Ryan Grice
Head Baseball Coach
Office Phone: 614-236-6203
Ryan Grice assumed the role of head baseball coach at Capital on August 1, 2009 after a successful stint as an assistant coach at LaGrange College (Ga.).
After three seasons as head coach of the Crusaders in the books, Grice looks to continue to develop his promising team in order to build upon the Crusaders' tradition of overall athletic success.
"I feel that Capital has the tools to become a great baseball program," Grice said. "The University's location in Columbus makes it the center of great baseball talent. In addition, Capital already has a strong tradition of winning athletics programs and coaches that we can build upon."
Grice has a clear and and concise plan for how to build successful program.
"With a focus on discipline and attention to detail, I plan to making Clowson Field and Crusader baseball something that everyone at Capital can take pride in."
Last season, Capital posted a record of 15-22, the program's highest win total since 2007, despite playing with no seniors on the roster. The Crusaders began the season with an 8-2 record and won three of their last six games in Ohio Athletic Conference play. Junior Patrick Jackson was selected to the All-OAC second team, while Jackson and sophomore Nate Campbell were Academic All-OAC picks.
In 2011, the Crusaders finished 12-22,
including an improved record of 8-10 in the OAC.
The team moved up to sixth place in the conference, its highest finish
in the league standings since 2007.
In his first season with the Purple and
White, Grice led the Crusaders to a 13-24 record, the program's best
mark since 2007. Capital's growth and development as a team was
epitomized by sweeping their last two conference opponents to close out
the season. In all, the Crusaders swept three league opponents to earn a
6-12 record in OAC competition.
Prior to coming to Capital,
Grice served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at
LaGrange while also supervising the maintenance of a $2.2 million
baseball facility. His pitchers were a part of a Panther program that
recorded at least 23 wins in each of the three seasons he was on campus
while racking up a 1.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
In 2006, Grice
served as an assistant coach at the University of Akron where he
supervised student athletes in all facets of the program while helping
then first-year head coach Pat Bangston lay down the groundwork to build
the Zips program into a darkhorse in the Mid-American Conference while
building strong recruiting ties in the Buckeye State.
Grice also
spent four seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Walsh
University. He served as the top hitting instructor and guided the
Cavaliers during five-consecutive 20-win campaigns. Grice also worked
with the American Mideast Conference Coach of the Year, Pitcher of the
Year and Player of the Year during a 2005 season that saw Walsh record
32 victories. WU won the AMC North Division Championship that season
while advancing to the NAIA Region IX Tournament and garnering several
votes in the final NAIA Top 25 Poll.
Grice has experience
coaching in the Great Lakes League, a collegiate wood bat summer league.
He was an assistant coach for three seasons with the Stark County
Terriers where he served as the third base coach. Grice then served as
the first ever head coach of the Granville Settlers in 2007.
A
four-year letterman at Walsh, Grice ranked sixth upon graduation on the
school's all-time career hits list. In his final two seasons at Walsh,
he earned All-American Mideast Conference honors. Grice helped Walsh to
the most wins in school history (36) and the best winning percentage in
conference history, (19-2) his senior season.
Grice is a native
of Millersburg, Ohio. He was a standout in baseball and football for
West Holmes High School. Grice was a four-year starter for the baseball
team and a three-year starter for the football team where he earned
all-state honors.
Grice, his wife Cori and twins Trey and Alaina live in Pickerington.
Eric Best
Assistant Baseball Coach
Recruiting Coordinator
Eric Best enters his first year with the Crusaders as the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach.
Best spent his last two years as pitching coach at the University of Northwestern Ohio, where his staff posted a 4.13 ERA in 2012. Two of his pupils are now playing in minor league organizations. This past summer, Best was a pitching coach in the collegiate Prospect League for the Chillicothe Paints, who finishes second in their league.
In 2010, Best earned his bachelor’s in human ecology from the Ohio State University while playing baseball for Buckeyes over a five-year stint. Over period, Best proved to be one of the most valuable pitchers on the staff, succeeding in any situation in which he was needed. He concluded his career with a 16-9 record, including a 7-4 mark in 2009, when Ohio State won the Big Ten championship, and saved 14 games, which currently ranks fourth all time at OSU. He also appeared in 91 career games, which ranks third in Buckeyes baseball history.
Best recently completed a master’s degree in secondary education at Grand Canyon University. He is a native of Lewis Center, Ohio, and an alumnus of Olentangy Liberty High School.
Best and his fiancé, Carolyn Cypret, also an Olentangy Liberty alum, will be married on Oct. 13, 2012.