Aug. 30, 2012
PHILADELPHIA -
Saint Joseph's head baseball coach Fritz Hamburg has announced a trio of new additions to the Hawk baseball coaching staff for the 2012-13 academic year. Matt Allison, Kyle Werman, and former Hawk pitcher Alex Pracher will join Hamburg in the dugout during the 2013 season.
"I am truly excited that we have been able to bring Matt, Kyle and Alex to SJU," Hamburg said. "Matt and Kyle bring a new dynamic to our program and a great deal of knowledge and experience. Alex's intellect, enthusiasm and experience will only continue to further our players' growth."
Matt Allison most recently spent three seasons as the hitting coach at Menlo College in Atherton, California. Prior to his tenure with the Oaks, Allison was the head coach at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, from 2003 to 2008. In addition, he has served as an assistant coach at the University of California-Berkeley, Georgetown, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, and SUNY-Cortland. Allison also spent time at Cornell while Hamburg was on the staff there as well.
"I've known Matt since we coached together at Cornell back in the early 1990s and since then, his accomplishments with respect to the offensive side of the game are very impressive," Hamburg said. "His connection to the West Coast will enable us to continue to reach out to that area with our recruiting efforts. He has a tremendous level of baseball savvy and I couldn't be happier that he has agreed to join our staff."
Allison is a 1982 graduate of UC-Riverside and has received master's degrees from Syracuse and the New School for Social Research. He will serve as the Hawks' hitting coach and will also work with the squad's outfielders. Allison will also coordinate camps and lessons as well as assisting with recruiting.
Kyle Werman is a 2005 graduate of the University of Virginia, where he walked onto the Cavalier baseball team and became a four-year starter at second base. He spent the last two seasons at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, following a two-year stint at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Werman also spent a season at his alma mater after one year as an assistant at Oakton High School in Fairfax.
Upon graduating from Virginia, Werman spent the 2005 season with the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League, a Rookie-class affiliate of the New York Mets. He also played professionally with the Washington Wild Things of the independent Frontier League for two seasons.
"Kyle's addition to our program means a great deal to me," said Hamburg. "Through the entire process, his name kept coming up and everyone with whom I spoke had only great things to say about him. Kyle's motor works at a very high level and his game knowledge, work ethic and experience will only help in our effort to win Atlantic 10 championships. I am very enthused about his decision to come on board."
Werman holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from Virginia. He will work with the SJU infielders and will focus on bunting and baserunning as well. Werman will also serve as the Hawks' third base coach and recruiting coordinator.
A familiar name to Hawk fans, Alex Pracher returns to Hawk Hill as a volunteer assistant. Pracher spent three seasons as an undergrad at Stanford before pitching for the Hawks as a graduate student in 2012. With the Cardinal, Pracher ranked second on the team in appearances in 2008 as Stanford reached the College World Series. In 2010, he was the squad's closer, going 6-4 with a 3.15 earned run average, helping lead the Cardinal to the NCAA Regionals.
Pracher, a native of Marlton, N.J., returned to the Philadelphia area to pitch for Hamburg and the Hawks in 2012. He posted the second-highest single-season innings total in SJU history as a key cog in a starting rotation that helped lead Saint Joseph's to its first-ever berth in the Atlantic 10 Championship. In the Hawks' first postseason contest in 38 years, Pracher tossed a five-hit shutout as SJU topped Rhode Island, 3-0; for his efforts, Pracher was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team.
"Alex's transition from player to coach is a great benefit for not only the players but our coaching staff as well," explained Hamburg. "Last summer, I was really excited that he chose Saint Joseph's to further his education and use his final year of collegiate eligibility. He was a major contributor to the progress we made this past season. His preparation throughout the year was always top-notch and that certainly left a very strong impression on his teammates and me. Alex is going to be an outstanding coach and I'm very happy that he is beginning his coaching career on Hawk Hill."
Pracher will assist with the Hawk pitching staff and will serve as the first base coach. He will also assist with the administration of camps and lessons.
