July 17, 2008
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University head baseball coach Mark Machtolf has announced the promotion of volunteer assistant pitching coach Steve Bennett to full-time.
He replaces Gary Van Tol who resigned to pursue other professional opportunities.
"Steve has done an excellent job for us. If you look at the quality pitching staffs we have had, Steve is the reason. Plus, Steve played for Gonzaga, he is loyal to this place and he is a good ambassador for the baseball program, the university and the city," Machtolf said.
Bennett just completed his fourth season as a member of the Bulldog coaching staff and has produced five All-West Coast Conference selections and two All-Americans in his two years while working with the pitchers.
Under Bennett's guidance this past season, pitchers Matt Fields and Cody Martin received All-West Coast Conference honorable mention honors. Martin also set a school record with nine saves and was named to the Freshman All-American Third Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America.
In his first season serving as the pitching coach in 2007, Bennett had Clayton Mortensen earn the program's inaugural WCC Pitcher of the Year award. Mortensen was also named third team All-American and was the 36th overall draft pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He was currently promoted to the St. Louis Cardinals' AAA affiliate in Memphis where he is 4-2 with a 4.17 ERA in seven starts.
A 2000 graduate of Gonzaga, Bennett was a 4-year letter-winner for the Bulldogs appearing in 54 games over his career. He earned WCC honorable mention as a freshman, was selected second-team All-WCC as a junior and was drafted by the New York Mets in the 28th round after his senior season. Bennett chose to return to the Bulldogs for his fifth year where he earned first-team All-WCC. He then went on to play four years in the Mets organization reaching as high as the AA level.
The native of Helena, Montana is engaged to Abby Cullen, an assistant volleyball coach for the Bulldogs, and will be married later this month.
