Drew Patton

Drew Patton

  • Title:
    Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator - 9th Season
  • Phone:
    419-606-5028
  • Email:
    pattond@tiffin.edu

Alma Mater: University of Akron

Drew Patton is in his ninth season with Tiffin University in 2022-23, entering his third year as the top assistant and Recruiting Coordinator after seven years as the pitching coach. He has 23 years of college coaching experience. 

During Patton's time as TU's pitching coach, he has mentored 13 All-Conference selections from the Dragon pitching staff, including 2022 Division II All American and GMAC Pitcher of the Year Michael Boswell (also 2017 GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year), and 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates 10th-round draft pick Logan Sendelbach.
 
During the 2022 season, TU led the GMAC in shutouts and opponent's batting average (.258) while finishing second in strikeouts. During the 2021 season, Patton's staff led the GMAC in strikeouts and was third in opponent's batting average (.265). Prior to the cancellation of the remainder of the 2020 season, Patton's staff was leading the GMAC in multiple categories through 11 games, including a 2.34 ERA, a .222 opponent batting average, 79 hits allowed, and zero home runs allowed.
 
Before arriving at Tiffin, Patton spent the previous 12 years as the pitching coach at GLIAC opponent, Ashland University. His pitching staffs compiled a team record of 436-228 (.656%). During that time, he guided Ashland pitching staffs to the 2006 and 2008 NCAA Division II World Series and 8 NCAA Regional appearances. His tenure included 1 ABCA All-American Pitcher, 3 Daktronics All-American Pitchers, 4 NCBWA All-American Pitchers, 9 ABCA All-Regional Pitchers, 3 GLIAC Pitchers of the Year, and 13 First Team All-GLIAC Pitchers. Among his pitchers, Ajay Meyer was a finalist for the Tino Martinez Award (NCAA Division II player of the year) in 2011 and Josh Davidson led the nation in victories with 14 in 2006. 
 

Under Coach Patton’s tutelage, Ashland set a number of single-season team records including most innings pitched, most strikeouts, most shutouts, most consecutive wins, most GLIAC wins, and most consecutive GLIAC wins. In addition to the team accomplishments, he helped pitchers set individual career records including wins (37), saves (14), strikeouts (second, 313), innings pitched (second, 344), and appearances (second, 79). 

Patton coached ten pitchers who went on to pitch professionally, including one at the Major League level. Two of Patton’s pitchers were drafted in the top ten rounds of the MLB draft:  Mike Birkbeck, 4th round to the Milwaukee Brewers (1983), and Logan Sendelbach, 10th round to the Pittsburgh Pirates (2015). Sendelbach was the first student-athlete to be drafted from Tiffin. 

Three of his former pitchers are currently college pitching coaches: Mike Birkbeck at Kent State University, Aaron Hilt at Ashland University, and Brady Ward at Morehead State University. 

In eight years at Tiffin, Patton has guided his pitching staffs to five of the top six single-season strikeout totals since moving to the NCAA Division II level (438 in 2022, 365 in 2021, 332 in 2017, 316 in 2015, and 270 in 2016). As a staff, Tiffin set the single-season records for wins (32) and GLIAC wins (21) en route to finishing third in the regular season and GLIAC conference tournament runners-up in 2017. In 2019, Tiffin set a new program record for innings pitched (453.1), while the 2022 staff set a new team strikeout record (438).

Additionally, Tiffin pitchers have set or tied a number of single-season records under Patton’s guidance. Michael Boswell set new career program records for wins (26), strikeouts (277), and innings pitched (268). Boswell also set new single season records with 8 wins and a 1.96 ERA. Kevin Borst owns the single-season (13, 2017) and career (14, 2016-2017) marks for saves. Borst led the GLIAC in saves and finished tied for third-most saves in the country. Cody Orr broke the overall program record with 88 1/3 innings and tied the DII-era strikeouts mark with 69 in 2019.

Individually, Kevin Borst was named the 2017 GLIAC Commissioner’s Award winner. Michael Boswell was named 2022 CCA All American, 2022 NBCA, ABCA, and CCA All Midwest Region, 2022 GMAC Pitcher of the Year, and the 2017 GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Tyler Wehrle was a First Team All GMAC pick in 2022, while Gunnar Boehm was Second Team and Mat Carden was Third Team. Luke Fraley was named to the 2017 GLIAC All-Second Team. In 2019, Cody Orr was named First Team All-GMAC as a utility/pitcher and Aaron George earned Honorable Mention All-GMAC honors as a reliever.

Patton was a four-year letter winner at the University of Akron, a two-time co-captain, and was named the 1978 University of Akron Pitcher of the Year. After his playing career came to a close, he spent five years at the University of Akron as an assistant coach under the guidance of Head Coach Dave Fross. He graduated from Akron with a BSEd in Physical Education. 

A native of Amherst, Ohio, Patton resides in Ashland, Ohio with his wife, Beth, who is an associate professor at Ashland University. They have two grown children: their son, Matt, and his wife Lauren and daughter Georgia live in Round Rock, Texas, and their daughter, Molly, lives in Fairlawn, Ohio.