Baseball
- Title:
- Volunteer Assistant | 2nd Season
- Email:
- z.etheredge@tcu.edu
"We are excited to add Zach to our coaching staff," said Schlossnagle. "He will bring a tremendous amount of energy to our program and is a proven developer of players, especially at the catching position."
"I am really excited for the opportunity to work with such an outstanding baseball program and such a great staff," said Etheredge. "I hope I can add something to the mix."
Since his arrival on campus, Etheredge has proven to be a perfect compliment to an already experienced coaching staff. TCU is 231-92 (.715) in his five seasons on staff and has claimed a pair of Big 12 Tournament titles and two Big 12 regular season championships, been a national seed three times and advanced to four College World Series.
In his five seasons, Etheredge has mentored a pair of MLB draft picks in Kyle Bacak
and Evan Skoug. The Frog catching corps has flourished under his guidance, limiting opponents to 65% success rate (182-for-278) and the pitching staff boasts a 3.02 ERA over the last five seasons to rank seventh nationally.
The 2015 season presented a big challenge for Etheredge as he was tasked with coaching a talented freshman to catch an experienced pitching staff. Skoug blossomed under his tutelage culminating in being selected in the ninth round of the 2017 draft by the Chicago White Sox. In his three seasons on campus, Skoug earned Freshman All-American honors in addition to being named honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore. He wrapped up a successful career earning 2017 Co-Big 12 Player of the Year as well as being named an All-American. Following his sophomore campaign, Skoug went on to be one of the main catchers on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
Defensively in 2015, the Horned Frogs set a school record and ranked eighth nationally with a .979 fielding percentage. Skoug committed just two errors and had a .996 fielding percentage while helping the pitching staff post a 2.45 ERA, a mark that ranked second nationally.
Etheredge immediately made his presence felt on the diamond upon his arrival. The Frogs saw improvements in all facets of the game, most notably at the plate. Offensively, the Frogs saw a 32 point improvement in their batting average. TCU hit .278 on the season to rank 88th nationally. On the bases, the Frogs swiped 93 bases, ranking 15th nationally.
Defensively, TCU posted a .977 fielding percentage. That mark ranked 11th nationally. Under his guidance, Bacak put together a career season behind the plate. The senior was drafted in the 25th round by the Washington Nationals. He boasted a .993 fielding percentage and threw out 39% of base stealers. After allowing 14 passed balls in 2013, Bacak decreased that total to just five. Additionally, the pitching staff had just 35 wild pitches, down from 55 in 2013.
The former Chicago White Sox farmhand spent the past two seasons as the volunteer assistant at UC Santa Barbara. This past season, he helped coach the Gouchos to a berth in the NCAA Corvallis Regional. The Gouchos finished the season with a 35-25 record. Under his guidance, Jackson Morrow posted a 1.000 fielding percentage and threw out 56% of base stealers.
Prior to his time at UCSB, Etheredge served as an assistant for the Cotuit Kettlers in the Cape Cod League. He was also the head coach in the Texas Fury summer league organization.
In his collegiate playing days, Etheredge was a two-time All-Southland Conference catcher at UTSA. He ranks in the top 10 of most offensive categories, including at-bats, doubles, RBIs and home runs.
Etheredge and his wife, Kasi and their three children reside in Fort Worth.
