Dan Spencer Hired

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LUBBOCK, Texas. - Dan Spencer, who helped orchestrate back-to-back national championships at Oregon State, and Trent Petrie have been named assistant coaches for Texas Tech Baseball.  The announcement was made today by Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays.

The new additions will complete a previously announced reorganization of the baseball staff that was released back in late May.  Spencer will be titled Associate Head Coach and will be responsible for pitching/catching coaching duties and will also serve as the recruiting coordinator.  Petrie will serve as the infield coach and also assist in the recruiting efforts.  Daren Hays has been reassigned to the director of operations position.  Lance Brown, who has served as the volunteer
assistant for the last two seasons, will continue in that role.

Dan Spencer, one of the most highly touted assistant coaches in the country, makes a return to the South Plains after earning three varsity letters as a Red Raider infielder between 1985 and 1987.  Spencer, 41, has spent the last 11 seasons in Corvallis and the last three years as associate head coach where he has served as pitching/catching coach and recruiting coordinator.  His pitching staff's over the last two seasons were instrumental in helping the Beavers become the first back-to-back College World Series Champions since LSU in the late 1990's.

"We are excited to name Dan Spencer as our Associate Head Coach in charge of pitching/catching and recruiting coordinator," said Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays.  "His background has pointed out the fact that he is qualified in all three areas.  His ability to recruit outstanding pitchers and catchers is well documented as can easily be seen this year
by having two first round picks in both positions."

Over the last two seasons, his staff's have compiled 3.41 and 3.48 cumulative ERA's while leading the team to 50-16 and 49-18 respective records.  His group led the Pac-10 in ERA in both 2005 and 2006 while his bullpen helped pave the way to back-to-back national titles by contributing 20-plus saves in both 2006 and 2007.  Under his leadership, the Beavers have had three pitchers and one catcher named to All-America teams and seven drafted in the top 10 rounds of the MLB Draft.  Eddie Kunz, the ace of the 2007 staff, and catcher Mitch Canhan, the squad's leading hitter, were both first round draft selections in this year's draft.

Spencer, a native of Vancouver, Wash, played three seasons at Texas Tech (two under Gary Ashby and one under Larry Hays) after transferring from Mesa Junior College in San Diego.  During his career he played in 118 games (mostly at third base) and compiled a .251 career average.  He completed his degree in history at Portland State in 1990 and went on to
coach at Tacoma Community College and Green River Community College.  He and his wife Susie have three children: Wade (12), Logan (8) and Elizabeth (3).

Trent Petrie also makes a return to the Hub City and back to Texas Tech where he played one season for the Red Raiders back in 1992.  Since leaving Texas Tech after the '92 season he finished his degree and his playing career at Lubbock Christian University.

"With Trent, we are getting another outstanding recruiter who has experience in junior college, NAIA and Division I," said Hays.  "He is well known as a tireless recruiter and we feel that with Dan and Trent in these two positions and Daren in operations, we will have an outstanding staff."

Petrie, 36, brings with him 12 years of coaching experience and comes to Tech after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of New Mexico.  While at New Mexico, Petrie served as the hitting coach and helped place multiple Lobos into the Mountain West Conference's Top-10 offensive rankings.

Prior to his stint at New Mexico, he served under former Red Raider assistants Frank Anderson and Greg Evans as the Director of Baseball Operations at Oklahoma State University.  He brings along three years of head coaching experience as he led Clarendon College as the skipper between 2001 and 2003.  After starting the baseball program at Clarendon, he helped lead the team to the WJCAC Northern Division Championship (2003) in just three seasons.  He served as an assistant coach at Hill Junior College between 1997 and 1999 and at Wayland Baptist in 1995 and 1996.

Petrie graduated from Lubbock Christian University in 1993 and then earned his master's degree from Wayland Baptist in 1996.  He and his wife Kimberly have two daughters, Summer (13), Payge (9) and a son, Easton (1).

--TTU--