 NAIA Districts in Columbus, Ga., the slugger from East Ridge, Tenn. walked off a win for Kennesaw State College with a homer in the bottom of the ninth against defending district champions Brewton-Parker; the district win would go down in the history books as KSU’s first title ever.
Coe continued his reputation as a top-notch batter throughout the NAIA postseason, earning a selection into the All-Tournament team as the Owls became the 1994 NAIA Baseball National Champions. For his efforts, Coe was named Kennesaw State’s Athlete-of-the-Year.
Despite having a 1994 to remember, Coe managed to one-up himself in 1995. Coe hit for a .455 batting average in the squad’s inaugural year in the NCAA’s Division-II, a rate which lives on as the best batting average in KSU’s history. Winning the 1995 Peach Belt Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Coe continues to hold the Peach Belt records for career slugging percentage with .732 and consecutive games with a home run with seven. He also holds Kennesaw State’s all-time career records in batting average (.411) and slugging percentage, as well as the single-season record for on-base percentage (.545).
His long list of accolades includes the rare distinction of earning All-American honors at three different levels: junior college in 1993, NAIA in 1994 and NCAA Division II in 1995.
The standout’s stunning collegiate career led to his selection by the Houston Astros in the 1995 MLB Amateur Draft. He spent three years with the organization, earning a selection as a 1996 Midwest League All-Star in that time.
Coe would return to Kennesaw State in Sept. 1997 as an assistant coach under Sansing. In his role, Coe coordinated recruitment, developed catchers and hitters, developed practice plans and ran the in-game offense.
During his time as a coach, Coe was inducted with pitcher John Kelly as KSU baseball’s first inductees into the Kennesaw State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Also inducted that year was Coe’s wife, former Owls softball standout Cara Dornstauder.
Coe would serve as an assistant coach for Kennesaw State until Nov. 2009, when he was offered a position in the Texas Rangers organization. He would serve as the East Coast crosschecker for the Arlington, Texas outfit, identifying and evaluating prospects from the East Coast and Canada for the MLB draft.
Austin Upshaw, a former Chicago Cubs minor league player and standout at Kennesaw State, joins the Owls’ staff as the Volunteer Assistant Coach.
He comes to Kennesaw after spending the 2021 season at Bellarmine University, another ASUN conference program. There he served as the hitting and infield coach for the Knights’ inaugural season in Division I baseball. In his year at Bellarmine, three of his position players were granted ASUN accolades. Josh Finerty was awarded First Team All-Conference, Matt Higgins Second Team All-Conference, and Davis Crane All-Freshman.
In 2019, after his playing days with the Cubs came to an end, Upshaw returned to Kennesaw State to complete his Bachelor’s Degree and serve the baseball team as a student assistant coach where he worked primarily with hitters and infielders. Kennesaw State finished 10-8 in the shortened 2020 season, but had several hitters lead the ASUN in hitting such as “Freshman All-American” Nick Hassan, “Most Impressive Hitter in the ASUN” Alex Carballo, and future Atlanta Braves draft pick Tyler Tolve.
From the summer of 2017-2019, Upshaw spent his time as an infielder in the Chicago Cubs organization. After being drafted 405th overall in the 13th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, he spent his first season in Low-A with the South Bend Cubs. In 2018, he was promoted to High-A Myrtle Beach, which was the highest level he would achieve. His career included 163 games with 657 plate appearances and 36 extra-base hits along the way.
Throughout 2016-2017, he spent his sophomore and junior year at Kennesaw State as a middle-of-the-lineup threat and first baseman. Over the span of two seasons, Upshaw played 109 games, hitting .339 with 15 homeruns, 30 doubles, 77 RBI, and 79 runs. He was a crucial part in the Owls winning the 2016 ASUN Conference Championship, where the team went 17-4 in conference play. A few awards he accumulated were: 2017 ASUN All-Conference Second Team, 2016 ASUN All-Conference Second Team, and a 2016 Louisville Slugger Player of the Week.
Upshaw received a Sports Management degree from Kennesaw State. He is a Buford, Ga. native.
Brad Tyler joins the Kennesaw State baseball coaching staff after spending over 20 years as a professional scout. Tyler will work with the outfielders and hitters while playing a role in the Owls’ recruiting process.
“To join such a great team of coaches and a program with a rich history of turning out winning seasons and Major league players is an opportunity I could not pass up,” said Tyler. “I leave behind 28 years of professional baseball experience but to get back on the field again and impact the lives of young men is very exciting.”
Prior to Kennesaw State, Tyler spent the 2022 season as an Area Supervisor for the Miami Marlins. During his tenure, he signed 16th rounder Brett Roberts out of Florida State University and 20th rounder Jack Gowen from the University of Georgia.
Tyler also served 13 years as a scout for the Cleveland Indians from 2008-2021 and was responsible for signing first-rounder Clint Frazier with the 5th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. Tyler was also instrumental in several other signings that would eventually make it to the big leagues including Nolan Jones, Will Benson, James Karinchak, Aaron Civale and Tyler Holt.
Before working in professional baseball, Tyler served as the lead infield/hitting instructor for Roundtripper Baseball Academy from 2003-2006. In his time with Roundtripper, Tyler instructed three players who made it to the MLB including Tucker Barnhardt, Lance Lynn, and Drew Storen.
During his collegiate career, Tyler attended the University of Evansville from 1988-1990 where he was drafted in the 6th round by the Baltimore Orioles. He was a three-time Midwest League All-Conference selection. Tyler was also teammates with Andy Benes who was drafted #1 overall by the San Diego Padres in 1988.
After being drafted, Tyler went on to play six years with the Orioles reaching AAA in 1994. For the next seven years, he played for the Atlanta Braves, Oakland A’s, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, and Los Angeles Dodgers, all in AAA. Tyler retired in 2002 after a 13-year career.
Tyler graduated from Indiana Wesleyan in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management. He married the former Kimberly Edwards in 1998. The couple have two children, Morgan and Trace.
Matthew Passauer joins the Kennesaw State baseball team as the first pitching coach under head coach Ryan Coe after serving as the pitching coach for Miami of Ohio for the last four seasons.
Passauer joined the Redhawks in 2017, helping the Ohio team win its most games since 2011 with 35. The Erie, Pa. native also had his first two pitchers that he had a hand in developing picked by teams in the MLB Draft with Zach Spears heading to the Pirates and Nick Ernst chosen by the Yankees.
The next season, MU sported the 50th-best staff ERA in the nation with a 3.98 and the 48th-best strikeout-per-nine-inning ratio with 9.1. Passauer’s staff also set school records for strikeouts, saves and walks-per-nine-innings.
His last season with Miami was his most successful season of the bunch. Redhawk talisman Sam Bachman was selected ninth overall after an All-American and All-Conference season. Bachman ended the campaign ranked second nationally in WHIP, fourth in hits-per-nine, seventh in ERA and eighth in strikeouts-per-nine. Fellow hurlers Jacob Webb and Grant Hartwig also made it into big-league organizations.
Passauer’s staff led the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in ERA, strikeouts, strikeouts-per-nine and batting-average-against while setting school records in strikeouts-per-nine, walks-per-nine and strikeouts in 2021. Among Division I teams, Miami ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts-per-nine with 11.2 and 16th in ERA with a 3.61,
Prior to Miami of Ohio, Passauer was at the helm of the East Georgia State College program for four seasons. In his tenure, he developed 12 All-Conference players, an All-American, a Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Player of the Year and a GCAA Defensive Player of the Year.
He set a new school record for wins in 2016, a feat that he repeated the next season. In 2017, Passauer was named that year’s GCAA Coach of the Year after winning the conference championship. While at East Georgia, he also coached Richard Lovelady; Lovelady would later transfer to Kennesaw State before becoming a piece in the Kansas City Royals’ bullpen.
Passauer got his coaching start in summer league baseball with the Willmar Stingers where he won two division championships and worked with 23 players who were later drafted by MLB teams.
As a player, Passauer imposed his six-foot-seven frame on the mounds of Duquesne, Maryland and Lee University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He would later receive a Master of Science in Kinesiology with a Coaching Education emphasis from Georgia Southern.
Passauer lives with his wife, Mary Kate.
Terence Norman joins the Kennesaw State baseball staff as the program’s Director of Baseball Operations. The 2022-23 season marks his first year in the newly created role.
Norman was a standout on the KSU baseball team from 2017-2021. The Marietta, Ga. native was a two-time First Team All-ASUN selection and was named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar. In his new role, Norman will oversee all baseball operations for the KSU baseball team.
“I enjoyed every minute of my student-athlete experience here at Kennesaw State,” said Norman. “I am super thankful to have the opportunity to stay involved and give back to such an outstanding program. We are looking forward to another great season.”
While at Kennesaw State, Norman etched his name into the Owl record book in multiple categories. The former outfielder currently sits fourth in hits (236), sixth in RBI (131), eighth in games played (199) and ninth in home runs (17).
In his five-year career, Norman registered 199 games played with 186 starts. He holds a career .326 batting average which ranks as the 11th-highest in program history. In his 723 career at-bats, the outfielder recorded 51 extra base hits for the Black and Gold.
Norman provided a big bat in the middle of the order and was a key piece in the KSU offense. One of his top performances came in a 17-8 win over Bellarmine (Mar. 14) inside Stillwell Stadium. Norman ended the day 3-for-6 with a home run, double and career-high six RBI.
The KSU standout graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. While working as a student-assistant coach for the Owls, Norman earned his master’s degree in international policy management in the spring of 2022.
Elkins spent the last 30 years at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Hoyas captured six Georgia Dugout Tournament championships and six region championships. 23 teams advanced to the state playoffs. Six teams advanced to the state quarterfinals, including the 1998 and 2010 State Championship teams. In 30 seasons, 135 players have had the opportunity to play college baseball and 17 different players have been drafted into professional baseball.
Elkins spent the first six years at Harrison, where he served as an assistant coach. He took over in 1999, serving as head coach for the Hoyas for 24 seasons. In 24 seasons, his teams won 470 games and won three Region Championships. The Hoyas have competed in 19 State Playoffs; including two straight appearances in the State Quarterfinals in 2002 and 2003. The Hoyas advanced to the State Semifinals in 2016 and 2019. They finished the 2010 season as the State Champions and were ranked 15th nationally by USA Today and 21st by Baseball America. During his 24 seasons at the helm, 113 Hoyas have gone on to play college baseball and nine former players have been drafted into professional baseball.
An active member of The Georgia Dugout Club, Elkins was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the club in 1997. In 2010, he was named Cobb County Baseball Coach of the Year by the Marietta Daily Journal and was named AAAAA Baseball Coach of the Year by the Georgia Dugout Club and by the Atlanta Braves 400 Club. In 2002 and 2014, Don Shaw Field was named the High School Field of the Year by the Georgia Dugout Club.
In 2011, Elkins and the rest of the 1998 Harrison State Championship Team were inducted into the Harrison High School Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was named the Region 5AAAAAA Coach of the Year and named Harvey Cochran Coach of the Year by the Marietta Umpires Association.
In January 2017, Elkins was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club’s Hall of Fame.
Elkins and the rest of the 2010 State Championship Team were inducted into the Harrison High School Hall of Fame in the fall of 2019. In 2022, Don Shaw Field, home of the Hoyas was renamed the Mark Elkins Baseball Complex at Don Shaw Field by the Cobb County School District.
Elkins has been involved in international baseball at various levels with USA Baseball. In 2003, he served on the task force as bullpen manager during the Tournament of Stars at Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, Missouri. In 2006, Elkins served as head coach for USA Baseball’s at-large team during the Tournament of Stars.
Elkins has also traveled internationally serving on Team USA’s 18U National Team Coaching Staff. During the summer of 2007, he served as an assistant coach for the 18U National Team which competed in and captured the bronze medal in the COPABE Pan Am AAA Junior Championship in Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. In 2008, Elkins served as Head Coach for Team USA’s 18U National Team which competed in the International Baseball Federation’s XXIII AAA World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. The Junior Team compiled a 13-1 record for the summer and captured the silver medal during the event. Elkins’ work with the 2008 team combined with the effort of the staff and players, resulted in him being named the Developmental Baseball Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.
Elkins and his wife of 30 years, Richelle, currently reside in Acworth, Ga. He also has a son, Tyler Elkins, who is 26 years old.
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Kennesaw State University Baseball
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Check out some of our FAQs below
I have a question about a certain camp. Who do I contact?
Austin Upshaw (Camp Coordinator). Email: aupshaw6@kennesaw.edu
What kind of facilities do you use for these camps?
We mainly use our field at Kennesaw State (Stillwell Stadium). Also, we utilize our newly renovated indoor hitting/pitching facility and our baseball building.
What equipment/apparel is needed for the camps?
Bat, helmet, cleats, tennis shoes, hat, and a glove are the essentials. Depending on the type of camp, the athlete may need to wear a baseball uniform.
Can I get a refund?
Unfortunately, we do not offer refunds. We do offer camp transfers! So if you are not able to attend camp this go around, you will be able to attend the same camp in the future free of charge.