June 16, 2006

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After orchestrating a 19-game improvement in just his second season and finishing fourth in the regular season in Conference USA, the University of Memphis decided to extend the contract of baseball head coach Daron Schoenrock it was announced, Friday. The extension means Schoenrock will be at the head of the program through the 2010 season.

Schoenrock took over the Tigers in the 2004-05 season and promptly went to work on the recruiting trail, bringing 25 newcomers into the Tiger program, including five major league draftees, four four-year college transfers, a junior college Player of the Year and 12 high school standouts, including seven from the Memphis area.

"Coach Schoenrock has accomplished more in his first two seasons as the Tigers' baseball coach than we ever expected," said Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. "With just one recruiting class under his belt, Coach Schoenrock and his staff more than doubled the number of victories from year one to season two when they finished with a 32-28 record. The team was picked to finish near the bottom of Conference USA and actually placed fourth in the regular season and the C-USA Tournament."

Included in that first signing class were freshman Scott McGregor, a second team All-Conference USA and an All-Freshman team honoree after leading the team in wins (seven), innings pitched (80.0), strikeouts (50) and starts (14), and transfer Will Peterson, a member of the C-USA All-Tournament Team. Peterson hit .412 with four runs scored, three doubles and four RBI in the Conference USA championships and was among the regular season leaders in runs (64, fourth), doubles (22, fourth), hits (85, seventh) and total bases (137, seventh). A total of three Tigers earned All-Conference USA honors following the 2006 season, led by Adam Amar's first team honors. Amar led the league in batting (.395) and ranked among the league leaders in eight other categories. K.K. Chalmers was also a second-team honoree, after leading the league in steals and ranking in the top 11 in the conference in triples (6), runs scored (61) and walks (32). His 39 steals tied the Memphis single season record set by Dave Anderson in 1981. The three All-Conference USA honors was a first for Memphis, and the team's semifinal appearance at the league championships was its first since 2001.

"I am very excited with the opportunity that the University of Memphis has given me and my family to remain in Memphis through 2010," Schoenrock said. "As we continue to build Memphis into a national program, our staff continuity is important. (Memphis) has shown commitment to help our staff continue to build this program."

Schoenrock was also charged with rebuilding the program's profile in local prep circles and his second recruiting class of six members already consists of five Mid-South area signees.

"Given this type of rapid achievement, I see the baseball team returning to the level of success it experienced in years past," Johnson said. "I fully expect that Coach Schoenrock and his squad will contend for the Conference USA Championship and in the NCAA Tournament in the very near future."