Head coach Jay Sorg is entering his fifth season leading the Morehead State Eagles baseball program. Sorg is a former Eagle standout, professional baseball player and coach.
During Sorg’s four seasons with the Eagles, the team has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in several statistical categories. In his first season with the Eagles (2008), the team made significant improvements both defensively and offensively, raising the team’s national rankings in several categories including ERA, fielding percentage, home runs per game, double plays per game and win-loss percentage.
Sorg’s second season saw continued improvement for his young ball club; the team ranked in the top 25 nationally in double plays (first), double plays per game (sixth), home runs per game (14th), slugging percentage (14th) and home runs (19th). During the 2010 campaign, the Eagles once again dominated several offensive categories nationally; the team ranked in the top 25 nationally in home runs per game (third), slugging percentage (fifth), home runs (12th), scoring (13th) and batting average (18th). Last season, despite a dramatic decline in power across college baseball,
MSU ranked 11th in doubles per game, 18th in home runs per game, 26th in slugging percentage and 34th in home runs.
Several Eagle players have been nominated for awards since Sorg was named head coach. In 2011, junior catcher Taylor Davis and third baseman/outfielder Andrew Deeds earned numerous accolades. Davis received First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, was selected to the prestigious Johnny Bench Award Watch List and signed with the Chicago Cubs. A former Freshman All-American, Deeds was selected Second Team All-OVC, broke the school record for triples in a season (seven) and career triples (11). During the 2010 season, pitcher and infielder Michael Bottoms was named a quarterfinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. Eight players have been selected as the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher or Player of the week during Sorg’s tenure with the club.
Sorg’s reputation as a great recruiter of talented student-athletes has been obvious during his tenure with the Eagles. MSU has had five freshmen selected to the OVC All-Freshman Team, signed two Louisville Slugger TPX All-Americans (Caden Cleveland and Duran Elmore), a Kentucky Male Athlete of the Year (Aaron Watts) and a National Junior College Athletic Association Second Team All-American (Matt Duncan).
The Eagles are active in the community and engage in service activities throughout the off-season. The Eagles participate in the annual Blood Bowl, assist students during freshman move-in and work free baseball clinics for local grade school children.
Sorg played three seasons as a third baseman at MSU (1992-94) before being selected in the 15th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. During his MSU career, he was a member of the Ohio Valley
Conference Tournament champion team (1993), served as the Eagle captain, was named the team‘s most valuable player, and earned First Team All-OVC accolades (1994).
Sorg played five years in the Reds minor league system, before being hired by the club as a baseball instructor in their player development area. He held numerous positions in the organization during the next five years including: manager of the Class
A Clinton (Iowa) and Advanced Rookie League Billings (Mont.) minor league teams, hitting coach for Class A Rockford (Ill.) and Billings minor league teams, bench coach for the AAA Louisville Bats, and minor league spring training camp coordinator. While
with Clinton, he led the team to the playoffs as the youngest professional manager (26) in the nation.
He also led Billings to a Pioneer League Championship. While coaching in the Reds minor league system, Sorg had the opportunity to coach both of the 2010 Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Players in Josh Hamilton and Joey Votto.
Sorg left the Reds organization in 2003 to be closer to his family, taking a position as director of baseball operations for Champions Sports Complex in Louisville, a position he held for three years. He began his second stint with the Cincinnati Reds in June 2006, when he again took a position as baseball instructor in player development.
Before taking over the MSU program, Sorg served as bench coach for the Bats in 2006 and 2007. Sorg returned to MSU after completing his first season as a professional baseball player to earn his bachelor’s degree in accounting (1994) and needed just three-and-a-half years to complete the degree.
He is married to Eagle alum and former volleyball standout Shelly Rocke. She still ranks in the top 10 in Eagle volleyball history in digs, total attacks and games played. They have four children, Ty, Kyley, Casey and Macy.
