Kevin Kocks Position: Head Coach Experience: Third Season

In his fourth season as the head coach of the Cleveland State baseball program, Kevin Kocks has set himself up to direct one of the most well rounded and deepest teams in the Horizon League this season.

With the want-to-win attitudes of the current Vikings and the belief in their team to achieve the goals that Kocks has set for them, the CSU squad has the ability to climb the Horizon League ranks and be a contender for the league crown.

With 57 wins during his first three seasons, Kocks is poised to lead the Vikings to their first ever 30 win season.

Behind Kocks' leadership, CSU has won 21 and 22 games in the last two seasons, the most since 2001.

During 2009, in his third year as head coach, Kocks led CSU to an overall record of 21-31, including a 12-13 mark in the Horizon League, good enough for a fifth place finish.

In the league tournament, his squad topped Valparaiso, 4-2 in an opening round game before falling to No. 1 seeded UIC, 16-6. The Vikings concluded their season with a 6-5 loss to Milwaukee in an elimination game.

Under Kocks, the Vikings had a 22-31 record during 2008, the most victories since the 2001 squad posted a record of 23-34.

Having been in charge of the CSU baseball program for three years, Kocks has been able to establish his system of baseball, which includes a "power/pressure" offense, pitching to contact and being aggressive on the basepaths to create scoring opportunities.

In his first season at the helm of the Viking program, Kocks guided CSU to a 14-44 overall record, finishing fourth in the Horizon League at 10-17.

Kocks led CSU to a 6-1 victory over Butler in the opening round of the league tournament and a second round matchup with top-seeded UIC. The Vikings loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning against the Flames, but could not muster any more runs and lost, 8-5.

CSU was eliminated from the tournament the following day by Youngstown State. Upon being hired at Cleveland State in the summer of 2006, Kocks quickly established himself as a fiery, proactive leader who strives for nothing but excellence and success both on and off the field. He preaches one simple message to his team, compete for championships and earn a degree.

Kocks has a demonstrated history of leaving programs in better shape than when he arrived. He has wasted little time in making improvements since taking the reigns of the Vikings, upgrading the team's locker room facilities last fall. He also wanted to hit the recruiting trail hard and his efforts landed ten players in last year's early signing period. In addition, Kocks has revamped this seasons roster by bringing in 14 new student-athletes.

But perhaps Kocks' greatest accomplishment in his short time at CSU has been finding the Vikings new fields to call home. In 2007 the Vikings were able to call the field at Pipe Yard Stadium in Lorain, Ohio home for the next three seasons before moving on to greater things once again.

Kocks upped the ante in the off season when he found yet another new field for the Vikings at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio. The 5,000 seat, artificial turf stadium will serve as Cleveland State's home field beginning with the 2010 season.

During his tenure at CSU, Kocks has established a positive relationship with the baseball community in northeast Ohio.

Kocks has put Cleveland State into the local community with camps and clinics, establishing the program as a place where local student-athletes can succeed at the Division I level.

Prior to arriving at CSU, Kocks served as the head coach at Spalding University in Louisville, Ky., where he compiled a 312-195 (.615) mark in seven seasons at the helm.

Charged with building the program from scratch at Spalding, Kocks made an immediate impact, building the Pelicans from their inception in 2000 into a perennial regional and national power.

Following a 20-50 inaugural season, Kocks led Spalding to 35 wins and an NAIA Regional appearance in 2001 and a 56-19 record and seventh place showing at the NAIA World Series in 2002.

Spalding placed seventh in the nation the next year as well, finishing with a 55-21 record. Kocks' immediate success didn't go unnoticed, as he won conference coach of the year honors in 2002 and 2003.

Kocks guided Spalding to yet another NAIA Regional appearance in 2004, as the Pelicans posted a 57-11 mark.

The Pelicans did one better the next year, finishing a school-record fifth at the NAIA World Series and posting a 54-23 mark.

In his final year at Spalding, Kocks' squad went 35-28 and made a sixth straight postseason appearance.

Kocks also earned two more league coach of the year honors (2005, 2006). From 2001-06, the Pelicans were 292-145 (.668) and finished in the top seven nationally three times.

The Pelicans also enjoyed great success under Kocks off the field, boasting a 98 percent graduation rate.

Kocks' first head coaching position came at Bellarmine University in Louisville in 1985. In his first season, he led the Knights to a 34-18 mark, winning Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors. Kocks then directed the team to winning marks the next two years.

In his fourth season at Bellarmine (1989), Kocks directed the Knights to a 15th place finish at the Division II NCAA Regional. The next season, his final campaign at Bellarmine, Kocks led the Knights to a 27-18 mark.

He posted a six-year mark of 157-133 (.541) at Bellarmine.

Before he laid the foundation of a national power at Spalding, Kocks spent the 1997 season as an assistant coach at New Mexico State, where he directed recruiting and marketing efforts for the baseball program. He was also the director of the Aggie youth baseball camps.

Kocks served as an assistant coach at Louisville from 1991-95 and was instrumental in helping lead the Cardinals to 120 wins during his tenure.

Kocks also has nine years of professional baseball experience, serving as a part-time talent scout for the Kansas City Royals from 1987-96. He evaluated players in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

Kocks started his collegiate career at Western Michigan in 1977. After one year at WMU, he went to Jackson Community College before finishing his collegiate career as an infielder at Eastern Kentucky University.

Kocks graduated from Eastern Kentucky in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in health recreation and earned a master's degree in sports administration/supervision from Austin Peay in 1983.

Kocks is married to the former Debbie Sorrels. They reside in Strongsville, Ohio. He has a son, Kyle (14), who lives in Louisville, Ky.