Towson Baseball History
Since 1978, Mike Gottlieb has been a part of the Tigers’ baseball program. He served the program as a player for two years and an assistant coach for eight years. Now he is entering his 24th season as the Tigers’ head coach, a role in which he has flourished.
He enters his 24th season with a total of 572 victories.
Three years ago, he became the first Towson coach to win 500 games when he earned his 500th coaching victory with a win over Mount St. Mary's on March 12, 2008.
Coach Gottlieb led the Tigers to a 30-28 record in 2008 as the team came on strong at the end of the year. After earning the sixth and final berth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 14-16 record, the Tigers reached the CAA finals where they lost to James Madison, 6-1.
Under his direction, the Tiger baseball team has risen to prominence in the Middle Atlantic Region.
In 23 seasons, the Tigers have averaged more than 25 victories per year. There have been two trips to the NCAA Tournament, three conference titles and six appearances in league championship games.
In addition, 12 Tigers have been drafted by major league teams. Last season, Coach Gottlieb took great pride in the major league debut of Casper Wells, a former Towson standout who batted .325 for the Detroit Tigers.
In 2003, he reached a career milestone when he earned his 400th coaching win when the Tigers beat Drexel, 11-2. The winningest coach in Towson University baseball history, he runs a program where the players win games and excel in the classroom. The Tigers have had three players named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America team since 1996.
The last ten seasons have been the winningest stretch in school history. Since 1999, Towson has won 188 games, including a school record 37 victories in 2001.
In 2003, the Tigers played in the Colonial Athletic Association for the second year. Towson responded by posting a 28-25 overall record, its fourth winning season in five years. The Tigers also finished fifth in the CAA with an 11-9 record and qualified for the CAA Tournament.
In 2001, the Tigers concluded a very successful six-year run in America East. In their final season in the league, the Tigers set a school record with 37 wins. After finishing third in the league’s regular season standings, the Tigers played well in the league tournament and finished as America East runners-up for the second time.
In six seasons competing in the America East, Gottlieb led the Tigers to four playoff berths and one regular season championship. In 1999, Towson won the league’s regular season title, marking the only time Delaware didn’t win the title in a sevcn-year stretch. The Tigers, who were America East runners-up in 1999 and 2001, had a 56-29 league record over their final three years in the league.
The 1999 America East Coach of the Year, he earned the 300th victory of his coaching career when Towson beat Vermont, 2-1, on April 16, 2000.
The Tigers, who are starting their 8th season as members of the Colonial Athletic Association this season, have also had some impressive success against non-conference teams the last few years.
Six years ago, the Tigers split a doubleheader at North Carolina and won both games against Maryland. Included in the Tigers’ 18-10 non-league record was a 3-1 mark against Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
During the 2000 season, the Tigers also posted one of the most prestigious wins in the history of the program. On March 21, Towson beat North Carolina by 9-8 when the Tar Heels were the sixth-ranked team in NCAA Division I. The win also ended Carolina’s 52-game home winning streak against non-Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
In 2003, the Tigers posted another win over a nationally-ranked team when they beat 17th-ranked Richmond, 19-10.
In 2002, outfielder Gregg Davies was drafted by a major league team. Davies was selected in the 21st round by the Baltimore Orioles. Four years ago, pitcher Bryan Simmering was picked in the 27th round by the Oakland A’s.
After the 2000 season, Towson had two pitchers drafted. Chris Russ was picked in the third round by the Texas Rangers and Denny Chapman was selected by San Diego in the 27th round. In 1999, infielder Jason Rummel was a 29th round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 1999 while pitcher Chris Fiora was a 22nd round pick by St. Louis.
Pitchers Mike Vota and Derek Hasselhoff were drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1995. In 1988, Chris Nabholz was the first Gottlieb-coached player to be drafted. He was a second round draft pick by the Montreal Expos. Nabholz went on to pitch in the major leagues for five years.
Towson baseball players have also excelled in the classroom. Since 1996, five Tiger baseball players have been named as Academic All-America selections. In 2008, pitcher Jon Dupski was named third team Academic All-American. In 2007, catcher Ryan Schreiter was a third team Academic All-America pick. In 2002, Davies was named as a second team Academic All-American. Rummel earned third team Academic All-American honors in 1999 while James Vallillo was second team Verizon Academic All-American pick in 1996.
In six seasons as members of America East, four different Tigers were named as the America East Scholar-Athlete for baseball. Davies won the award in 2001, joining Jason Sandner (2000), Jason Rummel (1999) and James Valillo (1996) as Towson players who earned the honor.
A first baseman for the Tiger baseball team for two years, Gottlieb graduated from Towson in 1979. From 1980 to 1987, he served as an assistant coach for the Tigers under Coach Bill Hunter. In 1988, he was named as the head coach at Towson and has led the Tigers to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances as well as two conference championships.
Gottlieb has led the Tigers to success in four different leagues. From 1988 to 1992, the Tigers were members of the East Coast Conference and Towson won the league championships in 1988 and 1991. The Tigers also won the ECC regular season title in 1988 and 1992. From 1993 to 1995, Towson competed in the Big South Conference and finished second in the Big South in 1993.
A member of America East from 1996 to 2001, the Tigers made the league playoffs four times. In Towson’s second year in the league, the Tigers earned a berth in the six-team playoffs by winning three of four road games on the final weekend of the season. Appearing in their first America East Tournament, the Tigers earned a fourth place finish with a 7-6 come-from-behind win over league power Maine in an elimination bracket game.
In 1999, the top-seeded Tigers won the regular season title with a 20-7 record. They advanced to the championship round with a 6-1 win over Maine and a 4-1 victory over Delaware. However, the Blue Hens came back to win twice on the final day of the season, earning their second straight America East championship. In 2000, the Tigers finished second in the league and lost their first two games in the tournament.
In 2001, the Tigers battled Delaware and Maine all season for the regular season title. Towson entered the conference tournament as the third seed with a 17-11 record. In the opening game, the Tigers pounded out a school and tournament record 28 base hits in a 20-4 first round win over Maine.
After dropping a 4-1 decision to Delaware in the second round, the Tigers earned a berth in the championship round by beating Northeastern, 7-6. Delaware won the title with a 7-0 win in the final game. It was the only time all season that the Tigers were shut out.
In 1988, Coach Gottlieb enjoyed a memorable first season. The first-year coach led Towson to the best season in school history, as the Tigers posted a 31-17-1 record. They went 12-2 in the East Coast Conference, finishing first in the league standings.
Towson swept through the 1988 ECC Tournament, beating Hofstra and Delaware twice, to win its first ECC championship. Coach Gottlieb was honored as the ECC Coach of the Year and later earned NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors.
Making their first NCAA regional appearance, the Tigers did well. After a loss to College World Series-bound Miami, they beat Virginia Commonwealth and finished fourth in the NCAA regional at Miami.
In 1989, Towson took second in the ECC as Rider won the title. In 1991, Towson won its second ECC championship and posted a 28-23-1 record. The Tigers swept three games in the ECC tournament as the number three seed to earn their second NCAA appearance.
For the second time, Towson finished fourth in an NCAA regional. In the Northeast regional at Maine, Towson lost to Mississippi State and bounced back to beat Princeton. The Tigers’ win over Princeton was the 100th of Coach Gottlieb’s coaching career.
A 1979 graduate of Towson, he played two years of baseball for the Tigers. Prior to attending Towson, he was a student at Nassau Community College on Long Island. After graduating from Towson, the Lynbrook, N.Y. native became an assistant coach to Bill Hunter, a role he filled for eight seasons.
In 1988, Gottlieb assumed control of the program when Hunter resigned to devote more time to his role as Towson’s athletic director.
In November of 2002, Coach Gottlieb was honored as the College Coach of the Year by the Middle Atlantic Regional Scouting Bureau.
He enters his 24th season with a total of 572 victories.
Three years ago, he became the first Towson coach to win 500 games when he earned his 500th coaching victory with a win over Mount St. Mary's on March 12, 2008.
Coach Gottlieb led the Tigers to a 30-28 record in 2008 as the team came on strong at the end of the year. After earning the sixth and final berth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 14-16 record, the Tigers reached the CAA finals where they lost to James Madison, 6-1.
Under his direction, the Tiger baseball team has risen to prominence in the Middle Atlantic Region.
In 23 seasons, the Tigers have averaged more than 25 victories per year. There have been two trips to the NCAA Tournament, three conference titles and six appearances in league championship games.
In addition, 12 Tigers have been drafted by major league teams. Last season, Coach Gottlieb took great pride in the major league debut of Casper Wells, a former Towson standout who batted .325 for the Detroit Tigers.
In 2003, he reached a career milestone when he earned his 400th coaching win when the Tigers beat Drexel, 11-2. The winningest coach in Towson University baseball history, he runs a program where the players win games and excel in the classroom. The Tigers have had three players named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America team since 1996.
The last ten seasons have been the winningest stretch in school history. Since 1999, Towson has won 188 games, including a school record 37 victories in 2001.
In 2003, the Tigers played in the Colonial Athletic Association for the second year. Towson responded by posting a 28-25 overall record, its fourth winning season in five years. The Tigers also finished fifth in the CAA with an 11-9 record and qualified for the CAA Tournament.
In 2001, the Tigers concluded a very successful six-year run in America East. In their final season in the league, the Tigers set a school record with 37 wins. After finishing third in the league’s regular season standings, the Tigers played well in the league tournament and finished as America East runners-up for the second time.
In six seasons competing in the America East, Gottlieb led the Tigers to four playoff berths and one regular season championship. In 1999, Towson won the league’s regular season title, marking the only time Delaware didn’t win the title in a sevcn-year stretch. The Tigers, who were America East runners-up in 1999 and 2001, had a 56-29 league record over their final three years in the league.
The 1999 America East Coach of the Year, he earned the 300th victory of his coaching career when Towson beat Vermont, 2-1, on April 16, 2000.
The Tigers, who are starting their 8th season as members of the Colonial Athletic Association this season, have also had some impressive success against non-conference teams the last few years.
Six years ago, the Tigers split a doubleheader at North Carolina and won both games against Maryland. Included in the Tigers’ 18-10 non-league record was a 3-1 mark against Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
During the 2000 season, the Tigers also posted one of the most prestigious wins in the history of the program. On March 21, Towson beat North Carolina by 9-8 when the Tar Heels were the sixth-ranked team in NCAA Division I. The win also ended Carolina’s 52-game home winning streak against non-Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
In 2003, the Tigers posted another win over a nationally-ranked team when they beat 17th-ranked Richmond, 19-10.
In 2002, outfielder Gregg Davies was drafted by a major league team. Davies was selected in the 21st round by the Baltimore Orioles. Four years ago, pitcher Bryan Simmering was picked in the 27th round by the Oakland A’s.
After the 2000 season, Towson had two pitchers drafted. Chris Russ was picked in the third round by the Texas Rangers and Denny Chapman was selected by San Diego in the 27th round. In 1999, infielder Jason Rummel was a 29th round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 1999 while pitcher Chris Fiora was a 22nd round pick by St. Louis.
Pitchers Mike Vota and Derek Hasselhoff were drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1995. In 1988, Chris Nabholz was the first Gottlieb-coached player to be drafted. He was a second round draft pick by the Montreal Expos. Nabholz went on to pitch in the major leagues for five years.
Towson baseball players have also excelled in the classroom. Since 1996, five Tiger baseball players have been named as Academic All-America selections. In 2008, pitcher Jon Dupski was named third team Academic All-American. In 2007, catcher Ryan Schreiter was a third team Academic All-America pick. In 2002, Davies was named as a second team Academic All-American. Rummel earned third team Academic All-American honors in 1999 while James Vallillo was second team Verizon Academic All-American pick in 1996.
In six seasons as members of America East, four different Tigers were named as the America East Scholar-Athlete for baseball. Davies won the award in 2001, joining Jason Sandner (2000), Jason Rummel (1999) and James Valillo (1996) as Towson players who earned the honor.
A first baseman for the Tiger baseball team for two years, Gottlieb graduated from Towson in 1979. From 1980 to 1987, he served as an assistant coach for the Tigers under Coach Bill Hunter. In 1988, he was named as the head coach at Towson and has led the Tigers to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances as well as two conference championships.
Gottlieb has led the Tigers to success in four different leagues. From 1988 to 1992, the Tigers were members of the East Coast Conference and Towson won the league championships in 1988 and 1991. The Tigers also won the ECC regular season title in 1988 and 1992. From 1993 to 1995, Towson competed in the Big South Conference and finished second in the Big South in 1993.
A member of America East from 1996 to 2001, the Tigers made the league playoffs four times. In Towson’s second year in the league, the Tigers earned a berth in the six-team playoffs by winning three of four road games on the final weekend of the season. Appearing in their first America East Tournament, the Tigers earned a fourth place finish with a 7-6 come-from-behind win over league power Maine in an elimination bracket game.
In 1999, the top-seeded Tigers won the regular season title with a 20-7 record. They advanced to the championship round with a 6-1 win over Maine and a 4-1 victory over Delaware. However, the Blue Hens came back to win twice on the final day of the season, earning their second straight America East championship. In 2000, the Tigers finished second in the league and lost their first two games in the tournament.
In 2001, the Tigers battled Delaware and Maine all season for the regular season title. Towson entered the conference tournament as the third seed with a 17-11 record. In the opening game, the Tigers pounded out a school and tournament record 28 base hits in a 20-4 first round win over Maine.
After dropping a 4-1 decision to Delaware in the second round, the Tigers earned a berth in the championship round by beating Northeastern, 7-6. Delaware won the title with a 7-0 win in the final game. It was the only time all season that the Tigers were shut out.
In 1988, Coach Gottlieb enjoyed a memorable first season. The first-year coach led Towson to the best season in school history, as the Tigers posted a 31-17-1 record. They went 12-2 in the East Coast Conference, finishing first in the league standings.
Towson swept through the 1988 ECC Tournament, beating Hofstra and Delaware twice, to win its first ECC championship. Coach Gottlieb was honored as the ECC Coach of the Year and later earned NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors.
Making their first NCAA regional appearance, the Tigers did well. After a loss to College World Series-bound Miami, they beat Virginia Commonwealth and finished fourth in the NCAA regional at Miami.
In 1989, Towson took second in the ECC as Rider won the title. In 1991, Towson won its second ECC championship and posted a 28-23-1 record. The Tigers swept three games in the ECC tournament as the number three seed to earn their second NCAA appearance.
For the second time, Towson finished fourth in an NCAA regional. In the Northeast regional at Maine, Towson lost to Mississippi State and bounced back to beat Princeton. The Tigers’ win over Princeton was the 100th of Coach Gottlieb’s coaching career.
A 1979 graduate of Towson, he played two years of baseball for the Tigers. Prior to attending Towson, he was a student at Nassau Community College on Long Island. After graduating from Towson, the Lynbrook, N.Y. native became an assistant coach to Bill Hunter, a role he filled for eight seasons.
In 1988, Gottlieb assumed control of the program when Hunter resigned to devote more time to his role as Towson’s athletic director.
In November of 2002, Coach Gottlieb was honored as the College Coach of the Year by the Middle Atlantic Regional Scouting Bureau.