Baseball Hires Ex-UCR Hurler Chris Smith, Bobby Applegate, Bryson LeBlanc
8/31/2011 1:56:00 PM | Baseball
Riverside—UC RIverside Head Baseball Coach Doug Smith announced today that the team has hired Bobby Applegate of BYU, Bryson LeBlanc of Oregon and former UCR and Major League Baseball hurler Chris Smith as members of the team's coaching staff for the 2011-12 season.
"I am very pleased to have our staff in place," explained Smith. "I think the combination of their experiences will benefit our program greatly. I have known Bobby Applegate for many years and have competed against his teams. They are always very prepared and very competitive.
"Bryson comes to us from one of the rising programs in college baseball in the University of Oregon. Working with Coach Horton is an invaluable experience. In addition, managing a summer team the last two summers brings a lot to the table.
"And having Chris Smith back in our program is a tremendous advantage. He played here and knows what our program is about. Combine that with the experience of 10 years of professional baseball and I think it will be a great fit. I am very excited about getting to work with these coaches and players."
Bobbby Applegate comes to UC Riverside after eight seasons as the pitching coach at Brigham Young. Prior to his time with the Cougars, Applegate spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Air Force Academy. He led the Academy to more Division I victories then ever before in its history in 2002.
In 2002-2003, Applegate worked as an associate scout with the Kansas City Royals and as an instructor in the Academy P.E. Department. He also was an assistant coach with the Falcon boxing team, helping them to their fifth straight NCAA Boxing Championship.
Applegate is a 1996 graduate of the University of Southern Colorado with a degree in kinesiology. He was inducted into the USC Diamond of Fame in 1999.
A native of San Diego, CA, Applegate played two seasons (1991-93) at Southwestern Community College in San Diego. He then transferred to Southern Colorado where he pitched in 1993-94. In 1994, Applegate was named the Colorado Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and in 1995 was named to the All-Mile High Intercollegiate team.
He spent the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons at USC as the pitching coach and helped lead the team to the NCAA Division II College World Series. In the summer of 1995, Applegate pitched with the Pueblo Bighorns professional baseball club of the Texas-Louisiana league.
Following his coaching stint at USC, Applegate was a player-coach for the Tri-City Posse in Pasco, WA of the Western Baseball League in 1998.
Applegate left the Posse to join the coaching staff at BYU. As a graduate/volunteer assistant he worked with the Cougars from Aug.-Dec. 1998.
Bryson LeBlanc joins the Highlanders following four years at Oregon where he helped build the program from its infancy as the team was brought back for the 2009 season after the school discontinued the sport in 1981.
At various times, LeBlanc served as the team's first base coach, worked with the team’s outfielders, assisted with Oregon’s hitting and offense, and oversaw Oregon baseball camps and clinics as the director for four years.
He coached Pac-10 All-Conference selection Danny Pulfer, who in 2011 became the first UO position player to earn the honor since the program was reinstated. Following 2011, Oregon also had three position players drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft: Jack Marder (16th round), Pulfer (19th round) and KC Serna (42nd round).
For two years, LeBlanc was also the head coach of the expansion Cowlitz Black Bears of the West Coast League. In 2011, during the team’s second year, LeBlanc recruited and coached a roster that had seven players voted to the WCL All-Star Game, including the game’s MVP, Spencer O’Neil.
LeBlanc earned his master’s in physical education/exercise & sports science with an emphasis in sports business administration from Central Missouri in May of 2009.
A 2006 graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in biological sciences, LeBlanc played baseball for the Tigers for two seasons after transferring from Delgado Community College in 2004.
As a senior, LeBlanc helped Mizzou reach the Super Regionals for the first time in school history, advancing out of Malibu as a No. 4 seed before losing to Horton’s host Cal State Fullerton squad. That season, he was named Mizzou Baseball Performance Athlete of the Year.
Chris Smith returns to his alma mater following a 10-year professional baseball career that began after his junior season at UC Riverside when the Boston Red Sox selected the Apple Valley, CA native in the fourth round of the 2002 MLB Draft.
The right-hander worked his way up to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox by 2006, and on May 18, 2008, the Red Sox called him up to the big leagues. He made his major league debut on June 21 of that year allowing just one run and three hits in four innings of relief work against the St. Louis Cardinals. Smith appeared in 12 games on the season for the Sox, all in relief, striking out 13 batters in 18.1 innings.
In 2009, Smith signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers. He appeared in 35 games that season for the Brew Crew striking out 35 in 46.0 innings and posting an earned run average of 4.11. The following season, he made three appearances for Milwaukee striking out four hitters in three innings of work.
As a junior at UCR, Smith was named Second-Team, All Big West following a campaign that saw him post a 9-8 record with a 2.91 earned run average while striking out 127 batters and throwing a staff-high eight compelte games.
"I am very pleased to have our staff in place," explained Smith. "I think the combination of their experiences will benefit our program greatly. I have known Bobby Applegate for many years and have competed against his teams. They are always very prepared and very competitive.
"Bryson comes to us from one of the rising programs in college baseball in the University of Oregon. Working with Coach Horton is an invaluable experience. In addition, managing a summer team the last two summers brings a lot to the table.
"And having Chris Smith back in our program is a tremendous advantage. He played here and knows what our program is about. Combine that with the experience of 10 years of professional baseball and I think it will be a great fit. I am very excited about getting to work with these coaches and players."
Bobbby Applegate comes to UC Riverside after eight seasons as the pitching coach at Brigham Young. Prior to his time with the Cougars, Applegate spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Air Force Academy. He led the Academy to more Division I victories then ever before in its history in 2002.
In 2002-2003, Applegate worked as an associate scout with the Kansas City Royals and as an instructor in the Academy P.E. Department. He also was an assistant coach with the Falcon boxing team, helping them to their fifth straight NCAA Boxing Championship.
Applegate is a 1996 graduate of the University of Southern Colorado with a degree in kinesiology. He was inducted into the USC Diamond of Fame in 1999.
A native of San Diego, CA, Applegate played two seasons (1991-93) at Southwestern Community College in San Diego. He then transferred to Southern Colorado where he pitched in 1993-94. In 1994, Applegate was named the Colorado Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and in 1995 was named to the All-Mile High Intercollegiate team.
He spent the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons at USC as the pitching coach and helped lead the team to the NCAA Division II College World Series. In the summer of 1995, Applegate pitched with the Pueblo Bighorns professional baseball club of the Texas-Louisiana league.
Following his coaching stint at USC, Applegate was a player-coach for the Tri-City Posse in Pasco, WA of the Western Baseball League in 1998.
Applegate left the Posse to join the coaching staff at BYU. As a graduate/volunteer assistant he worked with the Cougars from Aug.-Dec. 1998.
Bryson LeBlanc joins the Highlanders following four years at Oregon where he helped build the program from its infancy as the team was brought back for the 2009 season after the school discontinued the sport in 1981.
At various times, LeBlanc served as the team's first base coach, worked with the team’s outfielders, assisted with Oregon’s hitting and offense, and oversaw Oregon baseball camps and clinics as the director for four years.
He coached Pac-10 All-Conference selection Danny Pulfer, who in 2011 became the first UO position player to earn the honor since the program was reinstated. Following 2011, Oregon also had three position players drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft: Jack Marder (16th round), Pulfer (19th round) and KC Serna (42nd round).
For two years, LeBlanc was also the head coach of the expansion Cowlitz Black Bears of the West Coast League. In 2011, during the team’s second year, LeBlanc recruited and coached a roster that had seven players voted to the WCL All-Star Game, including the game’s MVP, Spencer O’Neil.
LeBlanc earned his master’s in physical education/exercise & sports science with an emphasis in sports business administration from Central Missouri in May of 2009.
A 2006 graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in biological sciences, LeBlanc played baseball for the Tigers for two seasons after transferring from Delgado Community College in 2004.
As a senior, LeBlanc helped Mizzou reach the Super Regionals for the first time in school history, advancing out of Malibu as a No. 4 seed before losing to Horton’s host Cal State Fullerton squad. That season, he was named Mizzou Baseball Performance Athlete of the Year.
Chris Smith returns to his alma mater following a 10-year professional baseball career that began after his junior season at UC Riverside when the Boston Red Sox selected the Apple Valley, CA native in the fourth round of the 2002 MLB Draft.
The right-hander worked his way up to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox by 2006, and on May 18, 2008, the Red Sox called him up to the big leagues. He made his major league debut on June 21 of that year allowing just one run and three hits in four innings of relief work against the St. Louis Cardinals. Smith appeared in 12 games on the season for the Sox, all in relief, striking out 13 batters in 18.1 innings.
In 2009, Smith signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers. He appeared in 35 games that season for the Brew Crew striking out 35 in 46.0 innings and posting an earned run average of 4.11. The following season, he made three appearances for Milwaukee striking out four hitters in three innings of work.
As a junior at UCR, Smith was named Second-Team, All Big West following a campaign that saw him post a 9-8 record with a 2.91 earned run average while striking out 127 batters and throwing a staff-high eight compelte games.
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